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: Zoom (Meeting ID: 873 5011 9733, Passcode: 732177).
- Series: Foundation AI; organiser: Pietro Lio.
Thu 05 Mar 14:00: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Natalia Chepiga, TU Delft
- Thursday 05 March 2026, 14:00-15:30
- Venue: Seminar Room 3, RDC.
- Series: Theory of Condensed Matter; organiser: Gaurav.
Fri 21 Nov 12:00: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Christos Christodoulopoulos
- Friday 21 November 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.
Thu 18 Sep 13:00: Next generation medicine: towards eliminating the invisible in ovarian cancer
As a clinician–scientist, I believe that effectively tackling a complex disease such as ovarian cancer requires a concerted focus on the often unseen component of the disease—minimal or “invisible” disease. In this presentation, I will outline our laboratory’s systematic efforts to elucidate the biological drivers of minimal residual disease in ovarian cancer and to develop a cell therapy specifically designed to eradicate it. I will then describe how these investigations have informed our parallel efforts to design a preventive vaccine for ovarian cancer, with the goal of intercepting precancerous cells at the earliest stages of their development.
- Speaker: Professor Ahmed Ahmed, University of Oxford
- Thursday 18 September 2025, 13:00-14:00
- Venue: CRUK CI Lecture Theatre.
- Series: Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute (CRUK CI) Seminars in Cancer; organiser: Kate Davenport.
Thu 02 Oct 14:00: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Shi Jin (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
- Thursday 02 October 2025, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: Centre for Mathematical Sciences, MR14.
- Series: Applied and Computational Analysis; organiser: Georg Maierhofer.
Wed 24 Sep 11:30: From group psychotherapy to robot-assisted intervention: New therapies for socio-emotional challenges in individuals with autism
Research of past years has shown that socio-emotional functions are of utmost importance for mental health and quality of life and that people with autism often struggle with those areas due to their social particularities. In this presentation I will show works which were conducted with and from individuals with autism. I will put a special focus on social cognition and emotion processing and its trainability. The works that will be shown encompass studies in social robotics, social and affective neuroscience and cognitive behavioral therapy. One special focus will be on the potential of participatory research in that context.
- Speaker: Prof Dr Isabel Dziobek, University of Berlin
- Wednesday 24 September 2025, 11:30-12:30
- Venue: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81286610099?pwd=HsKTIo1MzZ7eEOJUaVYrEBbCvSSW1g.1.
- Series: ARClub Talks; organiser: Simon Braschi.
Wed 01 Oct 15:00: The sex and geometry of inter-organ communication
Our research explores the idiosyncrasies of adult organs: how they differ between the sexes and are remodelled by their environment. Our work in Drosophila uncovered a gut-reproductive axis that differs between the sexes and impacts food intake, gamete production and tumour susceptibility. Investigating how the intestine senses and responds to nutrients, we also discovered an intestinal zinc sensor that promotes Tor signalling to sustain food intake and developmental growth. More recently, we have investigated the sex and reproductive plasticity of the mammalian intestine in both mice and humans. We have also become very interested in the idea that the shape and position of the intestine constrain or enable its functions, and we have developed new methods to describe and interrogate these new dimensions to organ function. I will likely present some of this work.
- Speaker: Professor Irene Miguel-Aliaga, The Francis Crick Institute
- Wednesday 01 October 2025, 15:00-16:00
- Venue: MRC MBU, Level 7 Lecture Theatre, The Keith Peters Building, CB2 0XY.
- Series: MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit Seminars; organiser: Lisa Arnold.
Fri 19 Sep 11:00: Green Synthesis Approaches of Metal Halide Perovskites for Efficient Solar Cells and Beyond
Semiconductor materials based on metal halide perovskites have attracted significant attention from both the research community and industry over the past decade, due to their impressive performance in solar cells and other optoelectronic devices such as light-emitting diodes.
Currently, the most widely used methods for synthesizing perovskite films rely on solution processing which involves large quantities of hazardous, highly coordinating aprotic polar solvents, such as dimethylformamide (DMF). The toxic nature of these solvents raises serious concerns regarding their impact on human health, safety, and the environment. In particular, DMF —one of the most commonly used solvents in current perovskite synthesis—has been officially banned for use in manufacturing within Europe. This regulatory restriction poses a significant barrier to the commercial production of metal halide perovskite materials for various applications (1).
Therefore, it is critical to develop alternative, sustainable solution-processing methods that employ environmentally friendly, green solvent systems. In my talk, I will present our research on the development of green processing techniques for synthesizing metal halide perovskites using environmentally benign solvents such as water, protic ionic liquids, and biomass-derived solvents (2,3).
I will demonstrate how the choice of solvent system during synthesis influences the physicochemical properties of the resulting perovskite materials—including their morphology, and optical and electrical characteristics—as well as the selection of precursor materials. These factors, in turn, play a decisive role in determining device performance and stability in applications such as solar cells and light-emitting diodes.
Reference Minh Tam Hoang, Feray Ünlü, Wayde Martens, John Bell, Sanjay Mathur, Hongxia Wang, “Towards the environmentally friendly solution processing of metal halide perovskite technology”, Green Chemistry, 2021, 23, 5302-5336. Minh Tam Hoang, Yang Yang, Ngoc Duy Pham, Hongxia Wang, “Ecofriendly Solution Processing of Perovskite Solar Cells using Water”, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 2024, 15(26), 6880-6889. Minh Tam Hoang, Ngoc Duy Pham, Yang Yang, Vincent Tiing Tiong, Chao Zhang, Ke Gui, Hong Chen, Jin Chang, Jianpu Wang, Dmitri Golberg, John Bell, Hongxia Wang, A facile, environmentally friendly synthesis of strong photo-emissive methylammonium lead bromide perovskite nanocrystals enabled by ionic liquids’, Green Chemistry, 2020, 22(11), 3433-3440.
- Speaker: Prof Hongxia Wang - Queensland University of Technology, Australia
- Friday 19 September 2025, 11:00-12:00
- Venue: Lecture Theatre 1, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, West Cambridge Site.
- Series: Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology; organiser: wm362.
Fri 20 Mar 14:00: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Professor Guruswami Ravichandran, Caltech
- Friday 20 March 2026, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: Department of Engineering - tbc.
- Series: Engineering - Mechanics Colloquia Research Seminars; organiser: div-c.
Fri 28 Nov 14:00: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Professor Jose Merodio, Polytechnic University of Madrid
- Friday 28 November 2025, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: Oatley 1 Meeting Room, Department of Engineering.
- Series: Engineering - Mechanics and Materials Seminar Series; organiser: div-c.
Thu 20 Nov 14:00: Small RNAs in Epigenetic Inheritance: a lesson from worms Host - Ritwick Sawarkar
Heritable traits have traditionally been attributed to mutations in germline DNA . However, emerging research reveals the pivotal role of epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and small RNAs in transmitting non-genetic information across generations. In our laboratory, we explore the role of small RNAs in epigenetic inheritance using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. In my talk, I will present our findings, emphasizing the remarkable ability of small RNAs to transmit traits across generations. I provide a case study of small RNAs that progressively reduce fertility in subsequent worm generations and delve into the underlying molecular mechanisms facilitating their transgenerational transmission. Moreover, I will present recent results on the intriguing phenomenon of small RNAs migrating from the soma to the germline, enabling the inheritance of environmentally acquired information and stress resilience.
Host - Ritwick Sawarkar
- Speaker: Dr Germano Cecere from Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, Paris
- Thursday 20 November 2025, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: Biffen Lecture theatre and Zoom.
- Series: Genetics Seminar ; organiser: Caroline Newnham.
Fri 28 Nov 14:00: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Christine Tasson (Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace)
- Friday 28 November 2025, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: SS03, Computer Laboratory.
- Series: Logic and Semantics Seminar (Computer Laboratory); organiser: Ioannis Markakis.
Thu 06 Nov 14:00: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Marco Polini, University of Pisa
- Thursday 06 November 2025, 14:00-15:30
- Venue: Seminar Room 3, RDC.
- Series: Theory of Condensed Matter; organiser: Gaurav.
Fri 26 Sep 14:00: Fibred models of dual-context type theory and internal universes in models of HoTT
The algebraic structures that feature in constructive, presheaf-based models of homotopy type theory have been studied in two ways: using the diagrammatic reasoning of category theory, and by reasoning with judgements in an internal type theory. These approaches are connected by the standard semantics for extensional type theory, and more recently, by a generalisation of Kripke-Joyal forcing semantics [1]. A notable exception is the universal uniform fibration, which cannot be expressed in the standard internal language of a presheaf category. Its construction requires extending the type theory with a modal operator, realised through a dual-context structure [2]. As a result, to precisely relate the category-theoretic and type-theoretic versions of the universal uniform fibration, we must first understand how to obtain this modal type theory as an internal language of a category. In this talk, I will present a fibred model of dual-context type theory, show how it yields the appropriate internal language, and use this to give a precise correspondence between the two constructions of the universal uniform fibration.
[1] Steve Awodey, Nicola Gambino, and Sina Hazratpour. Kripke-Joyal forcing for type theory and uniform fibrations. Selecta Mathematica New Series, 30(74), July 2024 [2] Daniel R. Licata, Ian Orton, Andrew M. Pitts, and Bas Spitters. Internal universes in models of homotopy type theory. In Hélène Kirchner, editor, 3rd International Conference on Formal Structures for Computation and Deduction (FSCD 2018), volume 108 of Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), pages 22:1–22:17, Dagstuhl, Germany, 2018.
- Speaker: Florrie Verity (Australian National University)
- Friday 26 September 2025, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: SS03, Computer Laboratory.
- Series: Logic and Semantics Seminar (Computer Laboratory); organiser: Ioannis Markakis.
Thu 11 Sep 14:00: Color Appearance and Scission in Transparent Augmented Reality
Optical see-through Augmented Reality (OST-AR) is a developing technology that creates a mix of virtual and real using an optical combiner that blends images and graphics with the real-world environment. Because of its physical transparency, this novel display technology suffers from background bleed-through, which distorts color and contrast. However, displayed virtual content is usually easily understandable, thanks to perceptual scission, or the cognitive separation of foreground and background layers. Color appearance in OST -AR is strongly influenced by scission, which is influenced by transparency, depth, and parallax. This presentation will overview psychophysical research that has addressed perceived characteristics of color, material, and images in OST -AR. Results help both understand the visual mechanisms and improve tomorrow’s AR systems, which promise new human-computer interfaces in domains including education, medicine, and entertainment.
Michael J. Murdoch is an Associate Professor and Director of the Munsell Color Science Laboratory at the Rochester Institute of Technology with 25 years of research experience focused on color in advanced displays and LED lighting. He is a recipient of an NSF CAREER Award and a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award. He holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Cornell, MS in Computer Science from RIT , and PhD in Human-Technology Interaction from Eindhoven University of Technology in The Netherlands.
Zoom link: https://cam-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/85792379948?pwd=Gu5gZ4h58CkjhfGXAowBfp4csNnZhM.1
- Speaker: Michael J. Murdoch Associate Professor and Director of the Munsell Color Science Laboratory at the Rochester Institute of Technology
- Thursday 11 September 2025, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: SS03 - William Gates Building.
- Series: Rainbow Group Seminars; organiser: Yancheng Cai.
Fri 19 Sep 11:00: The role of the Southern Ocean in the Climate System: risk, dangers and solutions. - Nathan Bindoff
The Southern Ocean and Antarctica are changing rapidly. New discoveries and understandings are pointing to a growing role of the Southern Ocean in our changing climate. The loss of mass by Antarctica, the slowing of the southern hemisphere over-turning circulation and the remarkable loss of winter sea-ice in the last two years will be discussed. There is an urgent need to understand these changes and track the human contributions to these changes to support policy makers in this critical decade. I will talk to potential solutions for tracking the Southern Ocean.
- Speaker: Nathan Bindoff - University of Tasmania
- Friday 19 September 2025, 11:00-12:00
- Venue: BAS Seminar Room 1.
- Series: British Antarctic Survey - Polar Oceans seminar series; organiser: Katherine Turner.
Thu 19 Feb 14:00: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Prof. Andrea Ferretti
- Thursday 19 February 2026, 14:00-15:30
- Venue: Seminar Room 3, RDC.
- Series: Theory of Condensed Matter; organiser: Bo Peng.
Wed 17 Sep 12:45: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Fan Mo, University of Cambridge
- Wednesday 17 September 2025, 12:45-13:45
- Venue: Zoom (Meeting ID: 873 5011 9733, Passcode: 732177).
- Series: Foundation AI; organiser: Pietro Lio.
Tue 07 Oct 11:00: Precision at Peak Performance: CMS Delivers the Most Precise Luminosity Measurement at any bunched-beam hadron collider
Luminosity measurements are foundational elements of collider physics measurements and searches. Its precise determination is essential for accurate cross-section measurements and new physics searches. In this talk, the most precise luminosity measurement ever achieved at a bunched-beam hadron collider, based on data collected by the CMS experiment during the LHC Run 2 (2015-2018) at sqrt(s) = 13 TeV. Leveraging van der Meer scans, advanced extrapolation techniques, and a suite of calibrated luminometers, CMS reached a relative uncertainty of 0.82% for 2017 and 0.84% for 2018. Combining these updated measurements with the previous 2015 and 2016 precision publications, the CMS luminosity for Run 2 data is just 0.73%—a new benchmark in collider performance. We detail the methodology behind the beam-separation (van der Meer) scans, corrections for detector nonlinearity and efficiency, and the use of Z boson rates to cross check consistency across multiple data-taking periods. This achievement not only enhances the precision of CMS physics results but also establishes a new standard for future luminosity determinations at high-energy colliders.
- Speaker: Dr. Christopher Palmer, University of Maryland
- Tuesday 07 October 2025, 11:00-12:00
- Venue: Ray Dolby Center -- Seminar Room: D2.002 .
- Series: Cavendish HEP Seminars; organiser: Dr. Aashaq Shah.
Tue 10 Mar 14:00: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Ian Tang, Meta
- Tuesday 10 March 2026, 14:00-15:00
- Venue: Computer Lab, LT2 and Online.
- Series: Mobile and Wearable Health Seminar Series; organiser: Cecilia Mascolo.