Research interests

My current research interests are in the field of complexity and emergent phenomena in biologically inspired models. This is primarily focused on understanding how we may use both computational and analytic techniques in statistical mechanics to further our knowledge of the stability and robustness of natural systems. This is a broad area, and my current work includes: extending models based on Lovelock’s Daisyworld parable including looking for links to established theories in quantitative genetics; investigating flocking or herding behaviour in animals, and how these systems can be related to models of network rewiring; developing stochastic and deterministic models of bacterial behaviour, including respiratory chains and inter-phenotype switching. My other interests are in the field of wetting and interfacial phenomena. In particular the fluctuation behaviour of interfaces and the effect of confining substrate walls and other alternate geometries. I have approached these problems both through exact results in the context of the two-dimensional Ising model, and also by effective Hamiltonian theories. Please look at my personal homepage for more information.

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