Collective morphodynamics in the central nervous system

Details

We are seeking PhD candidates who are passionate about exploring scientific questions at the intersection of physics, biology, and data science to join our new research team in “Physics of Life” at the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Sheffield. Our group focuses on discovering the physical principles that govern living and biological systems. 

This project aims to understand how cells in the central nervous system efficiently fill space during development -a process critical for optimizing functions like sensory information processing and fluid transport. However, we still don’t fully understand how seemingly independent components, like neurons, glial cells, and vascular structures, work together to achieve optimal tissue coverage. By unraveling these mechanisms, we hope to uncover the physical rules of this optimal arrangement, much like solving the puzzle of the perfect tetris game!

Project Scope:

This multidisciplinary PhD project will combine mathematical modeling and quantitative analysis of experimental data from collaborations with the Siegert group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, experts in high-resolution imaging and reconstruction of neural tissues (see https://ist.ac.at/en/research/siegert-group/).

Leveraging computational tools such as machine learning and topological data analysis, we will identify patterns in experimental data and link them to predictive models and simulations based on physical principles. The project’s primary goals are: 

(1) Understanding the relationship between evolving shapes and morphologies of individual cells and their strategies for tissue-scale optimization. 

(2) Identifying interactions between different cell and tissue types, such as microglia, neurons, and blood vessels.

(3) Discovering general physical mechanisms that enable multi-component cellular systems to optimize space-filling.

If you’re excited about combining mathematics, data science, and biology to decode the principles governing how living systems function, this project is for you! 

https://sites.google.com/view/mehmetcanucar/

We’re looking for candidates with at least a 2:1 Honours degree, ideally in Physics, or in related fields such as Applied Mathematics, Quantitative Biology, Computer Science, or Data Science. If you’re interested in this research but unsure about your qualifications, feel free to reach out!

We aim to grow and maintain a diverse and inclusive research team and encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and perspectives. We value creativity, collaboration, transparency and a shared enthusiasm for interdisciplinary science. 

Instructions for applying can be found on the website https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgradapplication/ with information on PhD study at Sheffield being available here: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/phd