PhD & teaching
PhD study
We welcome enquiries from students interested in studying for a PhD in mathematical biology. Below we list some sample projects that we could currently offer.
UK and EU students may be eligible for SoMaS funding, see here for details. Formal applications must be made through Sheffield's online application form, available here. We strongly encourage you to contact the potential supervisor for informal enquiries before making a formal application.
Example PhD projects on offer for 2023
Modelling disease dynamics in forests in changing environments (Supervisor: Alex Best)
The evolution of hosts and their parasites in spatially-structured populations (Supervisor: Alex Best)
Understanding tissue patterning in a fluctuating environment (Supervisor: Alexander Fletcher)
Modelling the mechanics of polarized epithelial tissues (Supervisor: Alexander Fletcher)
Dissecting the developmental signalling logic of Hirschsprung disease in vitro and in silico (Supervisor: Alexander Fletcher)
The effect of autocorrelation in animal movement on emergent space use patterns (Supervisor: Jonathan Potts)
Non-local PDEs for understanding the spatial distributions of populations in ecosystems (Supervisor: Jonathan Potts)
Undergraduate study
Undergraduate students at the School of Mathematics & Statistics interested in mathematical biology may want to consider the following courses:
MAS286 - Mathematics and Statistics in Action
This Level 2 course demonstrates, in a series of case studies, the use of applied mathematics, probability and statistics in solving a variety of real-world problems. The module includes a case study on mathematical modelling drug dosages and pharmaco-kinetics, a topic in mathematical physiology.
To find out more contact the course lecturer for this case study, Dr Alex Fletcher (a.g.fletcher@sheffield.ac.uk).
MAS377 - Mathematical Biology
This Level 3 course provides an introduction to the mathematical modelling of the dynamics of biological populations. The emphasis is on deterministic models based on systems of differential equations that encode population birth and death rates. Examples are drawn from a range of different dynamic biological populations, from the species level down to the dynamics of molecular populations within cells.
To find out more contact the course lecturer, Dr Alex Best (a.best@sheffield.ac.uk).
MAS316/414 - Mathematical Modelling of Natural Systems
Mathematical modelling enables insight in to a wide range of scientific problems. This module will provide a practical introduction to techniques for modelling natural systems. Students will learn how to construct, analyse and interpret mathematical models, using a combination of differential equations, scientific computing and mathematical reasoning. Students will learn the art of mathematical modelling: translating a scientific problem into a mathematical model, identifying and using appropriate mathematical tools to analyse the model, and finally relating the significance of the mathematical results back to the original problem. The module includes at least one case study in the area of mathematical biology.
To find out more contact the course lecturer for this case study, Dr Alex Best (a.best@shef.ac.uk).
MMath and MSc Projects
Level 4 mathematics and statistics students have the opportunity to undertake a research project supervised by a member of staff. Project titles in mathematical biology are available each year for MAS406/407 (MMath) and we welcome enquiries from any students interested in undertaking a project with us. We encourage anyone interested to read our research interests and make contact with the relevant member of staff. Projects within mathematical biology that have been recently offered include:
Infectious disease dynamics with local interactions
Measles: a case study of seasonally-forced disease dynamics
Modelling biological invasions
Modelling cell fate specification in early embryonic development
Modelling marine ecosystems
Symmetry-breaking and pattern formation in biological tissues
The mathematics behind animal territory formation