What Maths can tell us about Women's Health - with Prof Alys Clark & Dr Claire Miller

About this episode

This episode explores the role of mathematics in understanding women's health issues, featuring a discussion between Prof Alys Clark and Dr Claire Miller.

Mathematics is not often associated with women’s health, yet the mathematical sciences are playing an increasingly important role in understanding pregnancy, reproductive health, and chronic conditions that disproportionately affect women. Professor  Alys Clark  and Dr  Claire Miller , both from the Auckland Bioengineering Institute at the University of Auckland, use mathematics to shed light on complex health challenges faced by women, including pregnancy and endometriosis. In this episode, they highlight the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly between mathematicians, biologists, and clinicians. In a twist on our usual format, Alys and Claire interview each other, offering a candid and engaging look at their research, their collaborations, and what it’s like to work at the interface of mathematics and medicine. This episode is part of a special two‑part series released to coincide with  Women in Mathematics Day (12 May) , celebrating the contributions of women – and those who identify as women – in the mathematical sciences worldwide.  The other episode explores how mathematics can help us understand the…

People in this episode

Guests: Prof Alys Clark, Dr Claire Miller

Topics covered

• women's health
• mathematics
• interdisciplinary collaboration
• pregnancy
• reproductive health
• chronic conditions
• endometriosis

Keywords

• mathematics
• women's health
• pregnancy
• endometriosis
• interdisciplinary
• bioengineering
• chronic conditions

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland

More episodes of The Random Sample

• From Granular to Nano: Big Science at Small Scales – with Prof Natalie Thamwattana · May 27, 2026 · 44 min
• Tracking the Spread of Vaccine Hesitancy - with Prof Stacey Smith? · May 11, 2026 · 42 min
• Game Theory: The Mathematics of Strategic Choices - with Dr Maria Kleshnina · May 6, 2026 · 59 min
• The Kalman Filter: The Mathematics of Knowing Where You Are · April 22, 2026 · 38 min
• Maths Meets Biology: Inside the Mission to Model a Living Cell - Part 2 · April 8, 2026 · 36 min
• Maths Meets Biology: Inside the Mission to Model a Living Cell - Part 1 · March 25, 2026 · 35 min