Chair: Bernard Silverman
I am a statistician whose research has ranged widely across theoretical and practical aspects of statistics. The focus has been on computational statistics, researching the ways that computing power has changed our ability to collect, analyse, understand and utilise data. I have collaborated in many scientific fields, and with various areas of industry and government. After an academic career, I spent seven years as Chief Scientific Adviser to the Home Office. I now work freelance, with roles including research, consultancy, and expert advice. My current portfolio encompasses modern slavery, security, official statistics, research integrity, and science for policy and government.
Martine Barons, Warwick
I began my career in accountancy & auditing where I learned about the business imperatives of a wide range of commercial and third sector enterprises. I became a mathematician as a second career after bringing up my family. I completed my MSc & PhD studies in Warwick’s Complexity Science interdisciplinary mathematics CDT (now MathSys). I am director of the Applied Statistics & Risk Unit where I lead for the department in collaborations with business, government & industry, and REF impact cases. I lead a personal research programme in probabilistic models and decision support and interdisciplinary research networks in food security.
Noel-Ann Bradshaw, Argos
I currently work for Sainsbury’s Argos as a Supply Chain Data Scientist and Operational Researcher where I have been involved in developing models to improve demand forecast accuracy, store assortment planning, estimating lost sales and price elasticity. I previously worked for 10 years as a lecturer at the University of Greenwich where I instigated many projects designed to improve graduate employment outcomes and student engagement. My research centred around optimisation, HE mathematics education, student employability and Florence Nightingale’s data management and visualisations. I have given several maths engagement talks and been a tutor for the online numeracy course Citizen Maths.
Alan Champneys, Bristol
I am an interdisciplinary mathematical modeller with a background in dynamical systems, especially global bifurcations, non-smooth dynamics and localised pattern formation. In recent years my focus has broadened towards transdisciplinary research using mathematics in engineering mechanics, plant and animal physiology, renewable energy and ab initio industrial modelling. I have twice been head of Engineering Mathematics at Bristol, was head of its Queen’s School of Engineering, and twice served on EPSRC’s SAT. I also enjoy popular scientific writing including the regular “Westward Ho!” feature in IMA’s Mathematics Today magazine.
Edward Crane, Bristol
I am a Senior Heilbronn Research Fellow at the University of Bristol, where I’ve worked since 2005. My academic research is in probability and complex analysis. Lately I’ve been working on mathematical analysis of an abstract forest fire model that displays self-organized criticality. Working at the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research has given me 14 years of practical experience of knowledge exchange between academic mathematicians and government. I support the UK Mathematics Trust, helping out with training and problem setting. I was on the problem selection committee for the 2019 International Mathematical Olympiad, which was held at the University of Bath.
Christine Currie, Southampton
Christine Currie is Associate Professor of Operational Research (OR) in Mathematical Sciences at the University of Southampton, UK, where she also obtained her Ph.D. Her research focuses on the application of stochastic OR in real-world settings and her particular interests include dynamic pricing, simulation optimization, health OR and input analysis for simulation. She is editor-in-chief of the Journal of Simulation and a member of the OR Society’s Research Panel.
Chris Dent, Edinburgh/Turing
From a background in OR, I work widely across energy systems analysis and government modelling, mainly using methods from applied probability and statistics. Projects and particular specialisms include: electricity security of supply risk (working with National Grid on risk of “the lights going out”), transferring uncertainty management methods into wide government use, the use of models for decision support within organisations, capital planning under uncertainty, whole energy systems modelling. I also manage the Edinburgh Statistics Consulting Unit, which has a particular mission to collaborate beyond academia.
David Leslie, Lancaster
I am a Professor of Statistical Learning at Lancaster University and a Research Consultant at AI start-up Prowler.io. My research is generally centred on how to use modern statistical inference for making decisions. I have collaborated at multiple university/industry interfaces since my CASE-funded PhD at the University of Bristol, and have myself supervised 11 industry-supported PhD students, mainly through the STORi Centre for Doctoral Training at Lancaster University.
Terry Lyons, Oxford/Turing
I am Wallis Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University and a Fellow of the Alan Turing Institute. My main research is in Stochastic Analysis and Rough Paths. I spent 4 years as Director of the Oxford-Man Institute and have been President of the London Mathematical Society. I believe strongly in the value of the mathematical approach with key ideas encapsulated as proved theorems. I also believe strongly that fundamental mathematical ideas can and should relate to real world challenges. My current mathematical contribution attempts to tackle these dual goals. I have collaborated successfully in many scientific fields in academia and industry.
Gareth Peters, Heriot-Watt
I am the Chair Professor for Statistics in Risk and Insurance in the Department of Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. I am also the Academic Director of the Scottish Financial Risk Academy, a joint group that recently combined with Scottish Financial Enterprise to form the SFRA Group which brings together over 100 companies in the financial services industries to undertake knowledge exchange and best practice guidance in modelling, practice and regulation in the areas of quantitative finance, data science and machine learning in risk and insurance industries. I am a CStat of the Royal Statistical Society, an elected fellow of the Young Academy of Scotland in the Royal Society of Edinburgh and an elected Fellow of the Insitute of Operational Risk practitioners. My work regularly involves developing statistical solutions and machine learning approaches to problems motivated by practice in risk management and insurance. My recent works have included areas of Operational Risk, Credit Risk modelling, Market risk, Commodity modelling, Portfolio risk management, Asset management, farming and agricultural risk modelling, commodity trading strategies, high-frequency financial modelling and a variety of other disciplines in statistical sciences. I have held senior positions in start-ups ranging from advisory board roles, director roles, CEO and head of research teams. I have worked with many industry members on detailed quantitative projects including hedge funds, investment banks, retail banks and regulators and central banks such as Bank of England, PRA, Federal Reserve, HK Monetary Authority, Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority. I collaborate with the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries on planning and developing solutions for machine learning practice and statistical data science in the insurance profession. I have regularly provided training to C-Suite executives on risk management in Basel II and Solvency. Furthermore, I have held positions of Nachdiploma Lecturer in ETH Zurich to deliver a lecture series for the Swiss Finance Association on Machine Learning in Risk and Insurance. I regularly deliver workshops on machine learning in risk and insurance at numerous countries actuarial local professional bodies. Previously I held tenured positions in the Department of Statistical Sciences, University College London, UK and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics in University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Carola-Bibiane Schönlieb, Cambridge/Turing
I am Professor of Applied Mathematics at Cambridge. In my research I am interested in the interaction of mathematical sciences and imaging. Within this context I am interested in both the theoretical and computational analysis of the problems considered as well as their practical implementation and their use for real-world applications. I have interdisciplinary collaborations with clinicians, biologists and physicists on biomedical imaging, chemical engineers and plant scientists on image sensing, and art conservators on digital art restoration. I am directing two research centres in Cambridge, the Cantab Capital Institute for Mathematics of Information and the EPSRC Centre for Mathematical and Statistical Analysis of Multimodal Clinical Imaging.
Arne Strauss, Warwick/Turing
I am an Associate Professor of Operational Research at Warwick Business School and a Turing Fellow. My research focus is on developing closer links between demand management (i.e. optimal control of prices and product availabilities, demand and choice modelling) and other domains, such as transportation. The main applications that I worked on over recent years are last-mile logistics and air traffic management. Much of this work is inherently application-orientated and I collaborate with a variety of stakeholders including SMEs, national corporations and international organisations. I am a member of the OR Society’s Research Panel.