Explore the integration of mechanistic models with computational statistics and machine learning in cell and developmental biology. Delve into a CRM Distinguished Lecture in Applied Mathematics delivered by Ruth Baker, addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by the explosion of quantitative data in these fields. Learn how new experimental technologies have revolutionized data generation and the potential for significant new insights. Discover the limitations of classical mechanistic mathematical models in interrogating these complex datasets. Gain understanding of innovative approaches that combine tools from computational statistics and machine learning to overcome these challenges and extract meaningful information from biological data.