Alexander Tam

Research Interests

Applied Mathematics Biological Mathematics Fluid Physics Theoretical and Applied Mechanics

Dr Alexander Tam

ARC Discovery Early Career Senior Research Fellow

School of Mathematical Sciences

College of Sciences

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Available For Media Comment.

I use mathematical modelling to support research in the biological and physical sciences. Much of my work involves understanding the mechanics of biological cells, including elucidating how protein networks enable cell movement and division, modelling wound healing, and understanding how yeast and bacterial colonies grow.
I enjoy teaching students of all levels and backgrounds, and am an active member of the Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ANZIAM) division of the Australian Mathematical Society.

Year Citation
2026 Tam, A. K. Y., Netherwood, D. J., Gardner, J. M., Zhang, J., Gourlay, C. W., Jiranek, V., . . . Green, J. E. F. (2026). Quantifying the effects of cell death and agar density on yeast colony biofilms using an extensional-flow mathematical model. Soft Matter, 22(12), 2430-2446.
DOI
2026 Tam, A. K. Y., Mogilner, A., & Oelz, D. B. (2026). Nonuniform filament turnover, contractility, and bundle formation in disordered actomyosin networks. Biophysical Journal.
DOI
2025 Netherwood, D. J., Tam, A. K. Y., Gourlay, C. W., Knežević, T., Gardner, J. M., Jiranek, V., . . . Green, J. E. F. (2025). Accidental and Regulated Cell Death in Yeast Colony Biofilms. Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, 87(8, article no. 110), 110-1-110-23.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2025 Miller, T., Tam, A. K. Y., Marangell, R., Wechselberger, M., & Bradshaw Hajek, B. H. (2025). Shock selection in reaction-diffusion equations with partially negative diffusivity using nonlinear regularisation. Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena, 474(134561), 1-14.
DOI
2024 Li, K., Green, E. J. F., Tronnolone, H., Tam, A. K. Y., Black, A. J., Gardner, J. M., . . . Binder, B. J. (2024). An off-lattice discrete model to characterise filamentous yeast colony morphology. PLoS Computational Biology, 20(11), e1012605-1-e1012605-20.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC5
2024 Miller, T., Tam, A. K. Y., Marangell, R., Wechselberger, M., & Bradshaw Hajek, B. H. (2024). Analytic shock-fronted solutions to a reaction-diffusion equation with negative diffusivity. Studies in Applied Mathematics, 153(1, article no. e12685), 1-23.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2
2024 Simpson, M. J., Rahman, N., & Tam, A. K. Y. (2024). Front stability of infinitely steep travelling waves in population biology. Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical, 57(31, article no. 315601), 1-26.
DOI
2023 Simpson, M. J., Rahman, N., McCue, S. W., & Tam, A. K. Y. (2023). Survival, extinction, and interface stability in a two-phase moving boundary model of biological invasion. Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena, 456(133912), 1-18.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2
2023 Tam, A. K. Y., & Simpson, M. J. (2023). Pattern formation and front stability for a moving-boundary model of biological invasion and recession. Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena, 444(article no. 133593), 1-15.
DOI Scopus7 WoS6
2022 Tam, A. K. Y., Mogilner, A., & Oelz, D. B. (2022). F-actin bending facilitates net actomyosin contraction By inhibiting expansion with plus-end-located myosin motors. Journal Of Mathematical Biology, 85(1, article no. 4), 1-35.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC2
2022 Tam, A. K. Y., & Simpson, M. J. (2022). The effect of geometry on survival and extinction in a moving-boundary problem motivated by the Fisher-KPP equation. Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena, 438(133305), 1-8.
DOI Scopus7 WoS5
2022 Tam, A. K. Y., Harding, B., Green, J. E. F., Balasuriya, S., & Binder, B. J. (2022). Thin-film lubrication model for biofilm expansion under strong adhesion. Physical Review E, 105(1), 1-15.
DOI Scopus7 WoS7 Europe PMC6
2021 Tam, A. K. Y., Mogilner, A., & Oelz, D. B. (2021). Protein friction and filament bending facilitate contraction of disordered actomyosin networks. Biophysical Journal, 120(18), 4029-4040.
DOI Scopus5 WoS5 Europe PMC2
2019 Tam, A., Green, J. E. F., Balasuriya, S., Tek, E. L., Gardner, J. M., Sundstrom, J. F., . . . Binder, B. J. (2019). A thin-film extensional flow model for biofilm expansion by sliding motility. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 475(2229), 20190175-1-20190175-21.
DOI Scopus13 WoS13 Europe PMC10
2018 Tam, A., Green, J., Balasuriya, S., Tek, E., Gardner, J., Sundstrom, J., . . . Binder, B. (2018). Nutrient-limited growth with non-linear cell diffusion as a mechanism for floral pattern formation in yeast biofilms. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 448, 122-141.
DOI Scopus18 WoS19 Europe PMC12
2018 Tronnolone, H., Tam, A., Szenczi, Z., Green, J., Balasuriya, S., Tek, E., . . . Binder, B. (2018). Diffusion-limited growth of microbial colonies. Scientific Reports, 8(5992), 5992-1-5992-11.
DOI Scopus34 WoS30 Europe PMC26
2015 Tam, A., Yu, Z., Kelso, R., & Binder, B. (2015). Predicting channel bed topography in hydraulic falls. Physics of Fluids, 27(11), 112106-1-112106-7.
DOI Scopus10 WoS12
- Tam, A., Binder, B., Green, E., Balasuriya, S., Tek, E. L., Gardner, J., . . . Jiranek, V. (n.d.). A thin-film extensional flow model for biofilm expansion by sliding motility.
DOI

Year Citation
- Tam, A., Balasuriya, S., Green, E., & Binder, B. (n.d.). Understanding floral pattern formation in yeast biofilms. Poster session presented at the meeting of Unknown Conference.
DOI

Year Citation
- Tam, A., Green, E., Balasuriya, S., Tek, E. L., Gardner, J., Sundstrom, J., . . . Binder, B. (n.d.). Code and Data [Computer Software].
DOI

Year Citation
2025 Tam, A., Netherwood, D., Gardner, J., Zhang, J., Gourlay, C., Jiranek, V., . . . Green, E. (2025). Quantifying the effects of cell death and agar density on yeast colony biofilms using an extensional-flow mathematical model.
DOI
2025 Li, K., Black, A., Knežević, T., Gardner, J., Zhang, J., Jiranek, V., . . . Tam, A. (2025). Modelling the emergence of spiral colony morphology in the yeast <i>Magnusiomyces magnusii</i>.
DOI
2025 Tam, A., Mogilner, A., & Oelz, D. (2025). Non-uniform filament turnover and mechanically-driven contractility and bundle formation in disordered actomyosin networks.
DOI
2024 Li, K., Green, E., Tronnolone, H., Tam, A., Black, A., Gardner, J., . . . Binder, B. (2024). An off-lattice discrete model to characterise filamentous yeast colony morphology.
DOI
2021 Tam, A., Mogilner, A., & Oelz, D. (2021). Protein Friction and Filament Bending Facilitate Contraction of Disordered Actomyosin Networks.
DOI

Courses I teach

  • MATH 3040 Topics in Mathematics 1 (2025)
  • MATH 4047 Honours Topics in Mathematics and Statistics (2025)
  • MATH 1039 Mathematics for Laboratory Sciences (2024)
  • MATH 1066 Essential Mathematics 1: Algebra and Trigonometry (2024)
  • MATH 3021 Mathematics Clinic 1 (2024)
  • MATH 3034 Mathematics Clinic 2 (2024)

Programs I'm associated with

  • LBMH - Bachelor of Mathematics

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2026 Co-Supervisor Agent-Based Modelling of Yeast-Blood Biofilms Master of Research Master Full Time Mr Alex Provatas
2026 Principal Supervisor Data-Driven Mathematical Modelling of Nanoparticles in Biomedicine Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Cameron Shaw-Carmody
2024 Principal Supervisor 213-Mathematical modelling of the extracellular actin scavenging system Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Matt Mack
2024 Principal Supervisor 208-Mathematical modelling and computation of biofilm growth and cell death Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Aidan Patterson
2023 Co-Supervisor Pattern formation of precursor films: a new mathematical model Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Tharindi Amarathunge Achchige
2023 Co-Supervisor class="MsoNormal">Shocks in reaction-diffusion equations with negative diffusivity Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Tom Miller

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