Our Mentors

Hi, I’m Christiana and I’m a lecturer in Statistics. My primary research interests focus on developing statistical models for disease risk prediction. I am particularly interested in employing joint models, to account for the associations between longitudinal biomarkers and survival outcomes and my work aims to improve health outcomes for patients across various contexts, including cardiovascular disease, kidney infection and cervical cancer.  

I have spent most of my academic career (including my UG and PhD years) at this university, so it very much feels like home to me! I never considered doing a PhD until one of my former lecturers suggested this as an option. So being involved in this programme is my way of paying it forward and hopefully inspiring more students to consider postgraduate study.

Outside of academia, I love travelling, baking and spending time with my family, whether it be going on days out or playing video games at home!

I am Omar and I am a Senior Lecturer in Pure Mathematics. I joined the Department in 2016. Before that, I did a PhD and a postdoctoral fellowship in Canada. And, before that, I was born and raised in México in a lively (and hot) town by the east coast.

My research interests are in Mathematical Logic and Algebra. More precisely, model theory and field theory. Currently, I am one of the EDIA leads in the Department and I do enjoy chatting with and learning from our students.

I am married and have two kids who I play lots of games with, and in the little free time that I get I enjoy watching Japanese anime. 

Hi, I’m Charlie, a third-year PhD student in Applied Mathematics at the University of Manchester. I previously completed my MMath at the University of Bath, including a year abroad in Madrid. My master’s project focused on comparing stochastic and deterministic models of cell migration. My PhD research is in mathematical biology, where I work closely with experimental biologists to study gene expression behaviour in melanoma cells. I use tools from differential equations, dynamical systems, and travelling wave theory to explore how cell states change, with the aim of informing the development of new therapies. 

Alongside my research, I am passionate about mentoring and supporting students. Having benefited from supportive mentors myself, I’m committed to helping others find their path in academia and to showing that maths is a creative, collaborative, and welcoming field. I’m always happy to chat about interdisciplinary research, life as a PhD student, or navigating academic pathways.

Hi! I’m Milo, a third year PhD student in Pure Mathematics. My research is centred around studying dynamical systems whose behaviour is governed by the Diophantine properties of numbers associated to them. I am interested in how this topic relates to fractal geometry and aperiodic order, and in general, I’m interested in maths where the known properties of a system's parameters can reveal its deeper, often unexpected, structural patterns.

Before starting my PhD here in Manchester, I completed my MSci at the University of Bristol and spent time working as a Learning Support Assistant (LSA) in a secondary school. That experience really showed me the value of supportive guidance, which is why I'm so excited to be a part of this mentorship scheme. I remember wishing I had a mentor during my own undergrad, especially when dealing with classic imposter syndrome!

I'm a chatty and approachable person, always happy to talk about anything from specific maths problems to general advice on navigating university life. Outside of maths, you can find me listening to music, out on a hike, or following track and field.

Hi! I’m Gemma, I’m a second year postdoc in Pure Maths, working in combinatorial and geometric group theory. I did my MMath degree at the University of St Andrews, followed by a PhD at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. Outside of maths, I love hiking, music and baking.

As someone who’s recently made it through the PhD pathway, having started with no clue whatsoever as to what a PhD in Maths really is, I’m happy to share some advice and experiences from my time in academia so far.

I am Qendresa, a third year PhD student in Statistics. My research focuses on developing statistical models to improve patient outcomes in clinical studies. Specifically, I work on joint modelling of longitudinal and survival data to predict disease progression and risk in patients with renal diseases. 

Before starting my PhD, I did an integrated masters here at Manchester. As a first-generation student, pursuing a PhD could easily have remained an elusive dream for me. Experiencing firsthand how crucial support and guidance can be in helping someone succeed has deeply shaped my perspective and inspired me to give back. I believe that with the right environment, everyone has the chance to thrive, and the opportunity to make even a small difference in someone else’s path motivated me to join the scheme.

Outside of research, I enjoy playing tennis, reading psychology books and perspective drawing.

Hi, I am Jasmine and I am a second year PhD student in Pure Mathematics. Previously, I completed my MMath here at Manchester and decided to stay! My PhD research lies in representation theory of finite groups, particularly looking at exotic fusion systems. Here at Manchester, I have committed to many outreach and volunteering opportunities such as open days, problem solving classes, workshops, being a student representative, etc. Furthermore, I am proudly a part of the Piscopia Initiative which focuses on creating a community of women and underrepresented genders in mathematics throughout the UK.

Outside of maths, I am very passionate about fitness, particularly weightlifting, running and yoga. Also I enjoy reading, socialising (a bit too much) with my pals, and watching documentaries.

Hi, I'm Alejandra! I graduated with a PhD in Pure Mathematics from the University of Waterloo back in 2015. During my PhD I worked in classifying moduli spaces of rank 2, semistable co-Higgs bundles over Hirzebruch surfaces. After graduating, I worked as a sessional lecturer for the University of Waterloo until December 2020, when I joined the University of Manchester as a Teaching Fellow. I am now a Lecturer in Mathematics (T & S), and I am interested in Maths education. I am a strong advocate of inclusive and accessible learning, and I am also keen in outreach activities. I work only part-time as I have two little girls at home, who I love to spend my time with, and I often volunteer at their school doing Maths activities, supporting reading and leading STEAM and Spanish clubs. I love spending time outdoors (preferably in the sunshine), reading, running while listening to a good podcast or audiobook, baking, board games and all sorts of puzzles!

I also love to support students in any possible way, and I am always happy to have a chat about my experience in academia. 

I’m Jay and I’m a Neumann Fellow/Lecturer in Pure Maths. My work concerns the representation theory of finite groups, specifically finite groups of Lie type, which utilises ideas from a broad range of topics in algebra and geometry. I grew up in the North West of England, just down the road in Southport, and was the first person in my family to go to University. I completed my MMath at the University of York in 2008, then followed by my PhD at the University of Aberdeen in 2012. I joined the department in 2021 and prior to that I held postdoctoral positions in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and the USA (both in Arizona and LA).

Starting out on a PhD can be an intimidating process but I’m keen to make sure others know it can be a path for them! I’m happy to chat about maths (or really anything!) and to share my experiences from academia so far.

I'm Anna and I have just started my postdoc in Pure Mathematics, more specifically an area of logic called model theory. Currently I study the model-theoretical properties of the complex field equipped with some analytical structure, for example exponentiation.

Before coming to Manchester I did a PhD in Mathematics at the University of East Anglia (Norwich, UK). I also did a Master of Logic at University of Amsterdam and a Bachelor of Mathematics at Higher School of Economics (Moscow, Russia). I would be very happy to share my experience of the academic life and help in any way I can!

Outside of research I enjoy travelling and watching Doctor Who.

Hi, my name is Jimmy and I'm a 2nd year Phd Student in pure maths.  I grew up on the Isle of Man and moved to Birmingham to study a BSc in maths. I then moved to Manchester to do an MSc and now a PhD.  At the moment, my research is about connections between the finite simple groups and graph theory. Although, I'm happy to chat about whatever maths is going! 

In my free time I like to read and (quite badly) cook. I love hill-walking and like to spend my holidays outdoors with my family.  

I've been very lucky in my education so far to have had the support of some fantastic (unofficial) mentors. I think that this scheme is a wonderful idea and I would like to help out in any way that I can.

I’m Dr Olatunji Johnson, a Lecturer in Statistics with a research interest in spatial statistics, machine learning, and causal inference. Originally from Nigeria, I completed my undergraduate degree there before moving to Tanzania for my MSc, and then earned my PhD at Lancaster University in the UK.

My research focuses on modelling spatially correlated data, especially health and environmental applications, though I also work on machine learning methods and questions of causality. I love the challenge of combining rigorous theory with real‐world data.

Outside academia, I am a committed Christian. My faith plays a central role in how I approach work, mentoring and community. I’m married with three young children, who keep me on my toes and always grounded when I’m not working.

Hi, I’m Rose and I’m a lecturer in Mathematics on a Teaching & Scholarship contract. This means I no longer do mathematical research, but I’m interested in maths education, and I spend a lot of time teaching - especially teaching and supporting the first-year undergraduate students. I did an MMath Mathematics and a PhD in Pure Mathematics here at the University of Manchester, graduating from my PhD in 2021. My PhD research used category theory and was related to model theory and representation theory. I love pure mathematics and for me the more abstract the better! I enjoy chatting to and working with students, and I’m happy to share my experience in academia so far.

Outside of academia, I like to dance (especially tap dancing), read and do yoga. I also recently started running but I’m not sure I can say that I enjoy that yet!

Hi, I'm Yuri. From the start of my undergraduate studies - and probably even in my final year of school - I knew what I wanted to be: a university lecturer in Pure Mathematics. That's the path I followed, and I am fortunate enough to be a lecturer here at Manchester. But I met, and continue to meet, many people for whom the question what to do with their maths degree was not so straightforward. I always keep in mind that there isn't just one "right" path into postgraduate maths. 

If you are already sure you'd like to pursue a PhD, I'm happy to talk to you about what's involved and share my experience. If you're still unsure, I'd like to try to encourage you.

About me: my PhD in Lie theory is from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. I do research in quantum groups - this is abstract algebra with links to physics and topology. Apart from English, I'm a native Russian speaker and I can also converse in Hebrew. You could say my family is quite academic; my daughter is doing a PhD in Mathematics, while my other two children are at university and at school. Outside of work, I enjoy reading, keeping up with current events, and volunteering with a music charity.

Hi, I'm Marianne Johnson, a Senior Lecturer in Pure Mathematics. I am a member of the algebra group, and within that the Semigroups group. I was an undergraduate student at UMIST [now merged with the University of Manchester], where I did the MMath. As a student, I lived in North Staffordshire [about 30 miles south of Manchester] with my family and commuted to university.  During my fourth-year project I learned about free Lie algebras, supervised by Prof Ralph Stöhr who later supervised my PhD in Manchester on a related topic. After my PhD, I held research positions in Manchester (what can I say? I like it here!) and Oxford (also great!), working on a few different research projects, before obtaining a permanent position in Manchester. Over the years I’ve been fortunate to have lots of inspiring mentors and colleagues [too many to name here…] who have encouraged me along the way. 

In addition to my research and teaching, I've held roles including employability lead (co-ordinating the placement programmes within Mathematics and organising occasional careers events and activities for maths students) and I am currently the programme tutor for the MSc in Pure Mathematics/Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Logic.

Outside of maths I have various creative hobbies that I am objectively not very good at, but enjoy, nonetheless. I am also very much an 'indoor person' and enjoy: TV, films, games, books, music etc. (when I have the time) and food (always).

Hi, I’m Kamilla, and I’m currently a Research Fellow. My work lies at the intersection of Algebra and Combinatorics. I did my MMATH degree at the University of St Andrews, before completing my PhD at Imperial College London, where I also held my first postdoctoral position.

One of my favourite things about being a mathematician is how collaborative the subject is. I really enjoy meeting experts from around the world, sharing ideas, and building connections - whether that’s at conferences, seminars, or through research visits (with the bonus of getting to travel!). I love talking about maths, but also about non-maths topics, so please feel free to ask me any questions you might have about doing a PhD, academic life, or anything else.

Outside of maths, you’ll most likely find me at a reformer pilates class, catching up with friends, or at the cinema.

I’m Andrey, a second-year postdoctoral researcher in applied mathematics. My work focuses on the mathematical theory of diffraction, which often involves studying singular oscillatory contour integrals and functional problems for complex analytic functions.

I completed my MSc in Theoretical Physics at Moscow State University and later earned my PhD in Acoustics. Two years ago, I joined the University of Manchester.

Throughout my career, I’ve found that anyone with enough passion can become a mathematician—though it certainly requires hard work and dedication. I’d be happy to support curious students and share some insights into the life of an academic.

Outside of research, I enjoy playing table tennis, cycling, hiking, and watching pretentious cinema.