Tamsin Spelman research portfolio
Research Interests
My interests are in microscale systems. Such systems cover a wide range of problems in fields ranging from biology to medicine to engineering. In nature, it encompasses phenomena from bacterial locomotion (e.g. E. coli) to blood flow to plant cell growth. I primarily use computational models and mathematical techniques for my research, but prefer to work closely with experimentalists and practical scientists, to maximise the impact of my research.
Simulation of a root hair cell and its nucleus from initiation through growth phase and into early maturation. Credit: Tamsin Spelman.
Figure 1. Simulation of a root hair cell and its nucleus from initiation through growth phase and into early maturation, developing our fundamental understanding of how intracellular components and cell growth are coupled as the cell transitions from growth phase into maturity [1]
Figure 2: Computational simulations of the microtubule network in two differently shaped cells, looking at how cell geometry effects microtubule organisation [7]. Simulations were preformed using Tubulaton https://gitlab.com/slcu/teamHJ/tubulaton, which we are continually developing.
Figure 3: Modelling retinal haemorrhage (bleeding) in the human eye, with the aim to help inform medical diagnosis of conditions with this symptom [8]. (Top) Schematic of the Central Retinal Artery and Vein at the entry to the eye. (Bottom) Simulation of the blood vessel cross-sectional area in response to a sharp increase in cerebral spinal fluid pressure, representing head trauma.
Science communications
For a brief 2 minute introduction to how mathematics contributes to multi-disciplinary research, watch my science communication video below: “How can mathematics contribute when our research is in the field of plant science?”
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Key Publications
[1] Root hair growth phases are coordinated by cytoskeleton, nucleus dynamics and cell me-chanics in Arabidopsis , G.Dupouy*, T.A.Spelman*, G.Singh, E.Herzog, S.Baudrey, S.Bovio, J.Mutterer, O.Hamant, A.Berr, H.Jonsson and M.E. Chaboute, *equal contributions, biorxiv pre-print https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.31.646268
[2] Machine learning segmentation tool trained on synthetic data for tracking cytoskele- ton polymerisation and depolymerisation, K.Elangovan, T.A.Spelman, G. Dupouy, G. Singh, M.E.Chaboute and H.Jonsson, pre-print, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.01.04.631322
[3] A model of the mechanisms underpinning unconventional aqueous humor outflow, J.H.Tweedy, M.Dvoriashyna, J.R.Crawshaw, D.R.Overby, R.Repetto, P.A.Roberts, T.A.Spelman, P.S.Stewart and A.J.E.Foss, Investig. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., 2025, accepted
[4] Elastic jump propagation across a blood vessel junction, T.A.Spelman, I.S.Onah, D.MacTaggart and P.S.Stewart, R. Soc. Open Sci.11:232000, 2024 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.232000
[5 ] Rapid amplification of cerebrospinal fluid pressure as a possible mechanism for optic nerve sheath bleeding in infants with non-accidental head injury, P.S.Stewart, B.S.Brook, O.E.Jensen, T.A.Spelman, R.J.Whittaker and M.A.Zouache, Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 65(12):9, 2024 https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.65.12.9
[6] Mean-field theory approach to the three-dimensional nematic phase transitions in microtubules, C. Gibson, H.Jönsson and T A Spelman. Phys. Rev. E. 108(6):064414, 2023 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.108.064414
[7] Cytoskeletal organization in isolated plant cells under geometry control, P.DurandSmet, T.A.Spelman, E.M.Meyerowitz and H.Jönsson, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 117(29): 17399-17408, 2020 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2003184117
[8] Shock wave propagation along the central retinal blood vessels, T.A.Spelman and P.S.Stewart, Proc. R. Soc. A. 476:20190269, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2019.0269
[9] Multi-directional bubble generated streaming flows, T.A.Spelman, O.Stephan and P. Marmottant, Ultrasonics 102:106054, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultras.2019.106054
[10] Bubble-based acoustic micropropulsors: active surfaces and mixers, N.Bertin, T.A.Spelman, T.Combriat, H.Hue, O.Stephan, E.Lauga, and P.Marmottant, Lab Chip,17,1515-1528, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1039/C7LC00240H
[11] Arbitrary axisymmetric steady streaming: flow, force and propulsion, T.A.Spelman and E.Lauga, J. Eng. Math, 105, 31-65, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10665-016-9880-8
[12] Propulsion of bubble-based acoustic microswimmers, N.Bertin, T.A.Spelman, O.Stephan, L.Gredy, M.Bouriau, E.Lauga, and P.Marmottant, Phys. Rev. Applied, 4, 064012, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.4.064012