Teaching Mathematical Biology in a Summer School for Undergraduates

For the past four years, the University of Alberta has hosted a summer school on mathematical biology, aimed at undergraduate students who have completed 2–3 years of study in mathematics or a similar quantitative science. The aim of this summer school is to introduce the students to mathematical modelling and analysis applied to real biological systems. In the span of 10 days, students attend lectures and exercise sessions, learn how to set up mathematical models, and use analytical and computational tools to relate them to biological data. They experience the modelling process by working on a research project. In this paper, we explain our teaching philosophy, share some unique features of our summer school, and exemplify key course components.