Women in mathematics

As a department, we are strongly committed to equality and diversity, and the success of our female mathematicians, be they staff or students.

Mathematics and its applications have never been more important to society, nor has the diversity of places of work and study. At The University of Manchester, we pride ourselves on the diversity of our student population, where we have consistently ranked above the national averages in the gender diversity of our undergraduate, master's and research postgraduate students in mathematics.

Meet our research fellows​

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  Lillybelle Cowland Kellock

  I am mainly interested in the arithmetic of curves.

  Read more about Lillybelle

  I am an EPSRC Postdoctoral Pathway Fellow in Pure Mathematics. My research interests lie in the field of number theory, where I am mainly interested in the arithmetic of curves, for example their Galois representations, L-functions, root numbers, special fibres and so on. I completed my PhD in 2025 at the London School of Geometry and Number Theory.

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  Golsa Sayyar

  I am working on statistical and computational methods for infectious disease modelling.

  Read more about Golsa

  I am a postdoctoral researcher working on statistical and computational methods for infectious disease modelling. My research focuses on integrating genomic data into epidemiological models to study transmission dynamics and pathogen evolution. I am particularly interested in probabilistic modelling, Bayesian inference, and simulation-based approaches for analyzing complex biological systems. My work combines mathematics, statistics, and computation with real-world public health applications. I am committed to interdisciplinary research and collaborations across mathematics, statistics, and biology, with the broader aim of improving our understanding of infectious disease spread and evolution. 

Meet our academic staff

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  Emma Fairbanks

  My research focuses on malaria elimination and vector-borne disease control.

  Read more about Emma

  I am a Healthier Futures Research Fellow in the Department of Mathematics, working at the intersection of mathematical modelling and global health. My research focuses on malaria elimination and vector-borne disease control, developing tools to help national programmes target interventions more precisely and equitably. I also serve on the Applied Malaria Modelling Network (AMMnet) committee, supporting the next generation of modellers across malaria-endemic regions. In 2025, I was honoured to receive the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talent Award in Mathematics and Computer Science, a recognition that means a great deal to me as an advocate for women in mathematical research.

  Emma's research profile

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  Abigail Bown

  For over 18 years, I have run the outreach programmes with local schools.

  Read more about Abigail

  I originally applied to university to study physics – but then realised that I couldn’t imagine giving up maths and changed my application completing my maths degree at Cambridge University. Inspired to spread my love of maths, I went into teaching and spend most of my time in a Sixth Form College in a very deprived area.   

  For the past 18 years, I’ve been working at The University in the Mathematics Department running outreach programmes with local schools. I work with 11-16 year old students to enrich their mathematics and to promote mathematical careers, with teachers to enhance their mathematics teaching and with 16-19 year old students to develop their problem-solving skills and support transition to university maths and related subjects.

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  Madhu Bhattacharjee

  As a researcher, I am proud to be an applied statistician; I enjoy collaboration and exploring data.

  Read more about Madhu

  In 2023, I joined The University of Manchester as a Reader in Statistics and Data Science. Before that, I have worked in tenure track positions in the UK during 2005-2009 (in Lancaster and St Andrews), in India during 2010-2023 (in Pune and Hyderabad). I was Sr Scientist in Helsinki University (2001-2004) and for a brief while a Post-doc in Newcastle (2005). I have been visiting faculty in USA at Indian University-Purdue University (2016-2017) and the Wistar Institute (2009-2010). 

  I have also worked for the Reserve Bank of India, which is the monetary policy making body in India (1996-2000). 

  All my academic degrees are from India. I did my PhD in Statistics from Pune (2000), Master’s degree in Statistics from the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata (1993), BSc in Mathematics (with Physics & Chemistry) from the University of Calcutta (1991). 

  As a researcher, I am proud to be an applied statistician; I enjoy collaboration and exploring data.

  Madhu's research profile

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  Alice Thompson

  My research is centred around fluid.

  Read more about Alice

  My research is centred around fluid dynamics, with a focus on low Reynolds number, free-surface problems and flow in confined geometry, especially when this leads to interesting nonlinear behaviour. Most recently, I have begun exploring how feedback control can be used together with reduced dimensional models to explore new nonlinear dynamical regimes in fluid and soft matter experiments.

  I did my PhD at the University of Nottingham, followed by PDRA positions at The University of Manchester (2011-14) and Imperial College London (2014-16). I returned to Manchester as a Lecturer in Applied Mathematics in 2016, becoming a Senior Lecturer in 2019 and a Reader in 2024. I have two young children, and my partner is an academic.

  Alice's research profile

Women at Manchester throughout history

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  Kathleen Ollerenshaw (1912-2014)

  Appointed as a lecturer in Manchester shortly after WW2, Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw had a distinguished career in mathematics and politics, becoming a founding Fellow and President of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.

  Read more about Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw

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  Hanna Neumann (1914-1971)

  Hanna Neumman was a prominent group theorist, most well known for her work on varieties of groups. She contributed to Manchester gaining a reputation for strength in algebra; a tradition that continues to this day.

  Read more about Hanna Neumann

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  Phyllis Nicolson (1917-1968)

  Phyllis Nicolson received her BSc (1938), MSc (1939) and PhD (1946) in Physics from The University of Manchester. She is most well-known for her work on the Crank-Nicolson method, to numerically solve the heat equation and other similar partial differential equations.

  Read more about Phyllis Nicolson

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  Joan Walsh (1932-2017)

  Joan Walsh, who worked at The University of Manchester from 1963 to 1998, was a key figure in the development of Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing in the UK, as well as a founding Chairman of the Numerical Algorithms Group (NAG) Ltd.

  Read more about Joan Walsh