Take 10 with... Lauren Smith

1. Describe your research topic to us in 10 words or less.

Dynamics of coupled oscillators, model reduction, fluid mixing.

2. Now explain it in everyday terms!

The overarching theme of my research is dynamical systems: describing how things change with time. My more recent research is on networks of coupled oscillators, which are systems of particles that have some form of rhythm and affect one another’s rhythm. For example, fireflies that synchronise their flashing. A focus within coupled oscillators is devising model reduction methods that reduce the thousands or millions of dimensions in these systems to a few important dimensions. This makes models both analytically and computationally simpler. I am also interested in the dynamics of viscous fluid mixing, which answers questions like: what is the best way to stir honey into peanut butter?

3. Describe some of your day-to-day research activities.

My day-to-day consists of a mixture of numerical computation and pen-and-paper analysis. Often the more interesting and physically relevant mathematical models do not allow much pen-and-paper analysis, so computational codes are needed to study their dynamics.

4. What do you enjoy most about your research?

I most enjoy the surprises. We build up an intuition for what we expect to happen, but sometimes that intuition fails. When that happens it normally leads to the most interesting results.

5. Tell us something that has surprised or amused you in the course of your research.

Sometimes the small off shoots of projects receive greater accolades than the bigger project that they came from. I think this can be a result of the greater conciseness and clarity that can be achieved in a project with a smaller scope, which allows readers to better see the forest for the trees.

6. How have you approached any challenges you’ve faced in your research?

Talking things through with colleagues and collaborators is very helpful for overcoming obstacles. I also often find that stepping away from a problem and focusing on something else can help spark new ideas.

7. What questions have emerged as a result?

Questions that I keep in mind, and that are sometimes competing with each other are: what research do I want to do (what interests me)? And what research should I be doing (what interests others)?

8. What kind of impact do you hope your research will have?

While I technically do ‘applied’ maths, I focus more on advancing knowledge than on any real-world applications. I hope that other people find my results and methodologies useful in a variety of contexts.

9. If you collaborate across the faculty or University, or outside the University, who do you work with and how does it benefit your research?

Throughout my research career I have worked in Mechanical Engineering departments, Biological and Chemical Engineering departments, and Applied Maths departments. While I feel most comfortable describing myself as an applied mathematician, it is great to collaborate with people from different backgrounds, as everyone brings a different perspective to the table.

10. What one piece of advice would you give your younger, less experienced research self?

My advice for younger researchers is to not lose focus of the bigger picture. It can be easy to delve deep into the fine details of a problem (which is also important), but this should not be at the expense of the global view. A piece of advice I was given a few years ago as a postdoc was to “be more obnoxious”. I think the meaning was to be confident, assertive, and to get in people’s faces to get your ideas heard.