Related talks@cam

Abstract:

The formation of the body axis is a central step in embryonic development; however, how tissues coordinate to shape and extend it remains largely unknown. Using mouse gastruloids and Xenopus explants, we investigated how tissue interactions drive axis elongation. In gastruloids, we demonstrate that the mechanical properties at tissue interfaces drive collective cell flows and contribute to axis formation and early extension. In Xenopus explants, we show that coordinated interactions between epithelial and mesenchymal layers are essential for robust elongation. These findings highlight different but potentially conserved strategies by which tissues build and extend the body axis, revealing that tissue interfaces can organize coherent axis formation even in the absence of external signals.

• Speaker: Pierre-François Lenne, IBDM and Turing Center for Living Systems, Aix Marseille Univ. & CNRS, Marseille, France
• Monday 20 October 2025, 14:30-15:30
• Venue: in person at Sainsbury Laboratory and online.
• Series: Morphogenesis Seminar Series; organiser: Jia CHEN.

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Name: Luca Guglielmi

Affiliation: Postdoc at MRC LMB

Title: Modelling Neuronal Morphogenesis Across Species: a Purkinje Cell’s Journey to Utmost Complexity

Abstract:

The human cerebellum contains approximately 80–90% of all neurons in the adult brain. During evolution, its expansion contributed substantially to the remarkable size of the human brain and to the emergence of complex behaviours such as tool-making and language. Species-specific differences are particularly evident in cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs), the largest and most elaborate neurons in the human brain, which display disproportionate dendritic complexity compared to other species. However, the mechanisms underlying PC scaling remain poorly understood, as reproducing advanced stages of cerebellar development in vitro has remained a major challenge. By balancing self-organization with guided differentiation, I have established a new in vitro model of cerebellar development that enables the study of late gestational stages previously inaccessible. Under these conditions, PCs undergo conserved morphogenetic transitions across distinct developmental phases in vitro, progressing on species-specific timescales that closely mirror in vivo trajectories. By combining quantitative morphometry with cross-species comparisons, I am investigating the human-specific mechanisms driving disproportionate PC morphogenesis and their contribution to cerebellar growth and evolutionary scaling.

Name: Susannah McLaren

Title: The spatial organisation of coral-algae symbiosis

Abstract: How do different organisms interact to unlock new possibilities for life? The symbiosis between cnidarians, including corals and sea anemones, and algae provides a striking example. Algae residing inside the host’s cells provide key nutrients derived from photosynthesis, enabling survival in nutrient-poor environments and unlocking the existence of the planet’s most biodiverse ecosystems – coral reefs.

This photosynthetic symbiosis is highly sensitive to the physical environment. Many symbiotic partnerships break down under light and heat stress in an event called ‘bleaching’, where algal symbionts are lost from the host. However, some partnerships can persist under environmental change, raising the question – how do corals and algae build a symbiosis for survival in a given environment?

Using high-resolution imaging, molecular biology approaches and physical perturbations we are exploring how multicellular cnidarians and their single-celled algal partners interact to build a symbiotic relationship as the host develops from a ball of cells into an adult polyp. We reveal that symbionts are not passively accommodated but dynamically patterned within the host during morphogenesis and show that this organisation can be remodelled under environmental change. Overall, our work aims to reveal fundamental principles of how interacting organisms dynamically shape each other’s biology to survive in challenging ecological niches.

• Speaker: Luca Guglielmi; Susie McLaren
• Monday 17 November 2025, 14:30-15:30
• Venue: in person @PDN (Brayn Matthews in Physiology Building) and online.
• Series: Morphogenesis Seminar Series; organiser: Jia CHEN.

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Name: Min Ya Affiliation: University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA

Title: The Moment Symmetry Breaks: Spatiotemporal Dynamics of CYCLOIDEA Expression During Early Floral Development

Abstract: The establishment of bilateral symmetry in flowers depends on the precise regulation of CYCLOIDEA (CYC) gene expression along the dorsal-ventral axis. Although auxin and BLADE -ON-PETIOLE (BOP) have been implicated as regulators of CYC , when, where, and how they affect CYC expression remains unclear. Here, we combined transgenic manipulation and fluorescent confocal imaging to capture the spatiotemporal dynamics of the Mimulus parishii CYC genes (MpCYC2a and MpCYC2b) in relation to FM growth and auxin activity maxima in both wild type (WT) and bop mutants (mpbop). Strikingly, MpCYCs have already gained dorsal expression in the FM prior to any detectable auxin maxima, and no difference in MpCYC expression was observed between the wild type and mpbop during this initiation phase. We observed highly dynamic auxin maxima during FM expansion, when MpCYC expressions remained dorsally restricted in WT but expanded broadly inmpbop FMs. These findings suggest that early symmetry breaking in the FM is guided by positional cues independent of auxin or BOP , which are instead essential for refining and maintaining dorsal-specific CYC expression during later FM enlargement. Our work illustrated how combining advanced imaging with emerging model systems can yield fresh insights into long-standing questions in development and evolution, and laid the groundwork for further elucidating the mechanisms underlying the repeated symmetry breaking in FMs.

Name: Baptiste Tesson Affiliation: Institut Curie, Paris

Title: Complementary Mechanical Identities from Iterative BMP Signaling Ensure Robust Morphogenesis

Abstract:

Morphogenetic robustness stems from the coordination of signaling cues, mechanical properties, and tissue geometry to produce outcomes that resist perturbation. D. melanogaster dorsal closure provides a powerful model to study this integration. In this process, the dorsal-most tissue, the extraembryonic amnioserosa, contracts and pulls on the dorsal epidermis, which elongates in response to enclose the embryo. We show that this system relies on an elastic-to-plastic transition of the dorsal epidermis together with a strengthening of the interface between the two tissues. These properties emerge from iterative phases of DPP /BMP signaling following the initial morphogen gradient. This sequential mechanism, that we defined as automorphy, instructs tissues with distinct mechanical identities such as contractile, plastic, or adhesive while preserving positional information. Together, these mechanical programs provide resilience to developmental perturbations and enable the embryo to adapt to internal organ volume, thereby safeguarding morphogenetic robustness. Our results highlight how repeated waves of morphogen activity translate patterning into complementary mechanical programs that ensure reliable morphogenesis.

• Speaker: Min Ya; Baptiste Tesson
• Monday 27 October 2025, 14:30-15:30
• Venue: Online.
• Series: Morphogenesis Seminar Series; organiser: Jia CHEN.

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Exaggerated open-ocean deep convection in the Weddell Sea has been a prevailing issue in coupled climate models, having featured in both CMIP5 and CMIP6 simulations. These convection events vent subsurface heat and sustain a large hole in the sea-ice, known as the Weddell Sea polynya which can create large Southern Ocean biases in sea-ice, salinity and ocean heat content. In order to tackle this issue, we have run a reference ensemble to explore the mechanisms for preconditioning and convection in HadGEM3-GC5, a state-of-the-art coupled climate model developed by the UK Met Office. We then present a suite of parameter perturbation experiments in which we describe the influence of ocean model parameters on deep convection. By tuning parameters in the vertical mixing scheme we present simulations in which convection is reduced to more closely reflect observations. 

• Speaker: Tarkan Bilge - British Antarctic Survey
• Wednesday 22 October 2025, 15:30-16:30
• Venue: BAS Seminar Room 12.
• Series: British Antarctic Survey - Polar Oceans seminar series; organiser: Katherine Turner.

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Subglacial discharge, the release of freshwater from beneath glaciers into the ocean, affects melt patterns beneath Antarctic ice shelves. The added buoyancy at the grounding line accelerates meltwater flow, which directly enhances melt rates and increases entrainment of ambient ocean water. In this seminar, I will present ongoing work on implementing subglacial discharge within the sub-shelf melt model LADDIE2 .0. We will explore how subglacial discharge affects melt patterns beneath different ice shelves, highlighting the magnitude of melt amplification and the most impacted regions. I will also show results from idealised (simplified geometry and forcing) coupled experiments using LADDIE2 .0 and the ice-sheet model UFEMISM2 .0. Interestingly, in these simulations, the strongest initial melt anomalies from including subglacial discharge do not necessarily lead to the greatest long-term ice-sheet mass loss. Instead, the release location of subglacial discharge plays a key role.

• Speaker: Franka Jesse - Utrecht University
• Thursday 06 November 2025, 14:00-15:00
• Venue: BAS Seminar Room 330b.
• Series: British Antarctic Survey - Polar Oceans seminar series; organiser: Katherine Turner.

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Abstract not available

• Speaker: Speaker to be confirmed
• Tuesday 21 October 2025, 15:00-16:00
• Venue: BAS Seminar Room 1.
• Series: British Antarctic Survey - Polar Oceans seminar series; organiser: Katherine Turner.

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The West Antarctic Ice Sheet has experienced sustained mass loss over the past three decades, a trend projected to continue in future climate scenarios. This loss is primarily driven by basal melting along the Amundsen Sea coast, where warm ocean waters interact with floating ice shelves. Internal ice dynamics further modulate the ice sheet’s response to ocean forcing, highlighting the need for coupled modelling approaches.

In this study, I present the calibration of a new coupled ice-ocean model of West Antarctica, covering the region from the Abbot to the Getz basins, including key glaciers such as Pine Island and Thwaites. The ice sheet component is simulated using the ice-flow model Úa, optimised in two stages to match present-day conditions. This is coupled offline to the MIT general circulation model (MITgcm), which incorporates sea ice and ice shelf thermodynamics and is driven by historical atmospheric reanalyses.

We assess the sensitivity of the coupled model hindcast to melt rate parameters in MITgcm and calibrate it against observations of basal melt rates, and changes in ice velocity and ice thickness over recent decades. This represents the first such calibration using both oceanic and glaciological observations. The results presented here will inform optimal melt parameters for other models. Additionally, our historically calibrated model will be used to predict future sea level contributions and help us to better constrain the complex interplay between ice dynamics and ocean forcing in West Antarctica.

Link to the teams meeting: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MjE5MmIxMGYtNzllMC00MmNlLTlhMDMtMmE1MWJjNGVmNzQ4%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22b311db95-32ad-438f-a101-7ba061712a4e%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%229a5b5150-2ddd-43f0-9054-966647264d30%22%7d

PLEASE NOTE If you are external to BAS and wish to attend please email the organisers in advance so they can organise to meet you in reception !!!

• Speaker: Jan De Rydt (University of Northumbria), Brad Reed (University of Northumbria)
• Wednesday 15 October 2025, 14:00-15:00
• Venue: BAS Seminar Room 2.
• Series: British Antarctic Survey - Polar Oceans seminar series; organiser: Katherine Turner.

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Glacierized mountainous areas make up some of the most hazardous landscapes of our planet, and are undergoing profound changes under 21st century climatic warming. The answers to two fundamental questions are required in these areas: (i) what is the baseline hazard and risk, and (ii) are the hazard and risk likely to increase or decrease in coming decades. While these questions remain largely unanswered on a global scale, this presentation delves into the subject through a series of case studies of complex hazards in glacierized and high-mountain areas.

In this talk, I will consider both the gaps in our current knowledge, and how novel techniques and datasets help bridge these. In particular, I will discuss the two-way interactions between landslides and glaciers, improving summit ice volume estimates at glacierized volcanoes, and new optical feature tracking approaches to map slope deformation the scale of mountain ranges. The evolving hazard profile intersects with a growing population and rapidly developing infrastructure networks. As a result, a cross-disciplinary approach is essential to comprehensively analyse and mitigate risk. This talk highlights the significance of addressing these challenges and explores avenues for future research.

• Speaker: Max Van Wyk de Vries, Department of Earth Sciences / Department of Geography, University of Cambridge
• Monday 20 October 2025, 13:00-14:00
• Venue: MR3, CMS.
• Series: Quantitative Climate and Environmental Science Seminars; organiser: Bethan Wynne-Cattanach.

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Particle-driven convection occurs when a dense particle-laden layer settles into a layer of clear fluid. This can drive a variation on the classical Rayleigh-Taylor instability, where particles induce the density difference between the two fluids. Variants of this instability occur in many geophysical flows, such as the undersides of volcanic ash clouds, sediment-laden river outflows, and the dynamics of droplets in clouds. This talk will present some new experimental results of Rayleigh-Taylor instability occurring between a particle-laden and fresh-water layers. I will also present some preliminary results that examine the effect of adding salt to the lower layer. For this second case, the initial stratification is stable, but becomes unstable due to particle settling.

• Speaker: Megan Davies Wykes (University of Cambridge)
• Thursday 30 October 2025, 11:30-12:30
• Venue: Open Plan Area, Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows, Madingley Rise CB3 0EZ.
• Series: Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows (IEEF); organiser: Catherine Pearson.

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Next up in the Polar Ocean Semanar Series we are delighted to welcome Jan De Rydt and Brad Reed from the University of Northumbria. The seminar will take place Wednesday 15th October at 2pm in Seminar Room 2.

Brad and Jan will be visiting BAS from Wednesday to Thursday to evening so get in touch if you would like to organise a chat. We will also be organising a pub trip on the Wednesday evening updates to come!

Jan De Rydt is a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at Northumbria University, where he conducts research in polar glaciology and oceanography. He is interested in physical processes that govern the dynamics of glaciers and ice caps, and their interactions with the climate system. He uses a combination of theory, measurements and numerical models to simulate present-day and future changes of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, and understand their complex intereactions with the surrounding ocean. His work aims to enable more robust forecasts of sea level rise over the next decades to centuries, and advance our understanding of the interactions between ice sheets and the global climate system.

Brad Reed is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Northumbria University interested in the behaviour of glaciers and ice sheets. He primarily uses numerical modelling to study the flow of glaciers and how they respond to external conditions. To do this, he also incorporates satellite data and other data sources into the modelling process for validation and comparison.

Link to the teams meeting: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MjE5MmIxMGYtNzllMC00MmNlLTlhMDMtMmE1MWJjNGVmNzQ4%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22b311db95-32ad-438f-a101-7ba061712a4e%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%229a5b5150-2ddd-43f0-9054-966647264d30%22%7d

PLEASE NOTE If you are external to BAS and wish to attend please email the organisers in advance so they can organise to meet you in reception !!!

• Speaker: Jan De Rydt (University of Northumbria), Brad Reed (University of Northumbria)
• Wednesday 15 October 2025, 14:00-15:00
• Venue: BAS Seminar Room 2.
• Series: British Antarctic Survey - Polar Oceans seminar series; organiser: Katherine Turner.

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Abstract not available

• Speaker: Professor Joe Howe, University of Lincoln
• Thursday 06 November 2025, 11:30-12:30
• Venue: Open Plan Area, Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows, Madingley Rise CB3 0EZ.
• Series: Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows (IEEF); organiser: Catherine Pearson.

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Next up in the Polar Ocean Semanar Series we are delighted to welcome Jan De Rydt and Brad Reed from the University of Northumbria. The seminar will take place Wednesday 15th October at 2pm in Seminar Room 2.

Brad and Jan will be visiting BAS from Wednesday to Thursday to evening so get in touch if you would like to organise a chat. We will also be organising a pub trip on the Wednesday evening updates to come!

Jan De Rydt is a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at Northumbria University, where he conducts research in polar glaciology and oceanography. He is interested in physical processes that govern the dynamics of glaciers and ice caps, and their interactions with the climate system. He uses a combination of theory, measurements and numerical models to simulate present-day and future changes of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, and understand their complex intereactions with the surrounding ocean. His work aims to enable more robust forecasts of sea level rise over the next decades to centuries, and advance our understanding of the interactions between ice sheets and the global climate system.

Brad Reed is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Northumbria University interested in the behaviour of glaciers and ice sheets. He primarily uses numerical modelling to study the flow of glaciers and how they respond to external conditions. To do this, he also incorporates satellite data and other data sources into the modelling process for validation and comparison.

PLEASE NOTE If you are external to BAS and wish to attend please email the organisers in advance so they can organise to meet you in reception !!!

• Speaker: Jan De Rydt (University of Northumbria), Brad Reed (University of Northumbria
• Wednesday 15 October 2025, 14:00-15:00
• Venue: BAS Seminar Room 2.
• Series: British Antarctic Survey - Polar Oceans seminar series; organiser: Katherine Turner.

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Hydrogen could be used as an alternate to fossil fuels if generated sustainably. However, leakage of hydrogen into the atmosphere could have further repercussions on climate change. Atmospheric hydrogen has an indirect greenhouse effect due to its impacts on methane, troposperic ozone and stratospheric water vapour. Understanding the lifetime of hydrogen and its effect on methane is vital to quantify its impact on climate. The main destructive pathways of hydrogen are via OH reaction (30%) and soil update (70%). The OH used in hydrogen destruction  is known to cause a decrease in methane destruction (which is also primarily destroyed by OH), while destruction of H2 by soil uptake is poorly constrained and difficult to model. We implement a hydrogen soil deposition scheme into a model with pre-existing interactive methane to create a fully interactive hydrogen-methane atmospheric chemistry model. We examine the impacts of having both interactive hydrogen and methane and show how it compares to observations.

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YTZhNzA2OTMtM2I0ZS00ODI4LTk1YjMtZWU5ZGNiOGVjOGQw%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2249a50445-bdfa-4b79-ade3-547b4f3986e9%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%228b208bd5-8570-491b-abae-83a85a1ca025%22%7d

• Speaker: Dr Megan Brown, University of Cambridge
• Tuesday 02 December 2025, 11:00-12:00
• Venue: Chemistry Dept, Unilever Lecture Theatre and Teams.
• Series: Centre for Atmospheric Science seminars, Chemistry Dept.; organiser: Yao Ge.

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We recently proposed a model able to describe both “thin films” and “thick films” [1] both in the context of large-scale geophysical flows and down to lubrication scales . In this presentation, I will give an overview of the principal properties of this multilayer, semi-discrete approximation of the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations with a free-surface and its theoretical and practical connections with previous classical film models.

[1] Popinet, S. (2020). A vertically-Lagrangian, non-hydrostatic, multilayer model for multiscale free-surface flows, Journal of Computational Physics, 418, 109609.

• Speaker: Stephane Popinet, Sorbonne University
• Thursday 16 October 2025, 11:30-12:30
• Venue: Open Plan Area, Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows, Madingley Rise CB3 0EZ.
• Series: Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows (IEEF); organiser: Catherine Pearson.

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Ten years ago the Paris COP conference heralded an exceptional meeting of minds to tackle climate change, backed by science, and soon embraced by industry. Much has been achieved, particularly in electrification through the explosive growth of renewables & EVs. However, the optimism that hit a high water mark perhaps 5 years ago, risks stalling in much of the world as the reality of displacing and decarbonising 600 exajoules per annum becomes clear. The reasons lie in the complex intersection of, inter alia, technology, investment economics, policy, human behaviour and geopolitics. It also reflects society’s wider drift from science based consensus, to tribal polarisation played out for social media. How might we recover momentum, and what can we learn from sectors and countries which are succeeding? What does this mean for companies operating in the energy transition, and how might academia play its part?

Jon has recently left bp, where since 2014 he was at the heart of their transition activities; founding their EV charging business, leading their global academic relationships, and running their external advisory committee for technology. This builds on a career in disruptive business & technology innovation at QinetiQ, ICI and Schlumberger. He will offer a personal perspective based on the highs, lows and learning from a decade at the frontline of humanity’s greatest challenge.

• Speaker: Dr Jon Salkeld
• Tuesday 28 October 2025, 17:00-18:00
• Venue: Open Plan Area, Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows, Madingley Rise CB3 0EZ.
• Series: Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows (IEEF); organiser: Catherine Pearson.

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tbc

• Speaker: Simone Moretti, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
• Wednesday 03 December 2025, 17:30-19:00
• Venue: Latimer Room, Clare College.
• Series: Quaternary Discussion Group (QDG); organiser: sr632.

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Abstract:

Two-way feedbacks between atmospheric composition changes and climate dynamics have gained increasing attention due to its critical role in weather and climate prediction. In this talk, I will provide a broad overview of the field’s development and highlight where chemistry-climate interactions are considered most significant. I will present a range of examples based on advanced modeling and newly developed observational climate data records to illustrate chemistry–climate coupling across timescales from S2S weather patterns to long-term climate trends. These include the influence of dynamical processes and abrupt events—such as sudden stratospheric warmings and the Hunga Tonga eruption—on stratospheric composition anomalies and their feedbacks on meteorological and climate phenomena. I will also discuss the impacts of stratospheric ozone depletion and recovery on climate radiative forcing and atmosphere–ocean dynamics. Finally, I will present a storyline approach to future air pollution and how air pollution impacted methane (and thus climate) over the recent past. Collectively, these findings emphasize the critical feedback loops between atmospheric composition and climate dynamics via radiative processes and underscore the need for realistic representation of composition anomalies in weather forecasting systems and climate models.

Short bio:

Prof. Dr Michaela I. Hegglin holds an MSc in Environmental Science (2000) and a PhD in Atmospheric Science (2004) from ETH Zurich in Switzerland. After seven years at the University of Toronto as Postdoc and Research Associate she moved in 2012 to the Meteorology Department at the University of Reading where she progressed through the ranks and was promoted to Full Professor in 2022. Since March 2022 she took on the position as Director of the Institute of Climate and Energy Systems – Stratosphere (ICE-4) at the Research Centre Julich, Germany, and holds a Full Professorship at the University of Wuppertal.

Michaela’s main expertise lies in Earth observations, atmospheric chemistry and transport, upper troposphere and lower stratosphere processes, stratospheric ozone, air pollution, chemistry-climate coupling, and Earth-system model evaluation. She has occupied numerous leadership roles within Future Earth, the World Climate Research Programme, and the World Meteorological Organisation/United Nations Environment Programme (WMO/UNEP) Scientific Assessments of Ozone Depletion, and is currently Principal Investigator of the European Space Agency’s Water Vapour Climate Change Initiative.

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_Y2VhNTk0OWMtNDc4Mi00YzVjLTkzYTUtNGM3MjU4OTYzMTJl%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2249a50445-bdfa-4b79-ade3-547b4f3986e9%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%228b208bd5-8570-491b-abae-83a85a1ca025%22%7d

• Speaker: Prof Michaela I. Hegglin, Director at the Institute of Climate and Energy Systems of the Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany)
• Tuesday 21 October 2025, 11:00-12:00
• Venue: Chemistry Dept, Unilever Lecture Theatre and Teams.
• Series: Centre for Atmospheric Science seminars, Chemistry Dept.; organiser: Yao Ge.

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In this talk, we identify the barriers to nuclear competitiveness, before examining the ways of making existing designs, the more recent SMRs and advanced technologies succeed. In each case, we look at the facts, the opportunities and the prospects for delivering the nuclear promise inherent in the resurgence of interest in nuclear energy.

Tony Roulstone has broad experience of Aerospace, Power, Defence and Systems sectors in a diverse environment. He lectures in Nuclear Energy at University of Cambridge and is a founder of the Department of Engineering’s Nuclear Energy MPhil programme.

He’s led successful business transformation across whole of a major multinational company delivering major cost reduction & cash savings and developed diverse group of high technology businesses strategically repositioning businesses & growing both the group’s market share & its profit.

This talk is in-person and not delivered remotely.

• Speaker: Tony Roulstone, University of Cambridge Lecturer Nuclear Engineering
• Thursday 23 October 2025, 16:30-18:00
• Venue: CUED, LT 6.
• Series: Engineering Department Nuclear Energy Seminars; organiser: Helene Jones.

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Abstract

Nature is full of music, from tiny birds with melodious songs and elaborate repertoires to majestic whales with inaudibly low voices propagating around the globe. As far as we can tell, however, the music is not often just for pleasure and has evolved serving a purpose. Animals are almost continuously busy with their sonic flirts and fights, whether we hear them or not, in air and water, day and night. The acoustic ecology of species-specific habitats has shaped this music over evolutionary time. The circumstances, however, for the function and evolution of animal communication have changed in air and in water, with the global spread of noisy human activities. In the Anthropocene, we can even speak of ‘acoustic climate change’ and attention and action is required for moderating the acoustic future of the earth for the sake of animal song persistence and our own physical and mental health.

Biography

Hans Slabbekoorn is professor in Acoustic Ecology & Behaviour. He did his BSc and MSc in Biology at Utrecht University (1988-1994), and received his PhD at Leiden University (1994-1998). After post-doctoral positions at San Francisco State University (1998-2001) and back at Leiden University (2001-2004), he stayed in Leiden at the Institute of Biology and became Assistant Professor in 2004, Associate Professor in 2012, and Full Professor in 2022. He has been away for brief periods as visiting professor, at Paris Nanterre, France (2011), NFU , Harbin, China (2015), FUB , Salvador, Brazil (2017), and Anton de Kom University of Suriname, Paramaribo (2025). Over the years, he has worked on plants, primates, birds, fishes, marine mammals, and invertebrates. In recent and ongoing projects, he is investigating the effects of noise and light pollution in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and he is particularly interested in applying the one health concept to urban ecology and providing fundamental knowledge to ecological impact assessments of the offshore wind energy transition. Besides research, he is dedicated to teaching and has been responsible for courses on: Behaviour & Conservation, Trends in Behaviour & Ecology, Animal Behaviour and Experimental Design, Advanced Academic Skills, Urban Ecology & Evolution, and seminar series on Human Evolution and Animal Personality.

• Speaker: Professor Hans Slabberkoorn, Leiden University
• Friday 23 January 2026, 17:30-18:30
• Venue: Lady Mitchell Hall, Sidgwick Avenue.
• Series: Darwin College Lecture Series; organiser: Janet Gibson.

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Abstract

From the first lullabies that soothe an infant to the anthems of adolescence, song traces the map of our becoming. More than entertainment, it is a medium through which children learn to attend, remember, speak, and feel with others. This lecture follows development from infancy through adolescence to show how song supports language growth, memory formation, emotional regulation, and social connection. I will use brief examples from Arabic, French, and American children’s songs. These examples will show how familiar repertoire reflects cultural identity in language, imagery, and style. They will also show shared design features such as repetition, small pitch ranges, and a steady beat, which support learning and belonging. Drawing on music education, psychology, and neuroscience, I will outline what changes across stages and what endures: the voice as the most immediate instrument, rhythm as an organizer of attention, and shared singing as a practice that builds trust and community. Practical implications for families, schools, and community programs will include simple routines that nurture resilience and inclusive classrooms. In an age of uncertainty, song remains a durable resource for growth and cohesion, binding individuals to themselves, to one another, and to the wider world.

Biography

Dr Ibrahim H Baltagi is a music educator and lecturer at the Lebanese American University and Head of Music at Al Makassed schools in Beirut. He has taught at The Ohio State University and Baldwin Wallace University. He earned a PhD in music education from The Ohio State University and holds certificates in the Kodály method and Orff Schulwerk approach. He has led workshops in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Cyprus, and the United States. His scholarship includes chapters in the International Handbook of Research in Arts Education, peer reviewed publications, and regular conference presentations on song and child development. His work with UNICEF Innocenti focuses on music, learning, and childhood wellbeing, and he has been featured as a music expert in UNICEF parenting masterclasses. He is the author of the Music Garden series and Let’s Read and Write Music, available in Arabic, English, and French. These series provide a pathway for learning through singing, movement, instruments, and creative music making, with emphasis on music literacy, performance, listening, and joyful classroom practice.

• Speaker: Dr Ibrahim Baltagi, Lebanese American University
• Friday 06 February 2026, 17:30-18:30
• Venue: Lady Mitchell Hall, Sidgwick Avenue.
• Series: Darwin College Lecture Series; organiser: Janet Gibson.

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