艾瑞娜·卡瑞瓦把生物语言翻译成数学语言，再从数学翻译回生物。她建立描述癌症动态的数学模型，目的在于研制出治疗肿瘤的新型药物。“数学建模的力与美在于，它可以以最有力的方式，将我们的认知形式化。”艾瑞娜这样说。“数学模型可以引导我们，让我们知道哪里值得继续探索，哪里可能是死路。”这一切的关键在于问对问题、把问题翻译成对的方程式、再翻译回去。

数学有助于揭开癌症的奥秘

Mathematics offers a powerful lens to decipher cancer by modeling it as an ecosystem, where cells compete, cooperate, and evolve. Using predator-prey equations, scientists can compare immune cells and cancer cells to foxes and rabbits, revealing new ways to target tumors. By adjusting variables like nutrient access, models predict how interventions can tip the balance in favor of the immune system. This rigorous approach exposes hidden dynamics, helps test therapies safely, and ultimately guides life-saving innovation.