Maths EPQ ideas: maths in biology and medicine
Epidemics, screening, dosing and growth. Strong choices for future medics and biologists who enjoy maths.
Tip. Never give medical advice: model, analyse and evaluate published data.
9 ideas
- Modelling an epidemicHow well does a simple SIR model capture the spread of an epidemic, and what does it imply for vaccination?
- When a positive test is probably wrongWhy can a positive result from an accurate medical test still be more likely wrong than right?
- Planning repeated drug dosesHow do exponential decay and geometric series explain the dosing of repeated medicines?
- Predator and prey cyclesCan the Lotka–Volterra equations explain the cycles in predator and prey populations?
- How big should a clinical trial be?How many patients does a clinical trial need for enough statistical power, and what goes wrong when it is too small?
- Is BMI a good measure?Is body mass index a sound measure, mathematically speaking?
- DNA evidence and the prosecutor's fallacyHow should a court interpret the chance of a DNA match, and how has probability been misused in trials?
- Models of tumour growthWhich growth model best describes tumour growth: exponential, logistic or Gompertz?
- Why giants cannot existWhy can't giants exist? Scaling laws in biology from ants to elephants
Frequently asked questions
Is maths in biology and medicine a good area for a maths EPQ?
It can be, if you narrow it to one question you can answer with mathematics you understand and evidence you can find. Never give medical advice: model, analyse and evaluate published data.
Can I use one of these titles as it is?
Use it as a starting point. Change the case, the data or the comparison until the title is your own, and agree it with your supervisor before you start.
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