Jessica Jay

Dr. Jessica Jay is a Lecturer in the School of Mathematical Sciences at Lancaster University. Her research focuses on Probability Theory, particularly Interacting Particle Systems (IPS), and their connections to other areas of Pure Mathematics such as Combinatorics and Algebra.

Dr. Jay was awarded her PhD in Mathematics from the University of Bristol in February 2023 under the supervision of Prof. Márton Balázs. Her thesis, "Blocking Measures for Interacting Particle Systems," explored probabilistic proofs of combinatorial identities through stationary measures of particle systems. Prior to joining Lancaster, she held a Heilbronn Research Fellowship at the University of Bristol from October 2022 to August 2024.

Her research investigates Interacting Particle Systems as continuous time Markov processes on discrete state spaces with applications in traffic/data flow, voting dynamics, and tumor growth. She specializes in finding connections between IPS and pure mathematics, particularly how comparing stationary measures leads to probabilistic proofs of combinatorial identities like the Jacobi triple product identity. Her work bridges theoretical mathematics with practical applications across multiple domains.

Dr. Jay teaches MATH 332/432: Stochastic Processes and actively seeks PhD students with strong backgrounds in discrete probability. She is particularly interested in supervising projects on second class particle behavior in reversible interacting particle systems and welcomes interdisciplinary collaborations exploring connections between IPS and other mathematical fields.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Heilbronn Research Fellow at the University of Bristol (October 2022 - August 2024)

Dr. Jay demonstrates significant academic leadership through organizing major events including the LMS/IMA Joint Meeting 2025, PAD'25 conference, and the Advances in Combinatorial and Algebraic Probability Workshop. She is also actively engaged in public outreach through Pint of Science and mathematics communication events that make complex concepts accessible to broader audiences.