Inverse Problems Group attend the 5th IMA Conference on Inverse Problems: From Theory to Application
17 Sep 2026
Inverse Problems Research Presented at the IMA Conference
Last week, five members of the group, supported by the Ada Lovelace Centre, attended the 5th IMA Conference on Inverse Problems: From Theory to Application at University College London. The conference brought together mathematicians, statisticians, computer scientists, engineers, and physicists working on the theoretical, numerical, and applied aspects of inverse problems.
The group contributed a range of talks and posters, highlighting inverse problem applications across the UK’s large-scale scientific facilities. The work covered applications in tomography, ptychography, X-ray fluorescence, and small-angle scattering, touching mathematical research in stochastic optimisation, Bayesian optimisation, benchmarking, partial differential equations, multimodal imaging, and low-rank methods.
About the Inverse Problems Group
Inverse problems involve estimating causal factors from noisy or incomplete observations and arise across imaging, remote sensing, signal processing, machine learning, and many other fields.
The Inverse Problems Group at STFC, led by Margaret Duff, exists to bridge the gap between mathematical research and its uptake by application scientists, enabling advanced mathematical techniques to have real impact within the National Facilities and beyond.
We do this by collaborating with university researchers, facility scientists, and colleagues across STFC to identify high-value application areas and translate research into practical solutions. This includes delivering training, signposting expertise, and developing robust, sustainable software that implements modern inverse problem techniques.
The conference provided an excellent opportunity to share the group’s research, engage with the wider inverse problems community, and develop new collaborations. We look forward to continuing these conversations and helping to bridge the gap between inverse problems research and practical deployment across scientific facilities
Contributed Talk
Margaret Duff presented:
“Accessibility and Usability of Model-Based Iterative Reconstruction Algorithms at the Science and Technology Facilities Council”
The presentation explored how advanced iterative reconstruction methods can be made more accessible to scientists through automated parameter selection, stochastic optimisation algorithms, and open-source software tools, drawing on examples from imaging challenges across STFC facilities.
Poster Presentations
Robert Johnson – Low Rank Methods for Hyperspectral Ptychography Reconstructions
Bryce Shirley – Beyond Multislice: Faster and More Accurate Models for Thick-Sample Ptychography
Letizia Protopapa – FitBenchmarking: Comparing Minimizers for Inverse Problems
Clara Hawkins – Multi-Modality Imaging for Ptychography and X-Ray Fluorescence
