Leeds alumni, staff and former staff member have been elected as inaugural Fellows of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences.
Three alumni were among members of the Leeds community formally appointed as Fellows of a national body that focuses on applying mathematics to public life and policymaking. In January, they were formally appointed as inaugural Fellows of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences.
Among the Fellows are Leeds alumni Professor Sarah Waters (PhD Mathematics 1996), Karrie Liu (MSc Statistical Epidemiology 2012) and Sam Waterfield (MA Education 2017). They were chosen for their leadership in fundamental research, excellence in education, or the application of mathematics across society.
The Fellows will work together through the Academy to address major national challenges such as pandemic preparedness, climate change modelling, national security, economic transformation, safe artificial intelligence, and the development of future mathematics education and skills.
The Academy for the Mathematical Sciences aims to place mathematics at the heart of national decision-making by bringing together knowledge from academia, education, business, industry and government.
Leeds alumni
Professor Sarah Waters (PhD Mathematics 1996)
Sarah is Professor of Applied Mathematics at the Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford, and a Fellow of St Anne's College. Her research focuses on mechanistic mathematical models in medicine, particularly in regenerative medicine, cell and tissue biomechanics, and biomedical fluid dynamics.
She is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and was awarded a Whitehead Prize by the London Mathematical Society. Sarah is a Deputy Editor of the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, and has served in scientific leadership positions in, for example, the American Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics and the European Mechanics Society.
Karrie Liu (MSc Statistical Epidemiology 2012)
Karrie is the Founder and Director of Hypatia Analytics Ltd, a boutique analytics consultancy that delivers data-driven decision support for NHS organisations, life-sciences companies, and health-technology partners.
“I hope this Fellowship highlights that mathematics and operational research thrive through many pathways which across industry, academia, and public service, where good modelling helps people, not just papers. Thank you, Leeds University for giving me a foundation to help my career and help me to grow as mathematician.”
Karrie is an applied mathematician, data-science consultant, and doctoral researcher working at the interface of mathematical modelling, health systems, and public policy. Her work spans health-service analytics, operational research, and advanced data science, with a particular focus on translating complex mathematical methods into practical tools for commissioners, clinicians, and policymakers. Her professional experience includes senior analytical roles within the NHS and collaborations with industry partners such as IQVIA and Johnson & Johnson.
She is currently completing a PhD at the University of Sussex, where her research applies operational research and optimisation methods to the design and evaluation of Women's Health Hubs, integrating population need, access, and capacity constraints within real NHS systems.
Beyond her formal roles, she serves as a Trustee of Age UK Wandsworth, contributing analytical expertise, governance oversight, and strategic input to support older people in the community. Through Hypatia Analytics, she leads and delivers pro-bono and community-focused projects that use mathematics and data to improve accessibility, participation, and confidence in quantitative skills, particularly for under-represented groups.
Sam Waterfield (MA Education 2017)
Sam is a post-16 maths educator, currently teaching A level maths students at Durham Sixth Form Centre. Sam is the Maths Outreach Lead for the Providence Learning Partnership, where he designs and delivers masterclasses, enrichment and supercurricular mathematics competitions across the North East region.
Sam works closely with schools, universities and industry experts to showcase progression in mathematics as a viable option to young people from all backgrounds. He seeks to develop ambitions and nurture positive attitudes towards mathematics to drive the achievement and uptake of the subject in the UK.
Additionally, Sam works as the Post-16 Lead for both Archimedes NE Maths Hub and Great North Maths Hub, where he organises opportunities for professional development of post-16 maths teachers across the region. He is particularly interested in the development of maths pedagogy through the use of technology and the psychology of learning.
Leeds staff
Professor Kevin Houston
Kevin Houston is Professor of Mathematics Education and Public Engagement at the University of Leeds. His work spans mathematical research, education, and public outreach, with a particular focus on clarity of explanation and how people learn to think mathematically.
Speaking about his new role, Kevin said: “I’m honoured to be one of the Fellows, and I’m looking forward to helping to promote maths education and public engagement as part of the Academy.”
A central strand of Kevin’s work is writing on mathematical understanding. He is the author of How to Think Like a Mathematician, which helps students move from procedural school mathematics to the conceptual, proof-based thinking required at university. He has also played a significant role in mathematics education more broadly, serving as Education Secretary of the London Mathematical Society from 2017 to 2023, and co-founding Teaching and Learning Mathematics Online during the Covid pandemic to address the challenges of online teaching.
Beyond education, Kevin is deeply involved in public engagement with mathematics. He has spoken to thousands of people in settings ranging from schools, universities, museums, cafes and pubs to street "maths busking”, and has appeared on television and radio. He is also a founder and organiser of Talking Maths in Public (TMiP), a network that supports mathematicians in communicating their subject to non-specialist audiences.
Professor Helen Wilson
Helen Wilson was a lecturer at Leeds before becoming Professor of Applied Mathematics at UCL. Her research focuses on the modelling of complex fluids, including suspensions and viscoelastic materials.
Helen was President of the British Society of Rheology from 2015 to 2017, and a Vice-President of the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications from 2019 to 2020. She is an editor of the Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics and reviews editor for Proceedings of the Royal Society A.
She is chair of Nominating Committee for the International Centre for the Mathematical Sciences and for the London Mathematical Society, and chair of the Scientific Steering Committee for the Isaac Newton Institute for the Mathematical Sciences, and is the external member of the UKRI Oversight Committee for the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research. She also chairs the mathematics judging panel for the annual STEM for Britain poster competition in parliament.
Steve Tobias
For 25 years (2000-2025) Professor Steve Tobias was a member of the School of Mathematics at Leeds and was the founding Director of the Leeds Institute for Fluid Dynamics. Steve is an applied mathematician who conducts research in mathematical aspects of fluid dynamics and magnetohydrodynamics; problems of interest both for geophysics and astrophysics. Now Tait Chair of Mathematical Physics at the University of Edinburgh, he is particularly interested in turbulent flows and turbulent dynamo theory, where the nonlinear interactions occur over a vast range of temporal and spatial scales, necessitating the development of new mathematical and computational techniques.