Mathematical research on crowds being presented in Parliament by Warwick researcher

· Dr Susana Gomes, a Warwick Zeeman lecturer at the Department of Mathematics at the University of Warwick, will be going to Parliament to present her math’s research on the 13^th March for part of STEM for Britain

· Her research focuses on how pedestrians move in crowds, and can be used to design rooms and design evacuation plans

· STEM for Britain is a competition hundreds of applicants entered and will be judged by politicians and experts

Dr Susana Gomes, a Warwick Zeeman lecturer at the Mathematics Institute at the University of Warwick, hailing from Porto, Portugal, is attending Parliament to present her mathematics research to a range of politicians and a panel of expert judges, as part of STEM for BRITAIN on Wednesday 13^th March.

Susana’s poster on research describes how pedestrians move in crowds and will be judged against dozens of other scientists’ research in the only national competition of its kind.

Her work concerns the use of trajectory data from individual pedestrians to calibrate models for crowd dynamics to find out what the right parameters - such as the maximum speed of a crowd - are for existing models of how crowds move, then research how we can change and improve these models.

It can be used to design rooms, for example where to put doors or obstacles and contribute to the design of evacuation plans.

Susana was shortlisted from hundreds of applicants to appear in Parliament.

On presenting her research in Parliament, she said: Dr Susana Gomes, Department of Maths, University of Warwick. Credit: University of Warwick

“This is a great opportunity to share my work with non-mathematicians, and especially non-scientists. It gives me the opportunity to show people how mathematics can contribute to society and improve everyday life.”

Stephen Metcalfe MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, said:

“This annual competition is an important date in the parliamentary calendar because it gives MPs an opportunity to speak to a wide range of the country’s best young researchers. These early career engineers, mathematicians and scientists are the architects of our future and STEM for BRITAIN is politicians’ best opportunity to meet them and understand their work.”

Susana’s research has been entered into the mathematical sciences session of the competition, which will end in a gold, silver and bronze prize-giving ceremony.

Judged by leading academics, the gold medalist receives £2,000, while silver and bronze receive £1,250 and £750 respectively.

The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee runs the event in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Biology, The Physiological Society and the Council for the Mathematical Sciences, with financial support from the Clay Mathematics Institute, United Kingdom Research and Innovation, WMG, Society of Chemical Industry, the Nutrition Society, Institute of Biomedical Science the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research, and the Comino Foundation.

ENDS

11 MARCH 2019

Notes to Editors:

High-res image available at: https://warwick.ac.uk/services/communications/medialibrary/images/march2019/susana_gomes.jpg

For further information please contact:

Alice Scott

Media Relation Manager – Science

University of Warwick

Tel: +44 (0) 2476 574 255 or +44 (0) 7920 531 221

E-mail: alice.j.scott@warwick.ac.uk

For further information about the event, images, or interview opportunities, please contact:

Dr John Johnston

Tel: 020 7927 0804

Mobile: 020 7927 0804

E-mail: john.johnston@lms.ac.uk

ABOUT STEM FOR BRITAIN

STEM for BRITAIN is a poster competition in the House of Commons - involving approximately 180 early stage or early career researchers - judged by professional and academic experts. All presenters are entered into either the engineering, the biological and biomedical sciences, the physical sciences (chemistry), the physical sciences (physics) session, or the mathematics session, depending on the researcher’s specialism.

Each session will result in the award of Bronze, Silver and Gold certificates. Bronze winners will receive a £750 prize; Silver, £1,250; and Gold, £2,000 and a medal. There will also be an overall winner from the four sessions who will receive the Westminster Wharton Medal.

STEM for BRITAIN (formerly SET for BRITAIN but now renamed to reflect the importance of its mathematical element) was established by Dr Eric Wharton in 1997. Following his untimely death in 2007, the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, with support from the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Biology, The Physiological Society and the Council for the Mathematical Sciences, is working to further his legacy.

The event is made possible this year with financial support from the Clay Mathematics Institute, United Kingdom Research and Innovation, Warwick Manufacturing Group, Society of Chemical Industry, the Nutrition Society, Institute of Biomedical Science, the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research, and the Comino Foundation.

The competition is open to early stage or early career researchers, which includes university research students, postgraduates, research assistants, postdocs, research fellows, newly-appointed lecturers, part-time and mature students, returners, those people embarking on a second career, and their equivalent in national, public sector and industrial laboratories, and appropriate final year undergraduate and MSc students, all of whom are engaged in scientific, engineering, technological or medical research