Biography

Sebastian Wieczorek received his MSc in Theoretical Physics from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland, in 1998 and his PhD in Mathematical Physics from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands, in 2002. After his PhD, he worked as a researcher at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, for the Department of Energy and Lockheed Martin Corporation. He then joined the University of Exeter, UK, as a Lecturer in Mathematics in June 2006, Senior Lecturer in May 2010 and Associate Professor in February 2014.  In August 2014, Sebastian took up the position of Chair Professor of Applied Mathematics and Head of Applied Mathematics at University College Cork. 

Research Interests

Professor Sebastian Wieczorek specialises in applied nonlinear dynamics and bifurcation theory, or the mathematical theory of instability. He develops mathematical concepts and techniques for physical problems such as:
  • Tipping Points (Critical Transitions) in natural and human systems.
  • Multiple timescale (fast-slow) phenomena. 
  • Nonlinear dynamics of semiconductor laser systems.
  • Mathematical modelling in healthcare (adaptive cancer therapy, seizure dynamics, stability of healthcare systems).
Media mentions:
WIRED: https://www.wired.com/story/zombie-fires-arctic-causes/
The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/zombie-fires-in-the-arctic-smoulder-underground-and-refuse-to-die-whats-causing-them-221945
The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/news/article/2024/jun/13/weatherwatch-scientists-discover-possible-cause...
CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/global-warming-could-fuel-compost-bombs/

Google Scholar profile of Prof. Sebastian Wieczorek: 
https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=o-klPBYAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

Research Grants

  Project Funding
Body 		Start Date End Date Award
Evolutionary games and population dynamics: from theory to applications Horizon 2020 01-MAR-21 01-MAR-25 €241,884.33
Stability of the Irish Health System Enterprise Irl 01-JUN-19 28-FEB-22 €254,357.00
Laya Healthcare Enterprise Irl 01-JUN-19 28-FEB-22 €60,494.00
Critical Transitions in Complex Systems Horizon 2020 01-APR-15 31-MAR-19 €247,873.00
SEFS Start up Fund Miscellaneous 01-JUL-14 30-JUN-23 €82,810.00

Honours and Awards

  Year Title Awarding Body
2023 UCC Research Award 2022: License of the Year UCC
2014 Mathematics and Computer Science Best Supervisor Award University of Exeter
2002 The 2002 IEEE LEOS (Lasers and Electro-Optics Society) Graduate Student Award IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society
1998 The Adam Mickiewicz University Medal Rektor of Adam Mickiewicz University
1997 Scholarship from the Polish Ministry of Education for distinguished students Polish Ministry of Education

Committees

  Committee Function From / To
Scientific Advisory Board of Dynamics Days Europe Conference Member 2015 /
Program Committee of the SIAM Annual Meeting Member 2013 /
CliMathNet - UK Mathematics in Climate Network Management Committee Member 2013 /
Program Committee of the biannual SPIE Laser Dynamics Conference and Photonics Europe Symposium Member 2008 /

Journal Activities

  Journal Role To / From
Siam Journal On Applied Dynamical Systems Member of Editorial Board 01-JAN-22 -
Communications In Nonlinear Science And Numerical Simulation Guest Editor 01-OCT-14 -
Discrete And Continuous Dynamical Systems-Series B Member of Editorial Board 01-JAN-14 -

Recent Postgraduates

  Graduation Year Student Name Institution Degree Type Thesis Title
2023 Eoin O'Sullivan UCC PHD Rate-induced tipping to metastable Zombie fires
2021 Ruaidhrí Mac Cárthaigh UCC Msc Rate-induced tipping in a moving habitat
2020 Chun Xie UCC PHD Rate-induced critical transitions
2020 Paul O'Keeffe UCC PHD On the Interaction of rate-induced and bifurcation-induced tipping in ecosystems
2014 Clare Perryman University of Exeter PhD Rate-Induced Bifurcations
2011 Nicholas Blackbeard University of Exeter PhD A Journey Through the Dynamical World of Coupled Laser Oscillators.
2011 Piotr Slowinski University of Bristol PhD Bifurcation Analysis of a Semiconductor Laser with two Filtered Optical Feedback Loops
2011 Victoria Crockett University of Exeter PhD Orbit Space Reduction for Symmetric Dynamical Systems with an Application to Laser Dynamics"

Current Postgraduate Students

  Student Degree Type
Bastian Frank Thomas Doctoral Degree

External Collaborators

  Name Organisation / Institute Country
Chris K.R.T. Jones University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill U.S.A.
Peter Ashwin University of Exeter UNITED KINGDOM
Peter Cox University of Exeter UNITED KINGDOM
Peter Ditlevsen Niels Bohr Institute Copenhagen DENMARK
Johan Dubbeldam Technical University Delft HOLLAND
Bernd Krauskopf University of Auckland NEW ZEALAND
Hinke Osinga University of Auckland NEW ZEALAND
Michel Crucifix Université Catholique de Louvain BELGIUM
Weng W. Chow Sandia National Laboratories U.S.A.