In this special blog post, we are excited to feature and celebrate the awardees of the 2025 CDEV Subgroup travel grant to attend SMB 2025. Be sure to check out their work in Edmonton!
Awardees of the 2025 SMB CDEV travel grant. From left to right: Gulsemay Yigit, Rebecca Crossley, and Maryam Alka
Gulsemay Yigit
Gulsemay Yigit is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of British Columbia, specialising in mathematical and computational biology, numerical analysis, and their applications to experimental sciences. She obtained her PhD in Mathematical Engineering from Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul.
Research Summary. My research lies at the intersection of theoretical applied mathematics, computational biology, and numerical analysis, focusing on mathematical models for the spatiotemporal dynamics of small GTPases. These molecular switches regulate crucial cellular signalling such as growth, differentiation, motility, and survival, and are central to biomedical problems. I am exploring how cross-diffusion, geometry, and domain size influence pattern formation in these enzymes by combining bulk-surface models and thin-layer approximations. My framework also includes RhoA-GEF-H1-myosin network, unravelling the effects of diffusion on the temporal dynamical system characterised by different temporal behaviour.
A passion of mine. Outside of work, I am passionate about swimming and practising yoga. I also enjoy spending time in nature and painting. I love reading books from almost every field, especially philosophy and world literature.
Where can people find you at SMB 2025? You can find me at the session MS07 - CDEV-06 Part 2 of 2: Modeling the Role of Geometry and Topology in Shaping Cell Behavior, Function, and Tissue Patterns (Part 2) on Thursday, July 17 at 4:00pm (abstract).
Rebecca Crossley
Rebecca Crossley is a PhD student studying mathematical biology at the University of Oxford under the supervision of Professors Ruth Baker and Philip Maini. She holds an MSci in Mathematics from the University of Bristol, and is passionate about applying mathematical and statistical techniques to help understand complex biological systems and improve health outcomes.
Research Summary. I am interested in combining mechanistic modelling and data-driven inference to understand systems biology. My doctoral research involves robustly deriving continuum representations of collective cell migration into the extracellular matrix from their underlying individual-based descriptions. The suite of models I have developed focuses on understanding the role of phenotypic heterogeneity during collective invasion and how changes in surrounding cells or the environment will impact the cells’ behaviours. I also have wider interests in understanding travelling wave dynamics, and my current research focuses on using biologically-informed neural networks (BINNs) to identify governing equations from data generated by biological systems.
A passion of mine. I love camping, going on hikes and all things outdoors. As such, I still to this day help over 150 people a year complete their Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards by taking them away on camping trips!
Where can people find you at SMB 2025? I will be presenting my work on Thursday afternoon (abstract). For the rest, you will probably bump into me while running around. I’ll be trying to soak up every ounce of interesting knowledge I can, and that means you often see me shooting past you in a corridor between talks - but don’t worry, I’ve always got time for a chat, too! Outside of conference hours: exploring… Once a long hard day of thinking and learning is done, I love to go outside and get fresh air! This is especially true when I am visiting new places, and as a foodie you’ll probably find me in a fair few restaurants trying out the local cuisine and celebrating my birthday whilst we are away!
Maryam Alka
Maryam Alka is a PhD Researcher in Applied Mathematics at the University of Birmingham, funded by PTDF Nigeria. Maryam leverages her strong background in mathematical oncology and data science to study tumour dynamics under hypoxia and chemotherapy. She holds an MSc in Pure and Applied Mathematics and has extensive teaching and industry experience.
Research Summary. My research investigates tumour dynamics under hypoxic stress and chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). I developed an ODE-based framework, exploring various growth laws, with the Gompertzian model proving most effective in capturing treatment effects with Paclitaxel and Cobalt Chloride. Using Bayesian estimation and sensitivity analysis, I assess hypoxia-drug synergy, informing dosage and scheduling optimisation. At SMB 2025 in Edmonton, my poster will showcase this framework, bridging experimental oncology and mathematical modelling to refine predictive tools for hypoxia-driven cancers, enhancing therapeutic strategies through data-driven insights.
A passion of mine. Cooking is my passion and my go-to stress-reliever, especially when my research gets intense! I love whipping up spicy Nigerian dishes to unwind. Fun fact: During a particularly tough week of modelling tumour dynamics, I perfected a recipe that even my husband couldn’t resist!
Where can people find you at SMB 2025? Come and check out my poster on “Mathematical Modeling of Tumour Dynamics in Hypoxic Environment” during the poster session on Monday (abstract). I’ll be available for discussions near the CDEV subgroup section. Look forward to connecting!