DrSmitha Maretvadakethope

I am a curiosity driven researcher with a passion for uncovering the fundamental principles underpinning multiscale active dynamical biological systems, ranging from gene regulation, ciliary dynamics, to the dynamics of active swimming microorganism suspensions. I use a versatile tool-kit of mathematical and computational methods, with a specialisation in stochastic methods and stability theory, to investigate factors controlling collective dynamics from a suspension level (e.g. suspension dynamics of swimming microorganisms), to cellular level (e.g. organelle dynamics like flagella or cilia), to gene expression level (e.g. timing dynamics of gene regulatory networks).

I completed all of my higher education at Imperial College London (BSc in Mathematics, MSc in Applied Mathematics, MRes in Fluid Dynamics Across Scales and a PhD in Mathematics). My PhD was on the topic of “Synchronisation and dynamics of model cilia and flagella.” Afterwards, I joined the University of Liverpool as a postdoc studying the effects of shape, shear, and diffusion on microswimmer suspension dynamics and their boundary encounter interactions, captured through stochastic cell modelling and probability density continuum modelling. Now back at Imperial, I am using synthetic tipping points to reveal the rules of gene critical timers inspired by bacterial cell-autonomous clocks and differentiation transitions in embryonic development. I'm particularly interested in exploring how coexisting critical points control timing dynamics in the presence of static, intrinsic, and extrinsic noise.


Further research activities

I am the co-chair and early career researcher (ECR) team lead of the UK-based Bioactive Fluids special interest group. As part of this, I run and chair a fortnightly international online ECR-only seminar series. The main goal of this series is to strengthen the bioactive fluids community and contribute to the development of ECRs.

I am also committed to science communication and diversifying science. I enjoy participating in outreach activities, ranging from public science communication at events like Pint of Science, organising events for prospective PhD students, to school outreach to improve the representation of women in STEM.

I am on the postdoctoral committee in Imperial's Department of Life Sciences, which runs several events throughout the academic year, to improve cohesion within the postdoc committee, offers support, develops funding opportunities, and has launched an inspiring academics series called Tales From STEM.

I am also open to collaborations across disciplines and enjoy supervising research students, such as through Imperial's UROP scheme.