Our research group develops and improves methods of phylogenetic reconstruction based on mathematical tools, especially algebraic, semi-algebraic and geometric tools. This involves studying molecular substitution models from a mathematical point of view to guarantee parameter identifiability and to provide model selection tools (including both the evolutionary model and the tree or network selection). Our research lies at the borders of phylogenetic reconstruction, algebraic statistics, algebraic geometry and computational algebra. 

Fatemeh is a Professor in the Departments of Mathematics and Computer Science at KU Leuven. Her research focuses on Applied Algebraic Geometry, where she develops computational and algebraic tools to address problems in various fields, including statistics and probability theory, theoretical computer science, mathematical optimization, and quantum physics. Specifically, in the field of algebraic statistics, she explores topics related to conditional independence and graphical models, examining their connections with matroids, determinantal varieties, and tensors.

My research lies at the intersection of mathematical statistics, machine learning, combinatorics, multilinear algebra, and applied algebraic geometry. I particularly enjoy discovering mathematical structure which is inherently responsible for the successful solution to a statistical problem. My work spans causal inference, graphical models, tensor decomposition, non-parametric density estimation, and super-resolution imaging.

Ruriko Yoshida is a professor at the department of operations research at Naval Postgraduate School.  She is interested in applications of algebraic geometry to problems in statistics and data analyses.  Especially she is interested in applications of tools in tropical geometry and polyhedral geometry to develop methods over non-Euclidean spaces, such as a space of phylogenetic trees.  Currently she is working on applications to robustness of neural networks against adversarial attacks and extreme value analyses using tools in tropical geometry.  

Jane Coons is an Early Career Fellow at St John's College, University of Oxford. She completed her PhD in Mathematics at North Carolina State University in 2021. Jane uses tools from combinatorics, polyhedral geometry and commutative algebra to approach problems that come from statistics and bioinformatics. She is broadly interested in the geometry of parameter inference for statistical models viewed as algebraic varieties. In 2023, she was awarded the L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science UK and Ireland Rising Talent Award in Mathematics and Computer Science, which has made this workshop possible.