My idea for BLUE is "Modeling lupus."

Lupus refers to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a chronic autoimmune condition, which affects women primarily (9 times more than men). SLE appears to manifest more in Asian, African, and Hispanic individuals. SLE affects multiple organs in the body. Studying it using clinical trials pose design, analysis, and interpretation challenges. Consequently, the exact cause of lupus is unknown, and its diagnosis and study is difficult. Modeling a complex condition like lupus where the "self" is not identified correctly by our inner world requires a broad framework that has the potential to understand, explore, and capture the key relations, paradoxes, and nuances, including our genetic and developmental history; Jesper Hoffmeyer put it succinctly when he described living creatures as "history made flesh."

To explore this topic of modeling lupus theoretically, I plan on using biosemiotics, where the concept of meaning is introduced into biology, and the act of semiosis is an act of meaning-making. Specifically, I plan on exploring Peircean biosemiotics to study the signs, symbols, and interpretation occurring in living organisms with lupus.