Before arriving at Brasenose and the University of Oxford, I studied Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, where I went on to complete a PhD in Theoretical High Energy Physics under the supervision of Professor John C. Taylor, FRS. Following my doctoral studies, I was awarded a Wellcome Trust Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology in Oxford, part of the Mathematical Institute, marking the beginning of my transition into the field of mathematical biology. I then joined the School of Mathematics at the University of Birmingham as a faculty member, where I continued to develop my research at the interface of mathematics and biology. In 2006, I returned to Oxford and the Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology, where my work now focuses on applying mathematical modelling to understand biological and physiological systems.

I teach a range of undergraduate courses spanning all years, from core mathematical methods in the stages of the degree to more advanced topics in applied mathematics, mathematical biology, and fluid dynamics in later years.
In the first year, I teach courses that form the foundation of applied mathematics, including Calculus, Dynamics, Geometry and Fourier Series. These courses introduce fundamental techniques and concepts essential for further study in mathematics and its applications.

In the second year, my teaching focuses on courses that develop a deeper understanding of mathematical methods and their applications, such as Differential Equations, Numerical Analysis, Fluids and Waves, Quantum Theory, Mathematical Biology and Special Relativity. These modules build on first-year principles to explore how mathematics underpins key systems in the natural sciences.

In the later years, I teach more specialised and research-led courses within the fields of Mathematical Biology, Mathematical Physiology and Fluid Mechanics, reflecting my research interests.

My research sits at the interface of mathematics and the life sciences, focusing on the development and application of mathematical models to understand complex biological and physiological systems. I am particularly interested in how mathematical modelling can clarify the mechanisms that drive dynamics in living systems, from the motion of individual cells to larger-scale physiological processes.

A central strand of my work involves mathematical physiology and biophysics, where I use continuum models and dynamical systems approaches to study processes such as fluid transport, signalling, and motility in biological and physiological contexts. For example, I have worked extensively on problems in cellular motility, in particular ciliary and flagellar dynamics and these systems provide rich opportunities for understanding how physical and biological processes interact to produce complex, coordinated behaviour. Alongside this academic research, I collaborate with biotechnology companies to apply these ideas to apply mathematical modelling to theoretical and computational challenges supporting therapeutic discovery.
https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/people/eamonn.gaffney