From Cells to People: Modelling Collective Behaviour & Hierarchical Systems

Collective behaviour is the study of the causes, patterns, and consequences of coordinated behaviours in groups of cells or organisms. This PhD studentship aims to identify unifying principles that describe essential aspects of emergent collective behaviour and hierarchical systems across different spatiotemporal scales.

The PhD studentship will be supervised by Dr Rowan Brown (College of Engineering) and Dr Andrew King (College of Science), and will make use of research and training facilities in both Colleges, including a new £1.35 million Swansea Lab for Animal Movement (SLAM) which incorporates an electronic wall and computer cluster for high-speed processing and visualisation of data.

The student will start by analysing and making sense of experimental or observational data from one or more of the following systems on which the research team works: mammalian cells/tissues, insects, fish, birds, primates, and humans. The student will then measure, track and mathematically describe the movement and behaviour of individuals within these collectives. This will, in turn, allow spatial and temporal correlations to be deduced, i.e. identification of localised dynamics (leader-follower, wave-fronts), providing a basis to further correlate individual dynamics, and biological function to emergent macroscale phenomena such as concerted motion.

There will also be opportunity for the student to conduct biological experiments in one or more of the systems with which the supervisors work, and visit other laboratories and institutions with whom the supervisors collaborate.

www.SHOALgroup.org

Applicant requirements:
- 2.1 honours degree minimum in mathematics, physics, engineering, computer science or theoretical biology.
- Experience in using programming languages such as MATLAB, FORTRAN and C
- Candidates should show an enthusiasm for attacking a variety of fundamental biological and evolutionary research questions. Training in biology is not essential and biologists wishing to apply must demonstrate exceptional quantitative and analytical skills.