Predictive Modelling » Seminars

09/11 1pm-2pm: WCPM, Halim Kusumaatmaja, Edinburgh

James Kermode — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 13:35:40 GMT

When: 1pm - 2pm, Mon, 09 Nov '26

Networking Lunch: The Pit Stop, room next to IMC 004, WMG: 12:30pm - 1pm

Title: Title: Complex Droplet Dynamics on Nature-Inspired Liquid Repellent Surfaces

Abstract: Wetting of surfaces by liquids is commonly observed in everyday life and is of paramount importance for many natural and engineering processes. In many cases, it is beneficial to design surfaces that repel liquids: these surfaces can suppress icing and surface fouling, they reduce drag and friction, and contaminants can be removed easily. Interestingly, nature provides several conceptually distinct inspirations to design liquid repellent surfaces. Many natural surfaces such as lotus leaves and duck feathers are rough. The roughness amplifies the surface hydrophobicity leading to superhydrophobic properties with very large contact angles. In contrast, on pitcher plants, a layer of liquid imbibes the surface corrugations, providing a smooth liquid surface that substantially reduces friction. In this talk, I will discuss recent works by my group and our collaborators to understand complex droplet dynamics on structured, nature-inspired liquid repellent surfaces. In particular, I will focus on three phenomena. First, I will elucidate salient mechanisms of how particles can be captured and removed by liquid droplets, which is key for designing self-cleaning surfaces. Second, I will discuss how droplet icing can be suppressed on superhydrophobic surfaces. Third, I will discuss the possibility to develop patterned liquid surfaces and the distinctive features of droplet dynamics on such surfaces, including how they give rise to new wetting states and contact line pinning mechanisms.

Bio: Professor Halim Kusumaatmaja is the Jason Reese Chair of Multiscale Fluid Mechanics at the University of Edinburgh and leads the Simulations of Soft Matter, Biophysics & Fluid Dynamics research group. His research lies at the interface of physics, engineering, applied mathematics, chemistry, and biology, using theory and advanced computational simulations to understand complex fluid and soft matter systems.

Professor Kusumaatmaja's work spans multiscale fluid mechanics, soft matter physics, and biophysics, with particular interests in wetting phenomena, liquid-repellent surfaces, membrane biophysics, liquid-liquid phase separation, microfluidics, and computational fluid dynamics. His group develops and applies simulation techniques, including lattice Boltzmann methods, to investigate the behaviour of complex materials and biological systems.

Before joining the University of Edinburgh, he held academic positions at Durham University and completed postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces and the University of Cambridge. He obtained his PhD in Theoretical Physics from the University of Oxford and is widely recognised for his contributions to computational fluid mechanics and soft matter science.

Research interests: multiscale fluid mechanics, soft matter physics, biophysics, wetting and wettability, liquid-repellent surfaces, microfluidics, biomolecular condensates, membrane biophysics, and lattice Boltzmann simulations.

07/12 1pm-2pm: WCPM, Thomas Speck, Stuttgart

James Kermode — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 13:04:15 GMT

When: 1pm - 2pm, Mon, 07 Dec '26

Where: IMC 004

Networking Lunch: The Pit Stop, room next to IMC 004, from 12:30pm - 1pm.

Title: Synchronization in chiral active fluids and coexistence of topologically distinct phases

Active matter has become a central paradigm in non-equilibrium statistical physics, encompassing a range of systems from biology to engineering that are driven through local dissipation and exhibit directed motion. These systems show a wide range of collective phenomena such as swarms and motility-induced phase separation. I will introduce a class of idealized "dry" models in which self-propelled particles undergo persistent rotation. Single particles perform a circle walk along a closed orbit perturbed by noise. I will then discuss numerical and analytical results for two types of schematic orientational interactions in ensembles of many particles: alignment leading to synchronization and spontaneous traveling bands, and chirality switching leading to the spatial coexistence of topologically distinct phases.

Bio: Professor Thomas Speck is Professor of Theoretical Physics and Head of the Institute for Theoretical Physics IV at the University of Stuttgart. His research explores the fundamental principles governing complex systems far from equilibrium, focusing on how collective behaviour and self-organisation emerge in soft and active matter. At Stuttgart, he leads a research programme that combines analytical theory, statistical physics, and computational modelling to understand phenomena ranging from molecular-scale processes to interacting colloidal systems.

Professor Speck is internationally recognised for his contributions to statistical mechanics, stochastic thermodynamics, and active matter physics. His work has helped shape the theoretical understanding of self-propelled particles, non-equilibrium phase transitions, and the thermodynamics of driven systems. He has authored highly cited research on active Brownian particles, collective motion, and fluctuation phenomena in soft matter, with over 10,000 citations to his work.

02/11 1pm-2pm: WCPM, Marianna Patrick, Warwick

James Kermode — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 13:38:54 GMT

When: 1pm - 2pm, Mon, 02 Nov '26

Where: IMC 004

Networking Lunch: The Pit Stop, room next to IMC 004, WMG

Title: Working with GenAI: Practices, motivations, and ethics

Abstract: TBC

Bio: Dr Marianna Patrick is a Research Fellow in the School of Education, Learning and Communication Sciences at the University of Warwick. A sociolinguist with a strong interdisciplinary focus, her research explores how language shapes identity, belonging, and social interaction across diverse contexts. Her current work investigates the adoption of generative AI in higher education, examining how students and academics navigate questions of ethics, authorship, collaboration, and professional identity. Funded by the Leverhulme Trust, this research is conducted in collaboration with the University of Warwick, the University of Edinburgh, and Sophia University in Tokyo.

In addition to her work on AI and higher education, Marianna's research spans inclusion in sport, intercultural communication, migration, and discourse analysis. She has published on topics including leadership in sport, gender and international mobility, research ethics, and philanthropy, and is actively involved in teaching and interdisciplinary research initiatives across Warwick.

19/10 1pm-2pm: WCPM. Michele Caprio, Warwick

James Kermode — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 13:28:07 GMT

When: 1pm - 2pm, Mon, 19 Oct '26

Where: IMC 004

Networking Lunch: The Pit Stop, room next to IMC 004, WMG

Title: Imprecise Probabilistic Machine Learning: Being Precise About Imprecision

Abstract: This talk is divided into two parts. I will first introduce the field of “Imprecise Probabilistic Machine Learning” (IPML), from its inception to modern-day research and open problems, including motivations and clarifying examples. In the second part, I will present some recent results that I've derived at the interface of conformal prediction and IPML. An open question in IPML is how to empirically derive a credal region (i.e., a closed and convex family of probabilities on the output space) from the available data, without any prior knowledge or assumption. In classification problems, credal regions are a tool that is able to provide provable guarantees under realistic assumptions by characterizing the uncertainty about the distribution of the labels. I will show that credal regions can be directly constructed using conformal methods; This allows to provide a novel extension of classical conformal prediction to problems with ambiguous ground truth, that is, when the exact labels for given inputs are not exactly known.

The second part is based on the following paper https://openreview.net/forum?id=L7sQ8CW2FY

Bio: Dr Michele Caprio is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Warwick and leads WarwIP, Warwick's Imprecise Probability research group. His research focuses on uncertainty quantification, imprecise probabilities, and machine learning, developing mathematical and computational methods for reasoning and decision-making under uncertainty. Through WarwIP, he works on advancing the theoretical foundations and practical applications of imprecise probability, with interests spanning statistics, artificial intelligence, and data-driven modelling. His group's work aims to build more robust and reliable methods for analysing complex systems when information is incomplete or uncertain.

Research interests: imprecise probability, uncertainty quantification, machine learning, statistical inference, probabilistic modelling, and reliable

23/11 1pm: WCPM: Anna Regoutz, Oxford

James Kermode — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 11:53:25 GMT

When: 1pm, Mon, 23 Nov '26

Networking Lunch: The Pit Stop, room next to IMC 004, from 12:30pm - 1pm.

Title: TBC

Abstract: TBC

Bio: Professor Anna Regoutz is an Associate Professor of Experimental Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Oxford and leads the Applied X-ray Spectroscopy research group. Her research focuses on understanding how the atomic structure and electronic structure of inorganic materials determine their physical and chemical properties, with the aim of developing materials for next-generation electronic and opto-electronic technologies.

Professor Regoutz leads an interdisciplinary research programme that combines thin-film synthesis, surface and interface chemistry, and advanced X-ray spectroscopy techniques. A particular focus of her work is the development and application of Hard X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (HAXPES) to investigate the chemical and electronic structure of complex materials, including buried interfaces in electronic devices. Her group also studies oxide thin films, wide-bandgap semiconductors for power electronics, and inorganic nanomaterials for biosensing applications.

16/11 1pm-2pm: WCPM, Anastasia Mantziou, Warwick

James Kermode — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 11:49:32 GMT

When: 1pm - 2pm, Mon, 16 Nov '26

Networking Lunch: The Pit Stop, room next to IMC 004, from 12:30pm - 1pm.

Title: TBC

Abstract: TBC

Bio: Dr Anastasia Mantziou is a Harrison Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of Warwick. Her research focuses on the statistical analysis of complex networks, developing Bayesian methods to better understand how networked systems evolve and interact. She completed her PhD in Statistics at Lancaster University, where she worked on Bayesian modelling for multiple network data, before undertaking research positions at Imperial College London and the Alan Turing Institute.

Dr Mantziou's work spans Bayesian network modelling, network populations, clustering methods, and network time-series analysis. She has applied these techniques across a diverse range of fields, including neuroscience, ecology, economics, cyber-security, and human tracking systems. More recently, her research has explored economic networks and transaction data, as well as Bayesian topic modelling for cyber-security applications.

Research interests: statistical network analysis, Bayesian statistics, network populations, network clustering, dynamic and temporal networks, economic networks, cyber-security, and applied data science.

26/10 1pm-2pm: WCPM, Adrien Corenflos, Warwick

James Kermode — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 11:37:35 GMT

When: 1pm - 2pm, Mon, 26 Oct '26

Networking Lunch: The Pit Stop, room next to IMC 004, WMG

Title: TBC

Abstract: TBC

Bio: Dr Adrien Corenflos is an Assistant Professor (Lecturer) in the Department of Statistics at the University of Warwick. His research focuses on computational statistics, Bayesian inference, state-space models, optimal transport, and large-scale sampling algorithms. Before joining Warwick as a lecturer in 2025, he completed his PhD at Aalto University in Finland, where his thesis was awarded the university's Best Thesis Award. He subsequently worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Warwick as part of the OCEAN project. Prior to his academic career, he spent several years as a quantitative researcher in the financial sector, working on statistical modelling and computational methods. He currently co-organises Warwick's Algorithms and Computationally Intensive Inference Seminar Series.

Research interests: Bayesian inference, Monte Carlo methods, state-space models, optimal transport, computational statistics, parallel algorithms, and machine learning.

12/10 1pm-2pm: WCPM, Elizaveta Suturina, Bath

James Kermode — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 10:19:55 GMT

When: 1pm - 2pm, Mon, 12 Oct '26

Where: IMC 004

Networking Lunch: The Pit Stop, room next to IMC 004 , from 12:30pm - 1pm.

Title: TBC

Abstract: TBC

Bio: Dr Elizaveta Suturina is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Bath and a member of the Institute of Sustainability and Climate Change. Her research combines quantum chemistry and spin dynamics theory to understand the magnetic and optical properties of metal complexes, with a particular focus on paramagnetic molecules. She works on a range of interdisciplinary projects, including the development of next-generation MRI contrast agents, theoretical methods for paramagnetic NMR in structural biology, and the design and modelling of molecular magnets. Her research aims to uncover how the structure of metal complexes influences their magnetic behaviour, helping to advance applications in imaging, biomolecular characterisation, and functional magnetic materials.

Research interests: molecular magnetism, lanthanide chemistry, magnetic anisotropy, EPR and NMR spectroscopy, quantum chemistry, spin dynamics, and MRI contrast agents.