Tamsin Spelman

Tamsin Spelman is a Researcher at the Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, where she has been a Research Associate in Professor Henrik Jönsson's group since January 2019. Her work bridges mathematics, biology, and engineering to study microscale phenomena in plant and biomedical systems.

She earned her undergraduate and Master's degrees in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge in 2013, followed by a PhD in Mathematics from the same institution in 2017. Her doctoral research under Professor Eric Lauga focused on Artificial micro-devices: armoured microbubbles and a magnetically driven cilium. Prior to joining SLCU, she conducted microfluidic experiments at Université Grenoble Alpes and studied ocular blood flow at the University of Glasgow with Dr. Peter Stewart.

Spelman's research centers on computational modeling of microscale systems, with expertise in plant biomechanics, microfluidics, and biomedical engineering. She investigates phenomena ranging from root hair development and cytoskeletal dynamics to retinal hemodynamics and microbubble propulsion. Her approach emphasizes close collaboration with experimentalists to ensure biological relevance and practical impact, as demonstrated in her science communication video on mathematics in plant science.

Analysis of her 12 publications (2015-2025) reveals a clear evolution from fundamental fluid dynamics (2015-2017 bubble propulsion studies) toward biological applications. Since 2020, she has focused on plant cell mechanics—particularly microtubule organization under geometric constraints and root hair growth dynamics—while maintaining parallel work on ocular fluid mechanics. Her recent 2024-2025 publications demonstrate sophisticated modeling of vascular trauma responses and aqueous humor dynamics, showcasing her interdisciplinary approach.

No scientific awards or fellowships were documented in the available information.

Spelman has not supervised any students according to public records. Her research is supported by SLCU's core Gatsby Charitable Foundation funding alongside major grants from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), European Research Council (ERC), Human Frontier Science Program, and Wellcome Trust ISSF. She actively contributes to collaborative projects across multiple institutions.

As a core member of the Jönsson Group, Spelman collaborates with Dr. Marie-Edith Chaboute and Dr. Atef Asnacios on plant cell biology projects, developing computational tools like Tubulaton for microtubule simulation. Her work with Dr. Peter Stewart on retinal hemorrhage modeling demonstrates her cross-disciplinary impact. She participates in SLCU's public engagement initiatives including the Cambridge Festival and Open Cambridge events.