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Research
Research
Suspension dynamics
Suspension dynamics
Swimming micro-organisms (microswimmers) are everywhere, from oceans to inside the human body, and their collective dynamics are of key interest in industries like wastewater treatment, medical device manufacturing (e.g. urinary catheters or respiratory intubation), and environmental policy.
Understanding the fundamental behaviours of such suspensions allows us to predict and exploit their inherent traits. This could be for improving microalgae yields in photobioreactors, determining where algal blooms are most likely to occur, or developing technologies to prevent biofilms from forming.
Cilia dynamics
Cilia dynamics
Motile cilia and flagella are long, slender organelles protruding from cells which can exhibit synchronised motion and play central roles in microswimmer locomotion, embryonic development, and fluid transport. However, the underlying mechanisms governing the emergence and stability of synchronisation are not fully understood.
Inspired by biflagellate microswimmers, I investigated the synchronization of model cilia and flagella pairs that experimentally exhibit multiple stable beating patterns at the same beating frequencies.
Gene dynamics
Gene dynamics
While gene regulatory networks control cell adaptivity, cellular functions, and cell fate decisions, the timing of gene expression dynamics is poorly understood, given a traditional focus on steady state behaviours. Using dynamical systems theory and stochastic differential equations, I uncover the underlying timing dynamics to control and exploit the inherent timing properties of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) and develop experimentally viable synthetic circuits.
Research dissemination
Research dissemination
and supervision
and supervision
Papers
Papers
In preparation
S. Maretvadakethope, I. Barbier, A. Pantebre Pedrosa, M. Fischer, Y. Schaerli, R. Perez-Carrasco. Guidelines for AC-DC circuits: Developing powerful minimal systems for multifunctionality. In preparation for PRX Life.
Accepted
D.J. Smith, S. Maretvadakethope, L.G. Wilson, M. Polin. Emerging Directions for Biologically Active Fluids. Royal Society Philosophical Transactions A
Published
Invited talks
Invited talks
2025
May
Keynote at the President’s PhD Scholar’s Annual Research Symposium (Imperial College London, UK)
2024
September
Biobytes seminar (European Bioinformatics Institute, UK)
April
British Applied Mathematics Minisymposium (Newcastle University, UK)
February
University College London Applied Mathematical Biology Seminar (UCL, UK)
Department of Life Sciences Postdoctoral Seminar (Imperial College, UK)
January
Imperial College Mathematical Life Sciences meeting (Imperial College London, UK)
Durham Applied Mathematics Seminar (Durham University, UK)
2023
November
Engineering Mathematics Research Group Seminar (University of Bristol, UK)
July
Selected ECR talk at the Bioactive Fluids 2023 workshop (University of Birmingham, UK)
2022
November
Fluids and Materials seminars (University of Bristol, UK)
BioLunch seminar series (University of Cambridge, UK)
July
Applied Mathematics seminar (Newcastle University, UK)
April
British Applied Mathematics Conference Mini-Symposium on Microbiology (Loughborough University, UK)
January
Bioactive Fluids Seminar Series (online-only, UK)
2021
October
Leeds Institute for Fluid Dynamics ECR Forum (online-only, UK)
March
Imperial College London SIAM (online-only, UK)
Prize-winning talks
Prize-winning talks
Runner up prize for best speaker
Title: "Guidelines for AC-DC circuits: Developing powerful minimal systems for multifunctionality "
Workshop: Bridging mechanics and genetics in early development workshop (University of Warwick, UK), June 2025.
Upcoming talks
Upcoming talks
September 2025
UK Mathematical Biology conference (University of Birmingham, UK)
Posters presented
Posters presented
2025
July
UK EvoDevo (London, UK)
March
Physics of Life 2025 (Harrogate, UK)
February
INTERPHACE symposium (Francis Crick Institute, UK)
2024
September
London Mathematical Biology Conference (Francis Crick Institute, UK)
March
EMBL-EBI: Mathematics of life- modelling molecular mechanisms virtual course (Virtual, UK)
Supervision
Supervision
To date, I have supervised five research students across departments of Mathematics and Life Sciences. This includes the supervision of three final year students and two Masters students in topics ranging from bioactive fluids dynamics to systems and synthetic biology. Two of these students have gone into industry and three are still in higher education.
I have also been sought out to supervise undergraduate research summer projects.
If you are interested in doing a research project, please do reach out.
Research communities
Research communities
I am the co-chair and early career researcher (ECR)-lead of the UK-based Bioactive Fluids SIG.
I founded and lead an ongoing international ECR seminar series since 2021 with almost 100 members. If you are interested in joining the mailing list and consider yourself to be an ECR, please email BIOACTIVEFLUIDS-ECR-REQUEST@jiscmail.ac.uk.
In this capacity, I have also co-organised and been on the scientific committee of the 2022-joint workshop with the National Biofilm Innovation Centre in Liverpool and the 2023 annual meeting in Birmingham.
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