CV
Below is a plaintext summary of my CV click here for a PDF
Research
November 2021 – Present, University of Hull, Centre for Data Science, AI and Modelling, Lecturer
I am a lecturer at Hull teaching primarily introductory programming for Data Science and AI to MSc students at the Centre for Data Science, AI and Modelling. My research is in two main themes. Firstly, the evolution of symbiosis between species which I study using a combination of mathematical modelling and computer simulations. Secondly, the evolution of neural network architectures which uses AI as a study system to understand evolving complexity in cognition.
November 2021 – November 2022, University of Cambridge, Centre for the Future of Intelligence, Research Associate
I joined the Kinds of Intelligence project and the Animal-AI Olympics group to work on applying insights from Major Transitions in Evolution to cognitive evolution and the development of Animal level artificial intelligences. My work is interdisciplinary and combines basic evolutionary theory, game theory and evolutionary computing.
April 2020 – Nov 2021, University of Cambridge, Dept of Zoology, Research Associate
Postdoc project on intra/intergroup conflict in banded mongooses as part of the Banded Mongoose research project. The project developed a simulation of how warfare over resources shapes inter and intra group conflict in a system modelled on banded mongooses biology. Our work showed several interesting results about the selective pressures on cooperation and the role of resource availability. Two manuscripts are in preparation from this project.
September 2015 – November 2019, University of Oxford DPhil in Evolutionary Theory
My DPhil has focused on the evolution of cooperation. My second chapter focuses on the evolution of a public good (Cry toxin) in a bacteria that infects a seasonally varying host. In my second chapter we modelled the long term dynamics of the cooperator evolving. My fourth chapter looks at the evolution of spiteful behaviour and how that is sometimes conflated with selfishness when fitness effects are mis-partitioned. My fifth chapter looks at the symbiosis and how a host can be evolve to control the relatedness among its symbionts to force cooperation and reap the benefits. My work is theoretical with analysis done in Mathemtica and some programming of simulations in Julia.
I also completed taught modules in calculus, linear algebra and computer programming.
September 2014 – September 2015, Imperial College London, MSc Computational Methods in Ecology and Evolution (Distinction)
Modules covering single and multivariate calculus, linear algebra, statistics (linear models, GLMs and ANOVA), Maximum likelihood methods, and Bayesian statistics. The course also covered agent based simulation and evolutionary simulations as well as model fitting and phylogenetic methods. My thesis was a nearly neutral simulation of latitudinal diversity gradients which was written in python based of of C code and run using the Imperial HPC.
October 2011 – June 2014, University of Oxford, MA Biological Sciences (First)
I took modules on: social evolution, behavioural ecology, evolutionary ecology, bio-mechanics, and animal cognition. I undertook a dissertation on modelling spiteful territory size evolution and am currently working on a paper based on this work.
Papers
Crystal Toxins and the volunteer’s dilemma in bacteria. Matishalin Patel, Ben Raymond, Michael Bonsall, and Stuart A. West, Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 2019. PDF
Uncovering the Rules of Microbial Community Invasions. Jean C Vila, Matt L Jones, Matishalin Patel, Tom Bell, and James Rosindell, Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2019. PDF
Kin discrimination, negative relatedness, and how to distinguish between selfishness and spite Matishalin Patel, Stuart A. West, and Jay Biernaskie, Evolution Letters, 2019. PDF
Microbial warfare and the evolution of symbiosis Matishalin Patel, Stuart A. West, Biology Letters, 2022.
The Evolution of Democratic Peace KL Hunt, M Patel, DP Croft, DW Franks, PA Green, FJ Thompson, RA Johnstone, MA Cant, DWE Sankey, BioRxiv, 2023.
- in prep, Combining social evolution and disease ecology in Bacillus thuringiensis, Matishalin Patel, Ben Raymond, and Stuart A. West, Manuscript
Software skills
Proficient: Julia, Python, Mathematica, R, LaTeX.
Intermediate: Linux/Unix, Windows, Matlab.
Scientific Activities
2019: Symposium Chair Evolution 2019 — Co-chairing a symposium titled "Mathematical models in evolutionary biology". Aimed at exploring the consequences of the premises and axioms we use when developing models.
2018: Symposium Chair Evolution 2018 — Co-chaired a symposium titled "Major transitions in individuality and levels of selection".
2018: Poster - Evolution 2018 — Presented a poster of a paper at Evolution 2018 — "Crystal Toxins and the volunteer’s dilemma in bacteria.".
2015-2018 Cheltenham Science festival — Three years of public outreach at Cheltenham science festival, UK. One of the largest UK science fairs. Outreach was on the OneZoom project by James Rosindell and also on my DPhil lab’s social evolution work.
2013-2014 Science Writer — Bang Science (Oxford Scientist) Several small popular science articles. On the evolution of insect vision and the price equation.
Teaching
2021-2022 Cambridge Undergraduate tutor in first year biology Ecology and Evolution for Lucy Cavendish college.
2022 Cambridge Undergraduate Lectures in behavioural ecology.
2021-2022 Cambridge Undergraduate lectures in Parental Care. Covering basic biology and evolutionary theory around parental care decisions.
2016-2020: Oxford Undergraduate Statistics Demonstrator for the undergraduate bio-statistics course. Statistical modelling, data management and R programming skills.
2017-2020: Oxford Undergraduate Tutor in ecology and social evolution Tutorials on programming, social evolution and Neutral theory. Tutorials given to groups of two students at a time and tutorial work in essay or problem sheet form.
Communication skills
English — Native speaker.
Spanish — CEFR B2
Other Experience
2015 — Silwood Park Comittee Member. Participated in committee meetings on various campus issues. Organised catering for the Silwood Park music festival, Silfest.
2013-2014 — Treasurer of the Oxford University Latvian Society. Managed finances and helped plan and organise a dinner concert.