No two subjects in the sciences are presented as being more different than mathematics and biology, yet in this Oxford Mathematics Public Lecture, Philip Maini will illustrate how mathematics has had a profound impact in biology.

Mathematical modelling and experiments have worked hand in hand for over two decades to uncover how cranial neural crest cells collectively migrate during embryonic development. New work shows how distinct leader- and follower-like cell states can emerge spontaneously from an initially homogeneous population, reconciling seemingly conflicting findings in the biological literature.