Statistically Speaking...
News and views from the Statistics Department
Official Newsletter of the Department of Statistics, University of Warwick
Issue 4: June 2014
New starters & congratulations
Welcome to the fourth issue of “Statistically
Speaking...” - a termly publication designed
for current and past students and staff of
the Statistics Department at the University
A warm welcome to the Department’s
most recent starters!
Congratulations to
Catalina Vallejos Meneses
of Warwick.
Thank you to all who contributed to this
issue or participated in its production in any
way.
Larbi Alili, Eleanor Ingram
Managing Editors
Dr Yacine Barhoumi
Started on 1st May 2014
Mr David Kinmond
Started on 8 May 2014
Han Feng
Lorna Barclay
for successful completion of their PhDs
First impressions
For the past 9 months, I have been happily working as a new
member of the statistics department. I often get asked by my
peers in the USA how I am finding my new position, because it is a
big change in location and departments (I was previously in the
Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego). I continue to give the
same response: I absolutely love it here.
Dr Mark Fiecas
Professor Chenlei Leng
Believe it or not, I have been in Warwick for almost one
year. It has been an exciting transition so far. Compared to
my previous institute in Singapore, there is a whole lot
more going on research wise: seminars,
workshops, discussion
groups and so on. I
wish I could have
attended as many
talks as possible, and
realized that is impossible. Currently, I am
looking forward to
building up my research team in the near future.
My 9-month impression of the department is very positive. I am
very happy to be surrounded by many bright statisticians, especially by so many talented students. There is a cooperative and
collaborative atmosphere here, which led to the many fascinating
discussions I have had with other members of the department on
exciting potential projects. Consequently, I have had to step outside of my comfort zone in my primary area of application (brain
imaging), but doing so has certainly given me new ideas and fresh
approaches to my research in statistical methodology. Finally, I am
There are also other changes since my move, for example, glad that the students and staff have been approving, sometimes
I get up much earlier (but sleep as much as I used to even enabling, my love for desserts. If you have any recipes for
do). Please stop by my office to know why and how.
delicious desserts, I would love to exchange recipes with you!
Statistics in the corridors of power!
The novel feature of the 2014 SET for Britain poster competition representatives from Germains (a subsidiary of British Sugar and
for early career researchers held at the House of Commons was producer of the majority of the sugar beet seeds used in the UK).
that Mathematical sciences was included for the first time. Three They were particularly interested in the Bayesian networks model
abstract from Warwick mathematical
to the sugar market and its potential for
sciences were selected to present poster
commercial use. It was also useful to receive
to MPs and academics on 17th March their feedback on the elements included in
Deirdre Hollingsworth (WMI & Life
the model. Rachel presented doctoral work
Sciences), Martine Barons (Statistics) and
on the role of gap junctions in determining
Rachel Sheldon (MOAC).
the connectivity and synchronicity of the
myometrial smooth muscle network.
Deirdre’s poster described work on
strategies for the control of intestinal
There were 3 prizes within each scientific
helminths in low-income populations.
category, with the gold winner from each
Martine presented her recent work with
going forward to an overall prize for the
Jim Smith towards developing a decision
ability to present science to non-specialists.
support system that will be used to
The work presented was a mixture of pure
evaluate the effect of policy options on each element of the food and applied mathematics, and the gold winner was Dr David Platt
system. The poster used the example of the sugar industry. In of University of Bristol for Proving Goldbach’s weak conjecture.
addition to MPs, academics and the great and the good from the
This is a good opportunity to present work to policymakers and
mathematical sciences community, Martine met the Chief
show them the cutting edge of research. I would recommend
statistician from the Bank of England, Mark Robson, and
participation next year.
By Martine Barons
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statistics
Participation in the AIMS Programme
I was able to travel to Africa during my study leave, to South Africa, Ghana and Uganda, giving seminars and teaching while continuing
with research projects.
In Johannesburg, I gave seminars on life expectancy of people with cerebral palsy to two different audiences: lawyers who specialise in
medico-legal work, and paediatrician, from students to consultants, at the Wits University Hospital. Lawyers who represented braindamaged infants as well as those who represented doctors and hospitals were keen to discuss the implications of my collaborative research with several UK cerebral palsy registers. At the hospital, I was able to see some very tiny babies who were cared for by those in my
audience.
I then spent December by the sea and mountains at Muizenberg, near Cape Town, teaching a course on analysis of life-time data at the
African Institute for
Mathematical Sciences. AIMS is a centre for tertiary mathematical education and
research, founded in order to build capacity for African initiatives in education,
research, and technology. The main AIMS programme is a year's course, which intended to prepare African graduates with mathematically-based degrees for postgraduate study in, for example, South Africa, Belgium, UK or North America. There
are introductory courses, and then a series of 6 three-week blocks in which students
choose two out of three courses. All courses are taught by visiting lecturers, volunteers from Europe and North America as well as Africa.
Students at AIMS are selected from many African countries, and have often struggled
to get an education in countries where only primary education is mandatory. They
are often older than UK graduates, leave families behind, and try to save their allowances to send home. Motivation and commitment is high, and as the centre is fully residential, students can work in the library or computer laboratory at any time: I often noticed many people in the lab as I went upstairs to my bedroom. As women are often expected not
to go out after dark, this freedom to study is valued. Students appreciate being able to find lecturers in their offices after dinner.
Instruction is in English, and intensive language teaching is provided for those whose first languages are French, Malagasy or Arabic. Students gain considerable experience in programming, and the use of LaTeX and mathematical software programs. The course is very demanding: in the review section, students choose two out of three options. Each day they have two hours instruction for each review
course, and an additional hour of English or computing. Within three weeks, they have to master a new topic, and complete a series of
assignments. It is lovely to be told by students from pure mathematics, physics and engineering backgrounds that they have come to
realise how exciting and useful statistics is, and value learning the powerful, free, statistical software R. I gave a short talk on the many
careers in statistics, as well as a research seminar. When I visited statistical colleagues at the University of Cape Town, I heard a taught
M.Sc. Statistics was offered in 2013. I hope many AIMS and other students will benefit.
Students also work long days, and much of the weekend. I led a relaxed walk up the mountain, having heard that in the previous block, a
group had hiked over the mountains walked for 10 hours to reach Table Mountain. Going up was hot for me, in shorts and it's difficult to
imagine hiking fully covered as the Muslim women do. My route included a stop at an excellent ice-cream shop. I was asked what I
thought of Scottish independence: it's not all mathematics!
In January, I taught probability and statistics at AIMS Ghana, which opened in 2012. AIMS Ghana is also by the sea, but much else is
different, including being in a small village rather than a cosmopolitan city. An experienced and enthusiastic cook provided African meals,
with banku, fufu and about eight different kinds of porridge for breakfast. Some students kept to African ways, and ate with their fingers,
others regarded the year as a chance to practice with knife and fork. Most of us ate on the balcony outside, which was pleasant once the
breeze started, usually by about 11am. Overnight temperatures were 24C, and
walking along the beach to a bar under coconut trees was a hot experience.
There is little concern about crime: the main building has four entrances which
are not locked, and two relaxed security guards. Laptops are left on desks in
offices - well, on desks. A balcony is not usually called an office! Electricity supplies are variable, so the computer laboratory has laptops rather than
desktops. The general level of structural work is laid back. The students were
again enthusiastic and diligent, as photos of groups working 8.30 on Friday evening show. A Zambian student told me that many of the staff who taught him
were graduates of AIMS South Africa, a nice example of successful capacity
building.
Uganda was my third destination, cooler than Ghana but equally friendly. I gave
a seminar on epilepsy drugs at Makerere University College of Health Sciences.
The audience was attentive, and I was impressed by the range.
By Jane Hutton
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statistics
News and Events
The Tony Lawrance Seminar
On March 25th 2014 the Department of Statistics hosted an afternoon of seminars to mark the recent retirement of Emeritus Professor Tony Lawrance.
In their seminars Professors Howell Tong and Anthony Atkinson of
the London School of Economics discussed recent advances in two
of Tony Lawrance’s long-standing research interests, time series
analysis and regression diagnostics. Then after tea Tim Davis, one
of Tony’s former research students and now Honorary Professor at
Warwick, described some of his pioneering statistical work in the
automotive industry, including some of the engineering problems
that had been tackled in joint work with Tony. The final seminar
was by Tony himself, reflecting on highlights of his statistical career
and on his current and continuing research interests. The proceedings started with a lunch in Radcliffe House and ended with a
cheese and wine reception in the Statistics Common Room, followed by an informal dinner for the speakers and Tony’s invited
guests.
It was a great pleasure to welcome so many of Tony Lawrance’s
statistical friends and former colleagues to this celebration of a
long and distinguished academic career.
View more pictures at http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/
statistics/news/tonylawranceretirementevent/gallery/
Public Engagement and Outreach
The Big Bang Fair - NEC, Birmingham
Martine Barons represented the department of Statistics at Warwick Science Faculty’s stand at the Big Bang Fair held at the NEC in
Birmingham 13th – 16th March 2014. There were an estimated 70,000 visitors to the Big Bang Fair and over the 4 days we engaged with
about 7,000 individuals, predominantly 7-19-year-olds, their parents and teachers, most of whom would not have come to an open day.
The Warwick stand was continually busy and well-placed on the corner of a thoroughfare to attract passers-by. We were able to spread
beyond the 4 tables and some volunteers went out into the crowds and brought people to our stand.
The mathematical sciences part of the Warwick stand offered a choice of 10 puzzles, including ‘pick 15’ which invited two participants to
go head-to-head to select 3 numbers (one at a time, in turn, without replacement) to sum to 15 from integers 1 to 9. After several
rounds, we asked which number was the best strategy to pick first. The ‘reveal’ on this activity was to show that the problem can be
expressed in a different format, as a magic square with 5 at the centre. It is then obvious that the optimal strategy is to pick 5 first. This
activity demonstrated, in a way accessible to the 11-15 target age range, that reframing a problem in terms of a problem with a known
solution can make it more tractable. In addition, we ran a competition to make all the integers using all of 2,0,1,4 and any mathematical
operators. Each day a prize was awarded – a copy of Simon Singh’s book ‘The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets’ and a
certificate were sent to the child via their school.
Martine said, “We counted how many visitors we had by giving everyone a sticker. I was alone on the stand on Friday morning and saw
about 100 young people. It was delightful to see the realisation dawn on their faces as we demonstrated that maths is more than doing
sums! It was tiring to maintain smiling enthusiasm in a noisy environment without a break, but it was also great fun. I recommend being
involved next year.”
The 5 x 3 metre space cost £18,000 and total cost estimated at £25,000.
Funding for this was approved by Professor Pam Thomas, Chair of the Board
of the Faculty of Science. Big Bang Fair 2015 will also be held at the NEC, and
the plan is to have a Warwick presence again, subject to funding being
available.
The other people on the mathematical sciences table were: David Mond
(lead), Dmitriy Rumynin, Florian Theil, Nicholas Jackson & Edwin Lim (WMI)
and Alistair Tucker & Ben Collyer from Complexity. Liz-Buckingham-Jeffrey
also from Complexity worked at BBF as a STEM ambassador.
View a video of the event at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/thebigbangfair
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statistics
Brain and MRI images
On the 4th of February I spoke to year 2 students about the brain and
how data from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is used to study the
brain. I visited the Milverton Primary School, Leamington Spa, where I
helped each of the 31 students make brains out of coloured plasticine,
explaining how the different major lobes of the brain are responsible for
different aspects of behaviour and thought, like vision, hearing and
memory. After practicing a word "game" (i.e. a verbal fluency experiment), I showed the children MRI images of my own brain, as well as
functional MRI results of my brain doing the very same word game. I
concluded the presentation with an explanation of how statisticians, a
special type of mathematician, are needed to make sense of the data
that comes out of the MRI machine. At the end a child raised their hand
and asked, "Why do you do this?", and I answered "This a way to have
fun with math and pictures."
By Tom Nichols
How to organise a conference
Continued from our third issue….
certainly ask for a conference report. If you have several, it is efficient to
The event: The event will run itself if you have prepared carefully
beforehand. Try to catch and fix any matters arising before the delegates
notice, and relax and enjoy your event.
write a generic report which can be adapted appropriately for each
recipient. Try to do this within the week after the conference, whilst it is
still fresh in your mind. After everything is done, as the grand finale the
organising committee should get together and celebrate a job well done.
Follow up: After the event is an often-neglected part of the organisation
process. Apart from the obvious things like clearing up, handing back
And this is called a transferable skill because….
keys and taking down event posters, the organising team should get ….the same process can produce brilliant birthday parties,
together the day after the event and list all the things that went well. unforgettable stag / hen weekends and perfect wedding memories,
too!
Give yourselves a break to recover before discussing what could have
This article was written by Dr Martine J.
Barons, based on experience of organising
a two hundred-delegate conference plus a
number of smaller events following a
training course “Organising an academic
conference” delivered at Warwick
gone better and what you will do differently next time, so you are not
too tired to keep things in proportion.
If you have promised to send or
make available material for the delegates, this should ideally be done
within 48 hours of the conference end. If you have had sponsorship from
professional bodies or from within the University, they will almost
What’s on
CRiSM Workshop
Computational Methods for Jump Processes
Runs from Monday, 7 July, to
Wednesday, 9 July
MS.04
Zeeman Building
For more information, including the
registration form, visit:
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statistics/c
rism/workshops/jumps/
Other Statistics Seminars:
CRiSM Seminars
CRiSM seminars take place in Room A1.01
Thursday, 12 June
14:00—16:00
Ben Graham (Warwick)
Thursday, 26 June
14:00—16:00
Leonardo Bottolo (Imperial)
Peter Green (Bristol)
RSS West Midlands Local Group Meetings
More information can be found via the
group’s website
https://sites.google.com/site/rsswmlg/forthco
ming-meetings
Young Researchers’ Meeting
Meetings take place on Tuesdays in the
Statistics Common Room with organisers
Apostolos Gkatzionis and Thomas Honnor.
Contributions to the next edition are most welcome and should be sent to statspeak@warwick.ac.uk