Professor

Jonathan

Potts

Mathematical biology, biological movement, statistical ecology, nonlinear partial differential equations, movement ecology, nonlocal advection

Summary of Research Project(s)

My research focuses on biological movement. Most of it so far has been on understanding animal movement and space use, using mathematical models to understand what drives animals to move and how they ultimately locate themselves in space.

This has led in various directions. Mathematically, I have made contributions to applied partial differential equations (PDEs), particularly those involving non-local advection: i.e. movement triggered by non-local sensing (animals looking around them to decide where to go; cells using protrusions to sense the environment). My interest in emergent patterns has led to a particular interest in bifurcations and stable steady states of these PDEs. Biologically, I have been involved in developing techniques for analysing data with mathematical models, such as iSSA and deepSSF, as well as applying these techniques to a variety of specific ecological questions.

From time to time, my work also has veered into related areas of biology, such as biological invasions, optimal foraging, and life-history trade-offs. Recently, I have been increasingly interested in other aspects of biological movement, such as neuron morphology and collective cell movement. Papers on these will be forthcoming, I hope!