University of Oxford

Graduate Student, Physics

New College

Thesis Title: Biological transport networks

About

I am a theoretical biologist, with a particular interest in morphogenesis, and I am currently studying for a DPhil through the Life Science Interface DTC at the University of Oxford. I am currently developing models to aid our understanding of how fungi translocate nutrients, and to explore the developmental logic of fungal networks. More generally I am interested in elucidating the ways that physical mechanisms and the constraints of metabolism literally shape biological form.

My background is somewhat varied, as I have studied mathematics, architecture and sculpture. I am also interested in philosophy, particularly the works of Ludwig Wittgenstein and Blaise Pascal. I have a 1st class honours degree in mathematics from the University of Edinburgh, an MSc in mathematics and the logical foundations of computer science (with distinction) from the University of Oxford, and a 2:1 in Architecture from the University of Westminster.

Over the last seven years I have been working on a popular science book entitled "Simplicity and Truth: Thinking Through the History of Maths." My aim is to explain how mathematics has shaped our thinking over the millennia, and I present the subject as a history of ideas, rather than a collection of techniques. In particular, I describe the major cognitive shifts in the history of mathematics, such as the rise of algebra, and the conceptual origins of computation.

As well as describing a range of mathematical arguments (from the Euclidean Algorithm to Godel's theorems), I also take a step back, and discuss the nature of mathematical activity in a Wittgensteinian fashion. I recently finished editing this 78,000 word book, and I am currently looking for a publisher.