Dr Kelly Maggs – University of Melbourne Lecture

MACSYS at The University of Melbourne is pleased to welcome Dr Kelly Maggs.  Kelly completed his PhD in algebraic topology at EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), then transitioned to mathematical biology during a postdoc at the Max Planck Institute for Cell Biology and Genetics. His research goal is to develop a geometric, topological, and algebraic language for cellular processes compatible with modern machine learning

TITLE: Modelling scRNA data using algebraic topology and cohomology

ABSTRACT:

Single-cell sequencing data consists of a point cloud where the points are cells, with coordinates RNA expression levels in each gene. Since the tissue is destroyed by the sequencing procedure, the dynamics of gene expression must be inferred from the structure and geometry of the point cloud. In this talk, we will build a biological interpretation of the one-dimensional cohomology classes in hallmark gene subsets as models for transient biological processes. Such processes include the cell-cycle, but more generally model homeostatic negative feedback loops. Our procedure uses persistent cohomology to identify features, and integration of differential forms to estimate the cascade of genes associated with the underlying dynamics of gene expression.

*Note:  A morning tea will precede the talk.  The morning tea begins at 10:30 am.

*For MACSYS Members from Monash:  If you would like to work from the UoM campus on the day, there are desks available.