Algebraic Systems Biology is led by Professor Heather Harrington, and based at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), Dresden and the Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford.
The same research themes explained on Research, here mapped to the people behind them.
Director
MPI DresdenOxfordHeather is Director at MPI-CBG, CSBD, and co-Director of the Centre for Topological Data Analysis, and Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford and Honorary Professor at TU Dresden. Her group, Algebraic Systems Biology, develops mathematical frameworks in algebra, topology, and machine learning to extract structure from biological data.
PhD Student
OxfordJuan Felipe studies chromatic persistent homology for spatial transcriptomics. Before this he worked on homological stability.
PhD Student
MPI DresdenLeyi (Lucy) works on developing and applying Topological Data Analysis to the analysis of spatial sub-cellular biological data. She completed her Masters in mathematics at the University of Oxford, and researched on supersymmetric quantum field theory.
PhD Student
MPI Dresden
PhD Student
OxfordRob studies the topology of mathematical models which describe complex processes in the life sciences. Working with simulated and experimental data, Rob compares different modelling approaches in terms of their spatial and temporal properties. Co-supervised with Professor Helen Byrne.
PhD Student
OxfordAbhinav is a PhD student at the University of Oxford interested in analyzing spatial relationships through algebraic topology.
PhD Student
MPI DresdenLeon is a PhD student working on multiparameter persistent homology, chromatic persistence, and persistent cycle representatives. His interests span both the mathematical theory and computational implementation of topological methods for analysing biological datasets and images.
PhD Student
OxfordSergio's main interests are Topological Data Analysis (TDA) and Network Science, and their applications to spatial biology — particularly the study of colorectal cancer, which is the main focus of his PhD. In the past he has also worked with curvature measures on networks.
PhD Student
OxfordMaria is a PhD student working on applications of persistent homology to biological data analysis, as well as the theory of multiparameter persistence. Her research bridges rigorous mathematics with biological understanding through interpretable and transparent methods.
PhD Student
MPI DresdenOxfordBen is a PhD student studying topological transforms and their applications to biological structure morphologies.
Postdoc
MPI DresdenVincenzo works in algebraic geometry at the intersection of representation theory, studying tensors and their varieties: secant varieties, Hilbert schemes of points, and varieties with group actions. He also works in applied algebraic geometry, including quantum chemistry and topological data analysis.
Postdoc
MPI DresdenJan works on problems in topological data analysis and neuroscience, with specialisations in algebraic topology and algebraic geometry, as well as probability theory and discrete mathematics. Jan’s doctoral thesis is titled “Algorithmic Algebra of Multiparameter Persistence Modules”.
Postdoc
MPI DresdenJiayi works on mathematical foundations for responsible and trustworthy AI, with a focus on algebraic, geometric, and statistical structures in neural networks and complex learning systems.
Postdoc
OxfordAdi's research interests include topological singularities in data, computational derived sheaf theory, and representations of Lie groups. Their current research involves cellular microlocal geometry and its applications to topological data analysis.
Postdoc
MPI DresdenFlorian works on the mathematics of shape and structure in data. His tools come from topology and sheaf theory, pushed into the new territory of multiparameter persistence.
Postdoc
OxfordVukašin is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford. His research focuses on theoretical aspects of topological data analysis and its interactions with various areas of geometry, analysis and dynamics.
Postdoc
OxfordLukas did his Bachelors, Master and PhD in math at Uni Heidelberg and graduated in 2025. During those years, he picked up a strong interest in homotopy theory, stratified spaces and topological data analysis. Generally, his research is concerned with anything happening within the triangle spanned by these three subjects.
Research Fellow
OxfordGill works in geometric data analysis, phylogenetics, and applied and computational topology.
Research Fellow
MPI DresdenMusashi is an ELBE postdoc under the supervision of Heather Harrington and Sandra Scharaw.
Staff Scientist
MPI DresdenSilviana works on problems in applied numerical algebraic geometry and scientific computation. She most enjoys finding the x, such that f(x)=0. Her favorite fields are of characteristic 0. Before joining Algebraic Systems Biology, she was Associate Professor of Mathematics at UWEC in Wisconsin.
Staff Scientist
MPI DresdenMatthias is a Research Software Engineer at MPI-CBG Dresden. He develops and maintains computational tools for biological image analysis, focusing on image segmentation and cell tracking. He contributes to open-source projects such as ImageJ, Labkit and Mastodon, supporting scientists in extracting quantitative insights from complex data.
Staff Scientist
MPI DresdenAnna is a cancer genomics scientist turned science communicator. She brings rare dual fluency in research and its public life to the MPI Center for Systems Biology.
Research Manager
MPI DresdenMaryam holds a PhD in Mathematics from TU Freiberg, with a background in pure and applied mathematics. She is currently a research and collaboration manager at MPI-CBG Dresden, following postdoc roles in machine learning and AI research. Prior to academia, she worked as an air traffic controller for 8 years.
Intern
2026
Intern
2026
Postdoc
2021-2023
PhD Student
2015-2019