SMS scnews item created by Catherine Meister at Thu 16 Apr 2026 1009
Type: Meeting
Modified: Thu 7 May 2026 1407
Distribution: World
Expiry: 28 May 2026
Calendar1: 12 May 2026 1700-1900
CalLoc1: The Quad Seminar Room S421 (A13.04.S421)
Auth: cmeister@ac02gr132pn7c.shared.sydney.edu.au (cmei0631) in SMS-SAML

Celebrating Women in Mathematics

#May12 #WomenInMaths #May12WIM

Tuesday 12 May 2026, 5 - 7 pm, The Quad Seminar Room S421 (A13.04.S421), The University of Sydney

Join us for an evening celebrating women in mathematics here at the University of Sydney. All are welcome.

Featuring talks from:

Neda Khodabakhsh Joniani

Nalini Joshi

Madeline Nurcombe

Pratibha Panwar

And a special screening: Je suis Sophie Germain

Talk details:


'Mathematical Modelling of Corneal Epithelial Cells'
Neda Khodabakhsh Joniani

Abstract: The corneal epithelium is a self-renewing, multilayered tissue maintained by limbal epithelial stem cells and the coordinated migration of their progeny; however, the principles governing its stratification remain poorly understood.
In this talk, I present a mathematical framework based on a Voronoi cell-based model that captures epithelial dynamics through mechanical interactions, cell proliferation, and vertical migration. I will further introduce a multi-layer extension of the model and discuss its implications for understanding wound healing dynamics.

About the speaker: Neda is a PhD student in Applied Mathematics (Mathematical Biology), focusing on mathematical modelling of corneal epithelial cells. She is passionate about bridging theoretical mathematics with real-world biological applications, including conducting experiments and capturing microscopy images for my project. She also works as a Postgraduate Teaching Fellow in the School of Mathematics and Statistics and as a Learning Success Advisor at the Learning Hub (Mathematics). Outside academia, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her twins.

'The Hidden Lives of Polynomials'
Nalini Joshi

Abstract: Polynomials are the simplest building blocks for modelling our world. But there exist other useful functions, called transcendental or special, that can never satisfy any polynomial equation.  Nevertheless, we can construct many of such functions from hidden properties of polynomials. I will describe how to deduce some of the most compelling transcendental functions today, how they are related to reflection groups, and how we see polynomials again in their solutions. 

About the speaker: Nalini spent much of her early life on army bases in far flung corners of Burma (Myanmar). She fell in love with science after moving to Australia as a child and studied mathematics at the University of Sydney before completing a PhD at Princeton University. She is the first woman to ever be appointed a Professor of mathematical sciences at the University of Sydney. 

'Lattice loop models and diagram algebras'
Madeline Nurcombe

Abstract: Statistical mechanics is a branch of physics that aims to understand the behaviour of large systems of interacting particles. Many systems of interest, from the atoms of a magnet to the long stringy molecules of a polymer, can modelled as grid-like structures called lattices. Long-distance interactions in a lattice are often computationally infeasible to study, but lattice loop models offer a tractable approach to this, where the underlying mathematics can be described by diagram algebras: a fun pictorial tool where we multiply stringy, loopy diagrams by gluing them to each other.

About the speaker: Madeline is a postdoc in mathematical physics, working on Lie superalgebra representation theory, diagram algebras and integrable lattice models. She completed her PhD and undergraduate studies at the University of Queensland. Outside of maths, she plays piano and chess, and loves science fiction.

'Spatially-aware clustering with ClustSIGNAL'
Pratibha Panwar

Abstract: High-resolution spatial transcriptomics technologies allow us to measure gene expression and spatial location at single-cell resolution, providing the opportunity to investigate cell organisation and interactions. However, the inherent high sparsity and noise of these datasets make it challenging to cluster cells into biologically meaningful groups for further analysis. In this talk, I will discuss the key concepts and implementation of a spatially-aware clustering framework that integrates expression and spatial information to perform adaptive smoothing of cells guided by their local neighbourhood heterogeneity. 

About the speaker: Pratibha is a bioinformatician working on single-cell and spatial transcriptomics data. She completed her PhD at the University of New South Wales, where she investigated the impact of climate change on Antarctic microbial communities. Her current research interests include developing and applying computational tools to gain biological insights into cellular organisation in diseased tissues.



Pizza and light refreshments will be provided, please register here for catering purposes.
For event enquiries, please contact smri.comms@sydney.edu.au.

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