Thu 30 Oct 18:45: Plastics in the Environment
Claire Barlow will talk about plastics: amazing materials that have transformed our lives, but at a cost. Their durability, one of the properties that makes them so useful, means that large and small pieces of plastic waste find their way into the natural environment, causing many different problems.
We will look at where the plastic waste comes from, and investigate some of the ways in which it affects living organisms. Solutions are not easy, but there are a lot of good initiatives and there is some hope for the future.
- Speaker: Claire Barlow, Senior Lecturer in Manufacturing, IfM
- Thursday 30 October 2025, 18:45-20:00
- Venue: Main Seminar Room (First Floor) David Attenborough Building, University of Cambridge Pembroke St, Cambridge CB2 3QZ.
- Series: Cambridge Natural History Society; organiser: events.
Thu 06 Nov 18:45: Looking for the Goshawk - The Lost Raptor
Conor Jameson will give a personal, narrative account of the natural history of this mystery-shrouded bird of prey: how it lives, where it lives, and why it might be missing from our lives.
But there are increasing reports of goshawks, which at last are getting ‘out of the woods’. His search takes him to some unexpected places, at home and abroad.
The talk focuses on how this adventure turned into the essay which won him the BBC Wildlife Nature Writer of the Year, and then the book, which received awards from the Society of Authors and the Royal Literary Fund.
- Speaker: Conor Jameson, writer and naturalist
- Thursday 06 November 2025, 18:45-20:00
- Venue: Main Seminar Room (First Floor) David Attenborough Building, University of Cambridge Pembroke St, Cambridge CB2 3QZ.
- Series: Cambridge Natural History Society; organiser: events.
Thu 13 Nov 18:45: Unsung Songbirds: Vocal Communication and Cognition in Corvids
Corvids — members of the crow family including jackdaws, ravens, and magpies — are known for their remarkable behavioural flexibility and complex social lives.
Claudia will share insights from her research into how corvids communicate and make decisions, revealing the intricate ways these birds respond to and navigate their social environments.
The talk explores how vocalisations are used to maintain relationships, coordinate actions, and convey social information, and how ecological and social factors shape their cognitive processes. By examining corvids through the lens of socio-ecology, we gain a deeper appreciation for the diversity of animal minds.
- Speaker: Claudia Wascher, Anglia Ruskin University
- Thursday 13 November 2025, 18:45-20:00
- Venue: Main Seminar Room (First Floor) David Attenborough Building, University of Cambridge Pembroke St, Cambridge CB2 3QZ.
- Series: Cambridge Natural History Society; organiser: events.
Thu 20 Nov 18:45: A Visit to the Vercors
Monica Frisch will describe discovering some of the delights of the Vercors National Park in eastern France, with its dramatic limestone mountain scenery, fascinating flora, including alpine specialities such as gentians and orchids, beautiful butterflies and some of the other natural history.
- Speaker: Monica Frisch, CNHS
- Thursday 20 November 2025, 18:45-20:00
- Venue: Main Seminar Room (First Floor) David Attenborough Building, University of Cambridge Pembroke St, Cambridge CB2 3QZ.
- Series: Cambridge Natural History Society; organiser: events.
Thu 27 Nov 18:45: History of the Little Wilbraham River
David Lomas is an active member of the Wilbraham River Protection Society as well as the CamElyOuse Catchment organisation.
He will explain the complex history of this chalk stream, its relationship to the adjacent habitats and why its survival is under threat as Cambridge continues to expand.
The Little Wilbraham River is just one example of the 29 water bodies in the Cam catchment – all of which are increasingly challenged by human activity.
- Speaker: David Lomas, retired academic, medic & engineer
- Thursday 27 November 2025, 18:45-20:00
- Venue: Main Seminar Room (First Floor) David Attenborough Building, University of Cambridge Pembroke St, Cambridge CB2 3QZ.
- Series: Cambridge Natural History Society; organiser: events.
Tue 23 Sep 13:15: Cerebellum Computation
This week’s journal club will discuss the most densely (neuronally) populated area of the brain – the cerebellum, a region that (notably) uses about 60% of all the brain’s neurons for dimensionality expansion. In the first part of the talk, we will give a basic introduction to the physiology and function of the cerebellum as a whole. We will cover the traditionally recognised role of the cerebellum in motor coordination and learning, discussing the Marr-Albus model of motor learning and illustrating several limitations and extensions of the original model, including the role of climbing fibres as error signals. Finally, we will cover some of the less well known role of the cerebellum in nonmotor domains such as cognition, pain, memory, and sleep.
In the second part of the talk, we will look at a more recent paper where Fakharian and colleagues presents on how computation in the cerebellum can be predicted by the null space theory, which states that neurons spike not just to drive movement but also to cancel unwanted effects of other neurons. In marmosets, each Purkinje cell’s spike moves the eyes along a vector. When multiple cells spike, perpendicular contributions cancel, keeping the population aligned with the intended movement. Mossy fibers provide motor commands and goals, while interneurons transform these signals so Purkinje cells predict when the movement has reached its target. Overall, the cerebellum computes by both generating and suppressing neural activity to ensure precise motor control.
Papers:- https://www-annualreviews-org.ezp.lib.cam.ac.uk/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-neuro-100423-104943
- https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezp.lib.cam.ac.uk/science/article/pii/S0306452220303961?
- https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu6331
- https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adx8989
- Speaker: Carl Ashworth; Youjing Yu
- Tuesday 23 September 2025, 13:15-12:45
- Venue: CBL Seminar Room, Engineering Department, 4th floor Baker building.
- Series: Computational Neuroscience; organiser: .
Tue 23 Sep 13:15: Cerebellum Computation
This week’s journal club will discuss the most densely (neuronally) populated area of the brain – the cerebellum, a region that (notably) uses about 60% of all the brain’s neurons for dimensionality expansion. In the first part of the talk, we will give a basic introduction to the physiology and function of the cerebellum as a whole. We will cover the traditionally recognised role of the cerebellum in motor coordination and learning, discussing the Marr-Albus model of motor learning and illustrating several limitations and extensions of the original model, including the role of climbing fibres as error signals. Finally, we will cover some of the less well known role of the cerebellum in nonmotor domains such as cognition, pain, memory, and sleep.
In the second part of the talk, we will look at a more recent paper where Fakharian and colleagues presents on how computation in the cerebellum can be predicted by the null space theory, which states that neurons spike not just to drive movement but also to cancel unwanted effects of other neurons. In marmosets, each Purkinje cell’s spike moves the eyes along a vector. When multiple cells spike, perpendicular contributions cancel, keeping the population aligned with the intended movement. Mossy fibers provide motor commands and goals, while interneurons transform these signals so Purkinje cells predict when the movement has reached its target. Overall, the cerebellum computes by both generating and suppressing neural activity to ensure precise motor control.
Papers:- https://www-annualreviews-org.ezp.lib.cam.ac.uk/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-neuro-100423-104943#sec3
- https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezp.lib.cam.ac.uk/science/article/pii/S0306452220303961?via%3Dihub#s0085
- https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu6331
- Speaker: Carl Ashworth; Youjing Yu
- Tuesday 23 September 2025, 13:15-12:45
- Venue: CBL Seminar Room, Engineering Department, 4th floor Baker building.
- Series: Computational Neuroscience; organiser: .
Wed 19 Nov 14:15: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Richard Thomas, Imperial College London
- Wednesday 19 November 2025, 14:15-15:15
- Venue: CMS MR13.
- Series: Algebraic Geometry Seminar; organiser: Dhruv Ranganathan.
Wed 24 Sep 13:00: Large Language Models and Graph Neural Networks for Intelligent Manufacturing Systems
Artificial intelligence is moving beyond domain-specific tasks toward systems that integrate perception, reasoning, and action across modalities. In this talk, I present recent work on hybrid AI frameworks that combine graph neural networks, knowledge graphs, and large language models to strengthen reasoning and interpretability. Building on these foundations, I will discuss advances in multi-modal fusion and embodied intelligence, with case studies in robotics and manufacturing, including decision-making for reconfigurable systems and runtime adaptability. These results demonstrate how combining symbolic structure with neural flexibility enables more autonomous and resilient AI for complex industrial environments.
- Speaker: Fan Mo, University of Cambridge
- Wednesday 24 September 2025, 13:00-14:00
- Venue: Computer Laboratory, William Gates Building, Lecture Theatre 1.
- Series: Foundation AI; organiser: Pietro Lio.
Fri 17 Oct 12:00: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Sander Land (Writer)
- Friday 17 October 2025, 12:00-13:00
- Venue: Hybrid (In-Person + Online). Here is the Zoom link: https://cam-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/4751389294?pwd=Z2ZOSDk0eG1wZldVWG1GVVhrTzFIZz09.
- Series: NLIP Seminar Series; organiser: Suchir Salhan.
Fri 28 Nov 15:00: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Cristiano Loss, University of British Columbia
- Friday 28 November 2025, 15:00-16:00
- Venue: CivEng Seminar Room (1-33) (Civil Engineering Building).
- Series: Engineering Department Structures Research Seminars; organiser: Shehara Perera.
Fri 21 Nov 15:00: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Mingzhong Zhang, University College London
- Friday 21 November 2025, 15:00-16:00
- Venue: CivEng Seminar Room (1-33) (Civil Engineering Building).
- Series: Engineering Department Structures Research Seminars; organiser: Lowhikan.
Fri 14 Nov 15:00: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Dilum Fernando, University of Edinburgh
- Friday 14 November 2025, 15:00-16:00
- Venue: CivEng Seminar Room (1-33) (Civil Engineering Building).
- Series: Engineering Department Structures Research Seminars; organiser: Lowhikan.
Wed 12 Nov 15:00: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Fragkoulis Kanavaris, Arup
- Wednesday 12 November 2025, 15:00-16:00
- Venue: CivEng Seminar Room (1-33) (Civil Engineering Building).
- Series: Engineering Department Structures Research Seminars; organiser: Lowhikan.
Wed 15 Oct 15:00: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Alessandro Beghini, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
- Wednesday 15 October 2025, 15:00-16:00
- Venue: CivEng Seminar Room (1-33) (Civil Engineering Building).
- Series: Engineering Department Structures Research Seminars; organiser: Lowhikan.
Fri 31 Oct 14:00: Catch Me If You Scan: A Longitudinal Analysis of Stalkerware Evasion Tactics
Stalkerware—mobile software that enables covert surveillance, especially in intimate partner relationships—persists as a significant threat on the Android ecosystem despite platform-level policy and security enhancements. We present the first multi-application longitudinal analysis of the stalkerware ecosystem. We analyse 82 APKs from four prominent stalkerware brands sourced from official, third-party, and modded marketplaces, mapping their technical evolution against key policy and OS updates from 2012 to 2025. We find a strategic dichotomy in developer behaviour based on distribution channels. Applications distributed on third-party channels, away from Google Play, consistently target older, less-secure APIs to preserve invasive functionality, effectively ignoring platform policies. In contrast, developers on the Google Play platform respond reluctantly, often employing malicious compliance (e.g., obfuscated notifications) or strategic re-architecting (e.g., ‘split-app’ models) to circumvent rules while maintaining a market presence. Our findings suggest that platform policies displace rather than eliminate abusive functionality. By systematically documenting how stalkerware developers navigate and subvert platform governance, we provide a nuanced understanding of their adaptive capabilities, offering critical insights for developing more robust, future-proof detection and mitigation strategies.
- Speaker: Anahitha Vijay (University of Cambridge)
- Friday 31 October 2025, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: Webinar & FW11, Computer Laboratory, William Gates Building..
- Series: Computer Laboratory Security Seminar; organiser: Alexandre Pauwels.
Wed 08 Oct 12:00: Welcome and Showcase afternoon
12pm: Welcome lunch and posters in the Todd Hamied room
1pm: Talks from our 4th year PhD students (Paula Teeuwen, Domantas Kuryla, Yuthika Pillai, John Hayton) in the Wolfson Lecture Theatre
2:30pm: Tea and coffee in the Todd Hamied room
3pm: Talks from our 4th year PhD students (Ilija Srpak, Anna Bui, Matthew Edge, Xavier Rosas Advincula) in the Wolfson Lecture Theatre
4:20pm: Drinks and posters in the Todd Hamied room
- Speaker: Talks from our 4th year PhD students and posters presented by our 3rd year students
- Wednesday 08 October 2025, 12:00-17:00
- Venue: Wolfson Lecture Theatre, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry.
- Series: Theory - Chemistry Research Interest Group; organiser: Lisa Masters.
Wed 15 Oct 14:30: Reaction-Driven Formation of Novel Active Sites on Catalytic Surfaces Linnett Lecture
Adsorption of reactants and reaction intermediates on solid catalytic surfaces can lead to significant changes of the surface structure, including, as shown in high-pressure Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) experiments, ejection of metal atoms and formation of metal clusters while the reaction is taking place. Depending on the specific system, these clusters provide new, more favorable reaction paths than the typically considered active sites. In this talk, we will attempt to provide a more realistic picture of the catalyst’s surface and its active sites as a function of reaction conditions and the identity of reactants and that of key intermediates. Surface structure sensitivity, alloying, adsorbate coverage, and nanoparticle size effects will be discussed. These phenomena are directly related to nanoparticle sintering and have important consequences for catalyst stability. Insights derived from our analysis can inform the design of new catalysts with improved activity, selectivity, and stability characteristics.
Linnett Lecture
- Speaker: Professor Manos Mavrikakis
- Wednesday 15 October 2025, 14:30-15:30
- Venue: Wolfson Lecture Theatre, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry.
- Series: Theory - Chemistry Research Interest Group; organiser: Lisa Masters.
Wed 15 Oct 14:30: Reaction-Driven Formation of Novel Active Sites on Catalytic Surfaces Linnett Lecture
Adsorption of reactants and reaction intermediates on solid catalytic surfaces can lead to significant changes of the surface structure, including, as shown in high-pressure Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) experiments, ejection of metal atoms and formation of metal clusters while the reaction is taking place. Depending on the specific system, these clusters provide new, more favorable reaction paths than the typically considered active sites. In this talk, we will attempt to provide a more realistic picture of the catalyst’s surface and its active sites as a function of reaction conditions and the identity of reactants and that of key intermediates. Surface structure sensitivity, alloying, adsorbate coverage, and nanoparticle size effects will be discussed. These phenomena are directly related to nanoparticle sintering and have important consequences for catalyst stability. Insights derived from our analysis can inform the design of new catalysts with improved activity, selectivity, and stability characteristics.
Linnett Lecture
- Speaker: Professor Manos Mavrikakis, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Wednesday 15 October 2025, 14:30-15:30
- Venue: Dept of Chemistry, Unilever Lecture Theatre.
- Series: Chemistry Departmental-wide lectures; organiser: Lisa Masters.
Thu 16 Oct 14:00: Understandable language models
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Jim Magnuson (U. of Connecticut and BCBL)
- Thursday 16 October 2025, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge - Lecture Theatre.
- Series: Chaucer Club; organiser: Vicky Collins.