Dr Isabella Marinelli PhD

• PhD (cum laude) in Mathematics and Statistics 2019
• MSc (cum laude) in Science in Mathematics, University of Trento, 2015
• BSc in Mathematics, University of Pisa, 2012

Isabella obtained her BSc degree in Mathematics from the University of Pisa (Pisa, Italy), and her MSc degree in Mathematics from the University of Trento (Trento, Italy). Her passion for Medical and Biological Sciences led her to explore various applications of mathematical modelling in these fields. For her BSc thesis, Isabella worked on a theoretical analysis of an age-structured epidemiological model for the diffusion of hepatitis C. During her MSc project, she adopted a more computational approach, developing and analysing an age-structured transmission model for the dynamics of the Varicella-Zoster Virus at the Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in Bilthoven (the Netherlands). The project included developing and analysing an age-structured transmission model for the dynamics of the Varicella-Zoster Virus.

Following her work in epidemiology, Isabella shifted her focus to the applications of mathematical modelling in physiology. Before starting her PhD, she worked as an intern at the Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM) in Bilbao (Spain) on simulating cortical spreading depression propagation on real brain geometry.

Isabella later joined BCAM as a PhD student. Her doctoral research focused on developing a physiologically grounded mathematical model (based on relevant experimental data) to describe the dynamics of electrically active pancreatic β-cells. For the work undertaken at BCAM, Isabella was awarded a PhD in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of the Basque Country (Spain) in 2019.

Currently, Isabella is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Systems Modelling and Quantitative Biomedicine at the University of Birmingham, where she continues her research in mathematical biomedicine.

LM Topics in Applied Mathematics (School of Mathematics, Year 4)

Currently supervising 1 MSc projects in Applied Mathematics (contact me for enquiries).

Isabella is an applied mathematician dedicated to exploring the role of hormones in the body’s physiology, including brain activity, and characterizing their dynamics in both healthy and pathological conditions. The insights gained from mathematical models will assist clinicians, physiologists, and biologists in tackling healthcare challenges, with a particular focus on epilepsy and endocrine diseases. Isabella’s current research includes:

• Investigating how intrinsic and extrinsic factors, like the stress hormone cortisol, affect daily variations in the likelihood of epileptiform activity
• Explore how hypothalamic corticotropes respond to the neuropeptides CRH and AVP, ultimately leading to cortisol secretion
• Identifying biomarkers for diagnosing endocrine disorders based on measurements of hormone concentrations
• Understanding the complex oscillatory activity in pancreatic beta-cells, which secrete the hormone insulin in a pulsatile manner

In addition to her research, Isabella is deeply committed to creating a research culture that emphasizes public and patient engagement as a key component of her work. She is actively involved in the cross-theme Community Action Team (CAT), where PGRs and postdocs work together to involve patients and the public in research activities.

Since 2022, Isabella has also been a proud STEM ambassador, aiming to inspire the next generation to pursue STEM subjects.