Dr Paul A Roberts

Dr Paul Roberts

Research Fellow

Contact details

Email
p.roberts.1@bham.ac.uk
Twitter
@PAR_EyeMath
View my research portal
Address
Centre for Systems Modelling and Quantitative Biomedicine
College of Medical and Dental Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

As a mathematical biologist, Paul Roberts uses mathematical models to explain and predict the behaviour of biological and physiological systems, with a particular emphasis on modelling the healthy and the diseased retina. In addition to performing his own experiments, his work is conducted in close collaboration with experimental biologists, biomedical scientists and clinicians.

Qualifications

  • DPhil in Systems Biology, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, 2015
  • MMath in Mathematics, University of Oxford, 2010

Biography

Paul Roberts graduated from the University of Oxford in 2010 with an MMath in Mathematics. Remaining in Oxford, he spent a year learning to do interdisciplinary research at the Systems Biology Doctoral Training Centre, before going on to complete a DPhil in Systems Biology/Mathematical Biology on Mathematical Models of the Retina in Health and Disease. This was followed by two Postdoctoral Fellowships; the first in Mathematical Microbiology in the School of Mathematics at the University of Birmingham (2015-2018) and the second in Visual Neuroscience in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Sussex (2019-2021). This latter post gave Paul valuable experience in planning and performing his own experiments. Paul is now a Centre Fellow at the Centre for Systems Modelling and Quantitative Biomedicine in the College of Medical and Dental Sciences, where his primary research focus is in Mathematical Ophthalmology, specifically, using mathematical modelling to help understand and treat age-related macular degeneration.

Teaching

Paul Roberts has taught on courses for Calculus, Multivariable Calculus, Fourier Series, Partial Differential Equations, Matlab and Mathematical Biology.

Postgraduate supervision

  • Cameron Wilcox (PhD student)
  • Dom Woodhouse (MMath Student)
  • Sean Craig (MMath Student)
  • Zoe Plain (MSci student)
  • Brandon Cooper (MSc student)
  • Elizabeth Mott (MSc student)

Research

As a mathematical biologist, Paul Roberts uses mathematical models to explain and predict the behaviour of biological and physiological systems, with the ultimate aim of delivering translational changes in healthcare. He develops both continuous deterministic (ordinary and partial differential equation) and discrete stochastic models, using a combination of analytical and numerical techniques in their solution and analysis. In addition to performing his own experiments, Paul’s work is conducted in close collaboration with experimental biologists, biomedical scientists and clinicians.

Paul’s research focuses upon three areas:

  • Mathematical Ophthalmology: tissue-level mathematical models of the human retina in the healthy and the diseased eye
  • Visual Neuroscience: electrophysiological measurements and computational analysis of zebrafish retinal function
  • Mathematical Microbiology: colony-level mathematical models of within-host bacterial infections

Research groups and centres

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Roberts, PA 2024, 'Advice to a Young Mathematical Biologist', Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, vol. 86, no. 5, 52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11538-024-01269-1

Wang, X, Roberts, P, Yoshimatsu, T, Lagnado, L & Baden, T 2023, 'Amacrine cells differentially balance zebrafish color circuits in the central and peripheral retina', Cell Reports, vol. 42, no. 2, 112055. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112055

Seifert, M, Roberts, P, Kafetzis, G, Osorio, D & Baden, T 2023, 'Birds multiplex spectral and temporal visual information via retinal On- and Off-channels', Nature Communications, vol. 14, no. 1, 5308 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41032-z

Roberts, PA 2022, 'Inverse problem reveals conditions for characteristic retinal degeneration patterns in retinitis pigmentosa under the trophic factor hypothesis', Frontiers, vol. 14, 765966. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2022.765966

Roberts, PA 2022, 'Mathematical models of retinitis pigmentosa: the trophic factor hypothesis', Journal of Theoretical Biology, vol. 534, 110938. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2021.110938

Zhou, M, Bear, J, Roberts, PA, Janiak, FK, Semmelhack, J, Yoshimatsu, T & Baden, T 2020, 'Zebrafish Retinal Ganglion Cells Asymmetrically Encode Spectral and Temporal Information across Visual Space', Current Biology, vol. 30, no. 15. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.01.31.927087, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.05.055

Roberts, P, Huebinger, RM, Keen, E, Krachler, AM & Jabbari, S 2019, 'Mathematical model predicts anti-adhesion–antibiotic–debridement combination therapies can clear an antibiotic resistant infection', PLoS Computational Biology, vol. 15, no. 7, e1007211. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007211

Roberts, P, Gaffney, E, Whiteley, J, Luthert, P, Foss, A & Byrne, H 2018, 'Predictive Mathematical Models for the Spread and Treatment of Hyperoxia-induced Photoreceptor Degeneration in Retinitis Pigmentosa', Investigative Opthalmology & Visual Science, vol. 59, no. 3, pp. 1238-1249. https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.17-23177

Roberts, PA, Huebinger, RM, Keen, E, Krachler, A & Jabbari, S 2018, 'Predictive modelling of a novel anti-adhesion therapy to combat bacterial colonisation of burn wounds', PLoS Computational Biology, vol. 14, no. 5, e1006071. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006071

Roberts, P, Gaffney, E, Luthert, P, Foss, A & Byrne, H 2017, 'Mathematical models of retinitis pigmentosa: The oxygen toxicity hypothesis', Journal of Theoretical Biology, vol. 425, pp. 53-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2017.05.006

Roberts, P, Gaffney, E, Luthert, P, Foss, A & Byrne, H 2016, 'Mathematical and computational models of the retina in health, development and disease', Progress in Retinal and Eye Research, vol. 53, pp. 48-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.preteyeres.2016.04.001

Roberts, P, Gaffney, EA, Luthert, P, Foss, A & Byrne, HM 2016, 'Retinal oxygen distribution and the role of neuroglobin', Journal of Mathematical Biology, vol. 73, pp. 1-38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00285-015-0931-y

Preprint

Seifert, M, Roberts, P, Kafetzis, G, Osorio, D & Baden, T 2022 'Birds multiplex spectral and temporal visual information via retinal On- and Off-channels' bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.10.20.513047

Review article

Hernandez, RJ, Roberts, PA & El-Bouri, WK 2023, 'Advancing treatment of retinal disease through in silico trials', Progress in Biomedical Engineering, vol. 5, no. 2, 022002. https://doi.org/10.1088/2516-1091/acc8a9

View all publications in research portal