Report Title：Theory + Data: Building Hybrid Models with Stoichiometry and Machine Learning
Reporter：Professor Hao Howard Wang
Affiliation: University of Alberta
Report Time: 15:30-16:30 May 21, 2026
Report Location: Room 209, Zhengxin Building
University Contact: Liu Suli (liusuli@jlu.edu.cn)
Abstract:
Stoichiometric principles provide a rigorous, law-based backbone for building mechanistic models that are robust and empirically testable through conservation and physiological constraints. In this talk, I will introduce stoichiometric models that resolve key biological paradoxes by explicitly tracking elemental and quota-driven limitations, then demonstrate how data-driven components can (i) learn missing processes, (ii) improve short-term forecasting, and (iii) enable real-time monitoring. Methane biogenesis in oil sands tailings serves as a central application: we couple stoichiometric biodegradation dynamics with ML-enabled monitoring to better predict emissions trajectories. This research contributes to the broader goal of carbon neutrality.
Bio:
Hao Howard Wang is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Mathematical Biosciences, a tenured full professor at the University of Alberta, and the director of the Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory of Mathematical Ecology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Alberta. He currently serves as the chief editor or editorial board member of 11 leading international journals in mathematical biology and dynamical systems, and has published over 200 papers in high-level SCI journals. He has made pioneering and breakthrough contributions to chemometrics, animal cognitive movement, environmental pollution toxins, microbial decomposition, species invasion, mechanisms and prediction of infectious disease transmission. Currently, he leads multiple national key funds such as the Canadian Alliance Missions. He has been awarded the CAIMS-SCMAI Research Prize, the Distinguished Mentor Award from the University of Alberta, the Joseph Michel Guidance Award, the Distinguished Young Scholar Award from the American Institute of Mathematical Biosciences, and the Canadian National Fund Research Acceleration Grant.
Recent photo of the presenter:
