EMS-TAG-MLS Activities

EMS-TAG-MLS Colloquium

Date: 17 June 2026
Time: 17:00 CET (45 min talk + 15 min discussion)
Format: Online (Zoom)

Speaker:  Prof. Dr. Anna Marciniak-Czochra

Title: Symmetry breaking and selection of unimodal patterns in a new mechanochemical model of pattern formation

Abstract: In this talk, I will present a mechanochemical, PDE-based framework motivated by recent experiments on regenerating epithelia, with Hydra as a model system. The model couples morphogen reaction-diffusion dynamics with tissue mechanics through a positive feedback loop: mechanical strain enhances morphogen production, while morphogen concentration modulates tissue elasticity. Global strain conservation gives rise to an effective nonlocal inhibitory mechanism, providing a novel mechano-chemical realisation of the local activation-long-range inhibition principle. Within this framework, the model exhibits robust symmetry breaking and the emergence of unimodal spatial patterns. These patterns can be rigorously characterised through a one-dimensional reduction of the system, where their selection and stability follow from bifurcation and stability analysis. In particular, unimodal states are selected, while multimodal configurations are intrinsically unstable, and the system displays regimes of bistability associated with fold bifurcations. Analytical predictions are supported by experimental observations.

Bio: Anna Marciniak-Czochra is a is Professor of Applied Mathematics at Heidelberg University, head of the Applied Analysis and Modelling in Biosciences research group at the Institute for Mathematics and the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), and co-spokesperson of the STRUCTURES Cluster of Excellence. She studied mathematics at the University of Warsaw and obtained her PhD in mathematics from Heidelberg University. Her research focuses on mathematical modelling and analysis of biological systems, including stem cell dynamics, tissue regeneration, cancer evolution, and pattern formation. She develops mathematical methods for modelling self-organisation and structure formation in multicellular systems, combining PDEs, dynamical systems, multiscale and asymptotic analysis with close collaborations with experimentalists and clinicians. She is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Mathematical Biology, an elected member of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the European Academy of Sciences, and holder of two European Research Council grants.

Connection details will be circulated on the day of the event.

EMS-TAG-MLS Colloquium

Date: 18 March 2026
Time: 17:00 CET (45 min talk + 15 min discussion)
Format: Online (Zoom)

Speaker: Dr. Katerina Kaouri

Title: Modelling Across Scales and Disciplines: From Fertilization and Embryogenesis to Epidemics

Abstract: I will present an overview of a range of data-driven modelling challenges, in collaboration with other disciplines  external partners. I will begin with modelling calcium signalling in In-Vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryogenesis, illustrating how multiscale approaches can link molecular dynamics to cellular and developmental outcomes. I will then share our ongoing work on modelling viral transmission in indoor environments, carried out in collaboration with architects and policymakers, with the aim of informing evidence-based policy decisions for future epidemics.

Bio: Katerina Kaouri is a Reader in Applied Mathematics and the Director for Impact and Engagement at the School of Mathematics, Cardiff University. She is from Cyprus and moved to the UK for her studies; she holds a BA in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge and a DPhil(PhD) from the University of Oxford. Katerina has been working on a range of challenges mainly stemming from biology and medicine, in collaboration with other disciplines, clinics,  government and society. She is also the co-founder and coordinator of the European Study Groups with Industry in Cyprus (ESGI125, ESGI146). She has also co-founded the non-profit SciCo Cyprus and the Mediterranean Science Festival to communicate science to the public  and she was a TEDx Speaker and a TED-Ed educator. Furthermore, she has been involved in large-scale public engagement projects such as the SciShops.eu H2020 project where 18 organisations in 12 EU countries tackled societal challenges through co-creative approaches. During the pandemic she led a modelling team that informed policies of the Welsh Government; she continues working on epidemic preparedness in collaboration with architects and policymakers and is a member of the Policy Modelling Unit of the Welsh Government. She represents the UK in the Councils of the European Consortium of Mathematics in Industry (ECMI) and of EU-Maths-In. She is a member of the Scientific Advisory Panel of the Newton Gateway. She is the recipient of the 2025 IMA Hedy Lamarr Prize for Knowledge Exchange in Mathematics and Its Applications.

Connection details will be circulated on the day of the event.