SIAM Postgraduate Conference 2025

Monday, 24th November 2025

Engineers' House, Clifton Down, Bristol, BS8 3NB.


⏰ Registration Deadline : Friday, 7th November 2025, 23:59pm

About the Event

Join us for a one-day, student-led conference celebrating mathematical sciences at the stunning Engineers' House! Expect talks, posters and networking with researchers and fellow students from across the UK. Perfect for PhD and Master's students looking to share research and explore applied mathematics in real-world contexts.

Schedule

Time Event
10:00-10:30 Registration + Refreshments
10:30-10:40 Welcome Remarks
10:40-11:30 Plenary Speaker: Rachel Bennett
11:30-11:40 Break
11:40-12:00 Student Talk 1: William Simpkins
12:00-12:20 Student Talk 2: Jesús Ait Idir
12:20-12:40 Student Talk 3: Neha Bansal
12:40-1:30 Lunch
1:30-2:20 Plenary Speaker: Eric Hester
2:20-2:30 Break
2:30-2:50 Student Talk 4: Julius Busse
2:50-3:10 Student Talk 5: Dániel Hajnal
3:10-3:30 Student Talk 6: Xichen Chao
3:30-3:40 Break
3:40-4:00 Student Talk 7: Andrew Shannon
4:00-4:20 Student Talk 8: José Giral Barajas
4:20-4:40 Student Talk 9: Ilteber Ozdemir
4:40-5:00 Student Talk 10: Michael Nguyen
5:00-5:30 Posters
5:30-5:40 Closing Remarks

What to Expect

🎓 Free to attend – just arrange your own transport.

⚠️ Sign up is now closed

Funding

There are limited funds available for transport/accommodation of up to £150. Please indicate if you would like to apply to this on the registration form.

Morning Keynote talk

Speaker: Dr Rachel Bennett
Duration: 50 minutes
Title

Hydrodynamic coordination and symmetry breaking in arrays of model cilia

Abstract

On surfaces with many cilia, individual cilia coordinate their beat cycles in the form of metachronal waves. The coordinated beating facilitates self-propulsion of ciliated microorganisms and creates efficient fluid flow, which is important in several human organs.

Here, we consider the connection between single cilium characteristics and the collective behaviour. A theoretical framework is presented using an array of model cilia coordinated by hydrodynamic interactions. We calculate the dispersion relation for metachronal waves and perform a linear stability analysis to identify stable waves.

This framework shows how properties of the emergent wave depends on the geometric properties of cilia in the array and the beat pattern of an individual cilium. Analytical results are compared with agent-based numerical simulations of hydrodynamically coupled cilia, and we find quantitative agreement with analytical predictions.

Speaker Bio

Currently a lecturer at the University of Bristol since 2024 with research interests in mathematical modelling of the physics in biological systems.

Afternoon Keynote talk

Speaker: Dr Eric Hester
Duration: 50 minutes
Title

What does it take to melt an iceberg?

Abstract

Join a wide-ranging tour of the surprisingly deep maths raised by the simple question: how fast do icebergs melt?

After introducing the problem, I'll talk about some of the tools we applied mathematicians can bring to bear, touching on variational calculus, thermodynamics, differential geometry, asymptotics, symbolic computing, numerical analysis, orthogonal polynomials, and even laboratory experiments.

In short, I'll show how we can synthesise these methods to better predict iceberg melting and thereby develop a suite of useful techniques for all sorts of interesting multi-physics problems.

Speaker Bio

Currently a lecturer in applied mathematics at University of Bath, with research interests in fluid dynamics, numerical PDEs and asymptotic methods.

Code of Conduct

The University of Bristol is dedicated to creating a welcoming, inclusive, and safe environment for all participants, including staff, students, and visitors. We are committed to a conference free from harassment, where everyone is treated with respect, dignity, and courtesy. Our community thrives on cooperation and mutual respect, and we expect all participants to contribute to maintaining these standards.

Unacceptable Behaviours

The following behaviours are considered harassment and are unacceptable within our conference setting:

Reporting and Enforcement

Contact Details

For any queries, feel free to email members of the Committee: Charlie Cameron 📧 () or Amin Sabir 📧 (). We'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Getting There



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