Home / News / [IM Webinar Series] Talks by Raiza Corpuz and Brenda Gavina on 13 Apr 2026, 10AM-12NN

[IM Webinar Series] Talks by Raiza Corpuz and Brenda Gavina on 13 Apr 2026, 10AM-12NN

12 April 2026

We are pleased to announce the resumption of the IM Webinar Series, starting with two talks from the Coding and Number Theory (CNT) and the Modelling and Applications (ModApp) research groups.

The first set of talks will be held tomorrow, Monday, 13 April 2026, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 NN.

Please feel free to share this invitation to anyone who might be interested!

Talk Abstracts: bit.ly/IMWAbstract0426

Join the meeting here: http://bit.ly/IMWebinar0426

Title: Dosing by design: Optimizing hormonal contraceptives
Speaker: Brenda Lyn Gavina (University of the Philippines Diliman)
Schedule: 10AM – 11AM
Abstract: Hormonal contraceptives containing exogenous estrogen and progesterone are widely used for birth control and the management of reproductive disorders. However, dose-related adverse effects, such as venous thromboembolism, can reduce adherence. To explore optimal dosing strategies, we utilize a mathematical model of the menstrual cycle consisting of delay differential equations that describe feedback among key pituitary and ovarian hormones (LH, FSH, E2, P4, and inhibin), coupled with a drug pharmacokinetic component. Simulations show that appropriately timed, non-constant dosing can significantly reduce drug exposure while maintaining efficacy. In particular, daytime dosing yields better efficacy compared to evening dosing due to improved alignment with circadian hormone dynamics.

Title: Iwasawa theory for elliptic curves
Speaker: Raiza Corpuz (University of the Philippines Diliman)
Schedule: 11AM – 12PM
Abstract: Iwasawa theory is a bridge that p-adically connects the arithmetic world to the analytic world. In this talk, we briefly introduce the main conjecture of Iwasawa theory and how its different versions tie in with some prominent questions in number theory. We shall dwell in particular with the version of the main conjecture for elliptic curves and its relation to the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer Conjecture. Towards the end, we shall discuss the following general philosophy in Iwasawa theory: given a pair of p-congruent Galois representations, their arithmetic over the cyclotomic ℤp extension is expected to be closely intertwined.