Professor Steven J. Murdoch is a faculty member at the University College London (UCL) in the Department of Computer Science . He holds a Royal Society University Research Fellow position and leads the Information Security Research Group . He is affiliated with Christ’s College as a bye-fellow, and is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and the BCS . His work bridges security engineering , privacy-enhancing technologies , and legal-technical intersections . Academic Leadership : Program chair and general chair for major conferences like Privacy Enhancing Technologies Symposium and Financial Cryptography . Research Contributions : Notable for exposing vulnerabilities in EMV protocols , designing blockchain-based fair exchange protocols , and analyzing malware delivery ecosystems . Scientific Awards : Received the IRTF Applied Networking Research Prize 2020 for internet-wide scanning methodologies. Professional Impact : Active in Tor Project and critical infrastructure analysis, including the Post Office Horizon scandal . Email: s.murdoch@ucl.ac.uk .
Mark C. Kruse is a Professor in the Department of Physics at Duke University, within Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on High-Energy Particle Physics, particularly the analysis of data collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). With the Higgs boson discovered by ATLAS and CMS collaborations in July 2012, his work now centers on discovering models beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. Dr. Kruse's educational background includes: Ph.D. in Physics from Purdue University (1996) M.S. in Physics from University of Auckland, New Zealand (1988) B.S. in Physics from University of Auckland, New Zealand (1986) Professor Kruse's research primarily investigates phenomena beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. His work with the ATLAS detector at the LHC focuses on Higgs boson properties, top quark physics, and searches for new particles and forces that could explain dark matter and other cosmic mysteries. He has been instrumental in analyzing data from proton-proton collisions at various energy levels to uncover potential deviations from established physics theories. His research group at Duke actively contributes to the international effort to understand fundamental particles and their interactions at the highest energy scales accessible to humanity. Analysis of Professor Kruse's recent publications reveals a strong focus on Higgs boson physics, top quark measurements, and searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. His work with the ATLAS collaboration spans multiple areas including precision measurements of known particles, searches for exotic decays, and investigations of quark-gluon plasma. The research demonstrates increasing sophistication in data analysis techniques as the LHC continues to deliver higher luminosity and energy collision data. Professor Kruse has received several notable awards and recognitions: Dean's Leadership Award from Duke University (April 2013) Sir Thomas Lyle Fellowship from University of Melbourne, Australia (2013) Bass Society of Fellows at Duke University (May 2012) Shared recognition for the Discovery of the Top Quark (July 2019) As a dedicated educator and mentor, Professor Kruse has advised numerous students through independent study courses (PHYSICS 493) and thesis projects (PHYSICS 495). He has secured substantial research funding including the REU Site for Undergraduate Research in Nuclear Particle Physics (2022-2027) and the Support and Maintenance for the ATLAS Transition Radiation Detector at CERN (2025-2027). His grants consistently support both graduate and undergraduate research opportunities, reflecting his commitment to training the next generation of physicists. Professor Kruse is a key member of the ATLAS collaboration at CERN, where he serves as the US ATLAS Transition Radiation Tracker Level 3 Manager. His research group at Duke University works closely with international collaborators on data analysis and detector operations. The team contributes significantly to the ongoing physics program at the LHC, particularly in areas related to Higgs boson characterization and searches for new physics phenomena.
Emily Bayer is appointed as Assistant Professor of Neural Science and Biology at New York University, commencing January 2026. Her research program investigates neural mechanisms of visceral sensation and behavioral outputs, with emphasis on fertility status and sex differences using C. elegans and D. cerebrum (zebrafish) models. Her educational background includes: Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, Columbia University (2019) B.S. in Biology/German, Muhlenberg College (2014) Dr. Bayer's research explores how internal bodily sensations (visceral sensation) modulate behavior and environmental interaction, focusing on molecular and anatomical sex differences in neural circuits. Her lab examines how fertility status influences behavior through genetic and neural mechanisms, revealing conserved principles of neural circuit organization. Key approaches include C. elegans genetics, zebrafish neuroimaging, and behavioral analysis to dissect how reproductive state and sex converge in brain function. Analysis of her recent publications (2025-2016) demonstrates a cohesive focus on sexual dimorphism in neural development and behavior, with increasing integration of genomic and connectomic methodologies. Her work spans molecular genetics, neural circuit mapping, and behavioral phenotyping, consistently highlighting sex-specific differences in neural wiring and function across model organisms. Her scientific recognition includes: Research Fund for Excellent Junior Researchers (University of Basel, 2025) Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research Fellowship (2021-2023) Dr. Bayer has secured competitive fellowships supporting her independent research program. Her lab establishes innovative frameworks for studying visceral sensation-behavior relationships, with current work emphasizing monoaminergic signaling in experience-dependent neural plasticity and the role of conserved transcription factors in sexually dimorphic development. Future directions include expanding to vertebrate models to investigate evolutionary conservation of these mechanisms. She leads a research team utilizing C. elegans and zebrafish to dissect neural circuits underlying internal sensation, with particular focus on how fertility signals modulate social and mating behaviors through sex-specific neural pathways.
Leila De Floriani is a Professor at the University of Maryland, with appointments in the Department of Geographical Sciences and the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS). She previously served as a professor at the University of Genova (Italy) since 1990, where she developed Italy's first undergraduate and graduate curricula in computer graphics and directed the Ph.D. program in Computer Science for eight years. Her professional activities include serving as the 2020 President of the IEEE Computer Society and currently as IEEE Division VIII Director for 2023-24. Professor De Floriani's research spans geometric modeling, data visualization, spatial data representation and processing, computer graphics, shape analysis, and topological data analysis. Her work focuses on developing mathematical models and algorithms for representing, analyzing, and visualizing complex spatial data, particularly through hierarchical models, mesh-based representations, and topology-based approaches. Her research group, the GeoVis group, investigates applications in terrain modeling, environmental data analysis, and forest structure mapping using LiDAR technology. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on terrain representation and processing, with increasing emphasis on topological data analysis, machine learning integration, and efficient algorithms for large-scale spatial data. Her work bridges theoretical foundations in computational topology with practical applications in geospatial sciences, demonstrating consistent innovation in data structures and visualization techniques. Scientific Awards & Recognitions Fellow of IEEE (2016) for contributions to geometric modeling and scientific visualization Fellow of International Association for Pattern Recognition (IAPR) (1998) for contributions to geometric modeling and image analysis Fellow of Eurographics Association (2020) for outstanding contributions to computer graphics and visualization Pioneer of Solid Modeling Association (2017) for seminal work in solid and feature-based modeling Inducted Member of IEEE Visualization Academy (2020) IEEE Computer Society Golden Medal Award (2018) Inducted Member of IEEE Honor Society Eta Kappa Nu (2019) Multiple best paper awards at major conferences including Shape Modeling International (2015), IEEE/EG Symposium on Volume and Point-Based Graphics (2008), and ACM SIGSPATIAL (2008) Professor De Floriani has successfully advised numerous PhD students including Xin Xu, Yunting Song, and Noel Dyer, whose recent dissertations focused on topology-based individual tree mapping, efficient terrain analysis, and bathymetric data visualization respectively. Her research has been funded by prestigious agencies including the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the European Commission. As the leader of the UMD GeoVis group, she oversees a research program that develops open-source tools for spatial data analysis available on GitHub, with current projects focusing on forest point cloud processing and topology-based geospatial data visualization. The GeoVis group, affiliated with the Department of Geographical Sciences, UMIACS, and the Center for Geospatial Information Sciences, maintains a strong collaborative environment with ongoing projects in geometric modeling, spatial data structures, topology-based machine learning, and mesh-based terrain modeling. The group has received recent funding from NASA's HPOSS program for developing an open-source library for forest point cloud processing based on topological data analysis.
Dr. Robert D. Moser is a Professor at the University of Texas at Austin and holds the W.A. "Tex" Moncrief, Jr. Chair in Computational Engineering and Sciences I. He is affiliated with the Thermal and Fluid Systems program, the Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences (ICES), and serves as Director of the DOE-funded Center for Predictive Engineering and Computational Sciences (PECOS). Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University (1984) His research focuses on computational methods for turbulence modeling, cardiovascular fluid mechanics, and uncertainty quantification in complex physical simulations. He develops large-eddy simulation techniques for aerospace applications and biological flow analysis, while pioneering methods to characterize uncertainties in reentry vehicle simulations and turbulence modeling. Dr. Moser leads interdisciplinary research at PECOS and ICES, combining computational engineering with biomedical applications. His work spans theoretical turbulence physics, numerical methods for Navier-Stokes equations, and practical implementations for aerodynamic and medical device design.
Professor Natalie Ciccone is a Professor in Speech Pathology at Edith Cowan University's School of Medical and Health Sciences. She joined ECU in 2009 after working in Speech Pathology programs at Curtin University since 1999. Professor Ciccone is currently involved in two NHMRC-funded projects: a multi-centre randomized control trial of very early intervention for people with aphasia after stroke and an exploration into communication disorders after stroke and traumatic brain injury in Aboriginal peoples in Western Australia. Her educational background includes a Doctor of Philosophy in Human Communication Science from Curtin University of Technology (2003) and a Bachelor of Science in Speech & Hearing Science from the same institution (1996). Professor Ciccone's research focuses on neurogenic communication disorders, particularly aphasia intervention, clinical decision making, communication difficulties after stroke in Aboriginal Australians, and the use of discourse in the analysis and treatment of aphasia. Her work bridges clinical practice with culturally responsive care, emphasizing the importance of understanding communication disorders within specific cultural contexts, particularly for Aboriginal populations. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on culturally responsive rehabilitation for Aboriginal Australians with brain injuries, early intervention for aphasia after stroke, treatment fidelity in clinical trials, and innovative educational approaches in speech pathology. Her work shows a consistent trajectory toward addressing health disparities and developing culturally safe rehabilitation practices. Member of the Editorial Committee for the Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech Language Pathology Active participant in national and international speech pathology and allied health conferences Professor Ciccone has supervised numerous research students, including PhD candidates and Master's students, with projects focusing on aphasia rehabilitation, simulation-based learning, and culturally responsive care. Her research projects have secured substantial funding from organizations including the National Health and Medical Research Council, Department of Health WA, and the Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science. She has led projects totaling over $8 million in research funding, with current projects focusing on AI-driven virtual character simulation for aggression de-escalation training and enhancing rehabilitation services for Aboriginal Australians after brain injury. Professor Ciccone maintains active clinical connections, having worked as a speech pathologist in acute and rehabilitation hospital settings as well as community-based clinics in Perth and Darwin, primarily working with patients with communication and swallowing difficulties following stroke and head injury.
Nan Chen is an Associate Professor at the Department of Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a faculty affiliate of the Institute for Foundations of Data Science (IFDS), a multi-University TRIPODS Phase II Initiative. His research spans applied mathematics with applications in atmosphere-ocean science, climate dynamics, and data science. Education: PhD from Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences (CIMS) and Center of Atmosphere and Ocean Science (CAOS), New York University (NYU), May 2016 Postdoc research associate at CIMS, NYU (June 2016-May 2018) Master's degree from School of Mathematical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai Undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai Visited Department of Scientific Computing at Florida State University working with Dr. Max Gunzburger and Dr. Xiaoming Wang Nan Chen's research focuses on contemporary applied mathematics, particularly modeling complex systems, stochastic methods, numerical algorithms, and data science. He specializes in uncertainty quantification (UQ), data assimilation, and developing statistically accurate algorithms to address the curse of dimensionality in large-dimensional complex dynamical systems with strong non-Gaussian features. His work has significant applications in atmosphere-ocean science, including predicting phenomena such as the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), monsoons, El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and sea ice dynamics. He has also extended his research to material science, neuroscience, and other complex systems. His recent publications demonstrate expertise in inverse problems, wave equations, numerical methods, and data compression techniques that blend mathematical theory with practical applications. Dr. Chen has authored a book titled "Stochastic Methods for Modeling and Predicting Complex Dynamical Systems --- Uncertainty Quantification, State Estimation, and Reduced-Order Models" published by Springer, and a tutorial paper "Taming Uncertainty in a Complex World: The Rise of Uncertainty Quantification — A Tutorial for Beginners" in the Notices of the AMS. Professional Activities: Organizing "Data Meets Dynamics: Workshop on Data Assimilation for Complex Systems and Applications" (August 21-22, 2025) Author of two articles in Elsevier's Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences Participant in Wisconsin Science and Computing Emerging Research Stars (WISCERS) program Judge for Outstanding Student Paper Award (OSPA) program at American Geophysical Union (AGU) fall meetings Involved in Madison Experimental Mathematics Lab (MXM Lab) Dr. Chen actively mentors undergraduate students for research during semesters and summers, encouraging them to present at the UW undergraduate symposium. He also offers reading and independent study courses for interested undergraduates. He is currently seeking highly motivated PhD students to join his research group with possible Research Assistantship support.
Dr. Jennifer Bennett is an accomplished surgical pathologist specializing in gynecologic pathology at the University of Chicago Medicine. She serves as faculty in the Department of Pathology at the Pritzker School of Medicine, where she conducts cutting-edge research on gynecologic neoplasms and contributes significantly to diagnostic pathology. Dr. Bennett's educational background includes: Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA - Robert E. Scully Fellow in Gynecologic Pathology (2014) Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA - Residency in Anatomic Pathology (2013) University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL - MD in Medicine (2010) University of Florida, Gainesville, FL - BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2005) Her research program focuses on integrating morphological, immunohistochemical, and molecular features to better characterize gynecologic neoplasms. Dr. Bennett's primary expertise lies in uterine mesenchymal neoplasms and ovarian epithelial carcinomas, with particular contributions to understanding STK11 adnexal tumors, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors of the uterus, and various rare gynecologic neoplasms. Her work bridges diagnostic pathology with molecular characterization, advancing how pathologists classify and understand tumor behavior. Analysis of Dr. Bennett's publication record reveals a clear progression from morphological descriptions to integrated molecular-pathological analyses. Her recent work (2022-2025) increasingly focuses on molecular markers like p16 as surrogates for CDKN2A deletion, ROS1 fusions in uterine tumors, and comprehensive genomic profiling of endometrial and ovarian carcinomas. This evolution reflects the broader shift in pathology toward precision medicine approaches. Among her notable achievements is the prestigious Robert E. Scully Fellowship in Gynecologic Pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital, recognizing exceptional promise in the field. Dr. Bennett maintains an extensive collaborative network, frequently publishing with Dr. Esther Oliva and other leading researchers in gynecologic pathology. Her work has been cited extensively, with several publications receiving over 30 citations. While specific grant information isn't detailed in the available text, her productive research output spanning multiple years suggests successful grant funding to support her laboratory investigations and clinical research. Based on her publication patterns and co-author networks, Dr. Bennett appears to lead or be a key member of a research team focused on advancing diagnostic criteria for gynecologic tumors through multidisciplinary collaboration with clinicians, molecular biologists, and other pathologists.
Francesca Maria Ceragioli is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Politecnico di Torino, specializing in Mathematical Analysis (MATH-03/A). She serves as a member of both the College of Mathematical Engineering and the College of Environmental and Land Engineering. Her research focuses on discontinuous ordinary differential equations, with specific lines of inquiry in the analysis and control of discontinuous differential equations and their application to social system models. Her expertise is recognized through classification under ERC sectors PE1_19 (Control theory and optimization) and PE1_10 (ODE and dynamical systems). Dr. Ceragioli has been consistently teaching Mathematics of Systems and Control for the Mathematical Engineering Master's program since 2019/2020 through the upcoming 2025/26 academic year, in addition to foundational courses like Mathematical Analysis I and Mathematics Laboratory for Aerospace and Computer Engineering programs. Her publications reveal a dual focus on theoretical research in control theory and practical mathematics education. The 2025 publications show particular emphasis on translating complex mathematical concepts into accessible educational materials through hands-on projects, while maintaining rigorous theoretical work in opinion dynamics and network systems. Mentoring Polito Project (M2P) badge issued June 11, 2024 She is currently participating in the MO.MO. research project (2025-2026) titled 'Taking time to enjoy ourselves together' as a member of the research group, demonstrating ongoing active research engagement.
Dr. Robert M. McCann is the Director of the Leadership Communication Program at the UCLA Anderson School of Management , where he has taught Leadership Communication, Entrepreneurship, and Global Leadership courses since 2010. He also holds a secondary faculty appointment at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science , serving as Area Director of the Master of Science in Engineering Management Program. Dr. McCann combines academic work with executive education, teaching at the University of Hong Kong and leading UCLA Anderson Executive Education programs in India and the USA. Research Focus : Workplace ageism, intergroup communication, cross-cultural leadership, age diversity, and communication strategies in global business. Teaching & Consulting : Specializes in executive training for persuasion, leadership, and communication, with clients including Jet Propulsion Laboratories, Johnson & Johnson, and Amgen. Awards : Golden Apple Teaching Award; active editorial board member for the Journal of Asian Pacific Communication . Global Engagement : Lived in Asia for 20 years, including roles at Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration in Thailand and Diageo’s Johnnie Walker marketing efforts in Asia. His research on age biases has influenced a U.S. Supreme Court amicus brief. He has authored the book Ageism at Work and contributed to major communication journals. Dr. McCann’s work bridges academia and practice, with emphasis on the societal implications of aging workforces and cross-cultural communication.
Nansen Petrosyan is a Professor at the University of Southampton's Mathematical Sciences department. He serves as the Programme Lead for single honours programmes in Mathematics. His academic career includes a position as a lecturer at the University of Southampton since 2013, following a postdoctoral fellowship with the Flemish Science Foundation (FWO) at the University of Leuven, Belgium. Professor Petrosyan's research focuses on: Geometric Group Theory Topology Algebra Geometry His current research explores group theoretic Dehn fillings, L^2-Betti numbers, L-infinity cohomology, cohomological characterizations of non-positive curvature, and splittings of groups. His work demonstrates a strong connection between geometric structures and algebraic properties of groups. Professor Petrosyan's recent publications show a consistent focus on geometric aspects of group theory and topology, with particular emphasis on theoretical investigations in manifold theory and geometric structures. His research output has been consistently strong over the past decade with multiple publications in high-impact journals. His scientific achievements have been recognized with: The Emil Artin Junior Prize in Mathematics (2008) Professor Petrosyan is actively involved in academic supervision and currently mentors PhD students Briony Helen Eldridge and Harry Margaret John Iveson in the Mathematical Sciences program. He has secured research funding including an EPSRC First Grant project. Within the department, he teaches the fourth year module Hyperbolic Geometry and Foundation Year Mathematics B, demonstrating his commitment to both advanced and foundational mathematical education.
John Mackay is an Associate Professor (Reader) in the School of Mathematics at the University of Bristol. His research focuses on geometric analysis, particularly analysis on metric spaces, geometric group theory, hyperbolic groups, and conformal dimension. He is a member of both the Probability, Analysis and Dynamics and Pure Mathematics institutes at Bristol, where he maintains an active research program and teaches undergraduate mathematics courses. His educational background includes undergraduate studies at the University of Edinburgh, PhD work at the University of Michigan under Bruce Kleiner (2003-2008), followed by a J.L. Doob research assistant professorship at the University of Illinois (2008-2010) and a postdoc at the University of Oxford (2011-2013) working with Cornelia Drutu before joining Bristol. Mackay's research explores the intersection of geometry, analysis, and group theory, with particular emphasis on conformal dimension, quasiconformal geometry, and the structure of hyperbolic and relatively hyperbolic groups. His work often involves studying metric spaces through their geometric and analytic properties, with connections to harmonic analysis and topology. His publication record shows consistent output since 2008, with recent work focusing on Poincaré profiles, asymptotic dimension, and the conformal dimension of hyperbolic groups. His most recent publications extend to 2025, indicating active ongoing research. The publications demonstrate a progression from foundational work in conformal dimension toward more complex applications involving random groups, Lie groups, and relatively hyperbolic structures. Among his significant contributions is the co-authored book "Conformal Dimension: theory and application" published by the AMS in 2010. Mackay actively contributes to the mathematical community through conference organization, including the "Interactions between Geometry, Dynamics and Group Theory" workshop at Bristol in January 2020, and upcoming events including the "Actions on graphs and metric spaces (OGG Workshop)" at the Isaac Newton Institute for September 2025 and the "Probability, Analysis and Dynamics conference" at Bristol for April 2025.
Professor Oskar Hansson is a senior consultant neurologist at Skåne University Hospital and full professor of neurology at Lund University, Sweden. He leads the Swedish BioFINDER studies, focusing on early diagnosis of Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s diseases through biomarker development. Co-director of Lund University's neuroscience research area, he also oversees clinical research at the Memory Clinic. Lund University (2017-present): Full Professor of Neurology Skåne University Hospital (2012-present): Senior Consultant Neurologist His research emphasizes clinical and translational studies, particularly in Neurodegenerative Diseases , Biomarker Development , and Neuroimaging . Key contributions include validating Tau PET imaging and blood-based biomarkers for early Alzheimer's detection. Recent publications highlight applications in Alzheimer's disease subtyping , polygenic risk scores , and Lewy body disorder biomarkers (2025 publications in Nature Communications , The Lancet , and Alzheimer's Research and Therapy ). Current projects include active research on amyloid immunotherapies and tau pathology biomarkers. 2024 : Torsten Söderberg Professorship 2023 : De Leon Prize, ERC Advanced Grant, NIH/NIA R01 grant 2023 : Elsa and Alfred Eriksson Award Hansson leads the Clinical Memory Research platform and oversees multiple initiatives including the MultiPark Parkinson's research program and Proactive Ageing profile area at Lund University.
Vladimir Sverak serves as a Distinguished McKnight University Professor in the School of Mathematics at the University of Minnesota, where he maintains an active research program and teaches graduate courses in partial differential equations. His office is located in Vincent Hall 236 (206 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455) with contact details including email sverak@umn.edu and phone (612) 625-1899. As of 2020, he continues to instruct courses such as Complex Analysis (Math 5583) and Topics in PDE (Math 8590), demonstrating ongoing academic engagement. Professor Sverak's research centers on fundamental questions in partial differential equations, particularly concerning existence, uniqueness, and singularity formation in fluid dynamics systems. His work focuses extensively on Navier-Stokes and Euler equations, examining behavior in critical function spaces where standard analytical methods often fail. He employs both rigorous mathematical techniques and numerical investigations to explore phenomena like non-uniqueness, blowup scenarios, and scale-invariant solutions, contributing significantly to the theoretical understanding of fluid mechanics. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2012-2017) reveals consistent thematic focus on Navier-Stokes equations, with particular attention to borderline spaces, axisymmetric flows, and singularity analysis. His collaborative approach is evident through frequent co-authorships with leading researchers including G. Seregin, H. Jia, and T. Gallay, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of modern mathematical fluid dynamics research. His scientific recognition includes: Distinguished McKnight University Professor Research support comes from the National Science Foundation (grant DMS 1956092), while his teaching contributions span both foundational and advanced topics. Course materials for offerings like Elementary Partial Differential Equations (Math 5587/5588) and Introduction to Ordinary Differential Equations (Math 5525) remain accessible through university platforms, demonstrating commitment to pedagogical resources. Though student advising details aren't specified, his graduate-level course instruction indicates active mentorship within the mathematics community. Professor Sverak's work continues to advance mathematical fluid dynamics through rigorous analysis of nonlinear PDEs, maintaining strong connections between theoretical developments and physical fluid behavior while contributing to both research and education in mathematical sciences.
Professor Adele Murrell is a Professor of Epigenetics in the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Bath's Faculty of Science. She serves as Co-Director of the Centre for Therapeutic Innovation and is affiliated with both the Centre for Mathematical Biology and the Centre for Bioengineering & Biomedical Technologies (CBio). She is currently accepting doctoral students and maintains an active research program with multiple ongoing projects. Her research focuses on understanding how cells establish and maintain their specific identities through epigenetic mechanisms. Her work centers on epigenetic barriers and cell identity, genomic imprinting as a model epigenetic system, long-range epigenetic silencing in cancer, and epigenetic reprogramming during metastasis. She investigates how higher-order chromatin structure and epigenetic modifications shape the genome within the nucleus to constitute cell identity and provide memory of developmental origins. Her current work examines colon cancer and liver metastasis, focusing on changes in DNA methylation and its demethylation intermediates such as 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. Analysis of Professor Murrell's recent publications reveals a strong focus on DNA hydroxymethylation patterns in cancer progression, particularly in colorectal cancer metastasis. Her work bridges molecular epigenetics with clinical applications, exploring how epigenetic changes during metastasis could be targeted to prevent cancer spread. She has developed novel techniques for detecting epigenetic modifications and has made significant contributions to understanding allele-specific chromatin domains and genomic imprinting mechanisms. Professor Murrell leads multiple research projects including 'Two stages of genome wide 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) reprogramming during colorectal carcinogenesis and liver metastasis' funded by the MRC until February 2024, and 'Modelling the fits and starts of how genes burst into expression' funded by The Leverhulme Trust until June 2024. She was also a Co-Investigator on the 'Multi User High-Content Confocal Microscope' project funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. Her laboratory work connects with UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to health and well-being. Her fingerprint analysis shows strong activity in Epigenetics (100%), DNA Methylation (94%), Allele research (73%), Methylation studies (69%), Genomic Imprinting (60%), CTCF research (56%), Promoter Region analysis (44%), and Differentially Methylated Regions (34%).
