Hello! I'm Jenny Power
Innovation Research Associate at Heriot-Watt University
I recently completed my PhD in Applied Mathematics, where my research focused on PDE-constrained optimisation for radiotherapy treatment planning. I'm passionate about mathematics with impact and connecting researchers, policymakers, and the public through science communication. I am also one of the presenters for Simon Singh's Parallel Maths Circles.
About Me
I’m Jenny, a mathematician from Ireland with a love for applying mathematics to real-world challenges. I recently completed my PhD in Applied Mathematics at the University of Bath, funded by the SAMBa Centre for Doctoral Training. My thesis was on Optimal Control of Dose delivery in Brachytherapy, a type of radiotherapy cancer treatment. I delved into a wide variety of topics including partial differential equations, numerical analysis, finite element methods, optimisation, and radiation physics.
My background in maths actually started in physics! I graduated from the University of Limerick (Ireland) in 2020 with a BSc. in Mathematics and Physics. This is where I discovered the beauty of maths and how it can be used to help the world. I conducted two research projects in geometrical optics, with one applied to ultrasound imaging for detecting breast cancer. It's also where I first began doing outreach through the SOPHia Project, an initiative to encourage more girls to study physics.
Alongside research, I’ve had the joy of talking about maths to a wide range of audiences, from primary school children all the way to members of parliament. Some highlights from my PhD were designing and delivering two Royal Institution masterclasses at Bath, competing and placing silver in the mathematics category at STEM for Britain at the House of Commons, and presenting my work at the Science Museum in London as a runner-up of TakeAIM.
