dr. MJ (Michael) Coughlan

I am an applied mathematician working on problems in mathematical biology, especially problems where methods from network science or dynamical systems are of use.

At EZO I am working on the development of the nervous system of C. Elegans worms, specifically looking at how the brain's function changes as neurons and synapses are added during the larval stage up until maturity. To do this I am adapting simple models from machine learning (the perceptron) and making them more "biological". With such a model, we can then do in-silico experiments on the addition of neurons and synapses and their effect on the function of the nervous system.

Previously I worked on problems in oceanography and climate science at the University of Oxford, and on glaciology problems at the University of Manchester, both in the UK. I have also worked on a number of industrial mathematics problems in the UK and Ireland (where I am from).