Maths Intro | Toss a Coin | Flexible Hours | Multidimensional Statistician | SARS Equation

From the Editors: Raymond was a reporter for the genetics team. He observed the research of a mathematician working in collaboration with geneticists. His report reflects the true interdisciplinary nature of science. As such, we have placed this article in both the mathematics and genetics sections of the website.

Solving the SARS Equation
By Raymond Gutierrez

___If I had gone back in time and told my younger self that I would have a career in science, I am sure the would-be-actuary would take offence. I had always viewed the sciences, all lab coats and test tubes, as a field that I could be miserable in. But I recently discovered a truth that would change my views of science forever.

___My discovery came when I met Dr Scott Sisson, a statistician and lecturer at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). He has the usual abundance of credentials: undergraduate degree, masters degree, and PhD at the Universities of Lancaster and Bristol, and a post-doctorate at the University of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. However, the fact that he is only 30 years old took me by surprise.

___It was a Friday morning, and with no appointments in the next few hours, Dr Sisson found time to sit down for a chat. His enthusiasm and openness showed that he has not lost his youth. A former member of rock band 'Firefly' in the U.K., Scott still seems connected to the student body. He even expressed an interest in forming a band here in Sydney. Is there a world away from work for Scott? Yes, there is. Whether he is spending time with his family, enjoying a game of cricket, or tuning in to some classical or trip hop, Scott is always doing something.

___There are three aspects to Scott's job. The first is teaching, and Scott's day begins with tutoring one of his pupils. The second is his administrative duties, maintaining the Department of Statistics web pages. Finally, what he considers "the good stuff", is research. Luckily for him, today was full of research. It was hard not to see a smile on his face.

___After an hour of consultation with a student, he was off to discuss research with his colleagues.

___He made two stops.

___The first was with Dr David Warton, a fellow statistician. They are addressing ecological issues, such as survival rates in different stages of a species' life cycle. This research may be used to target conservation efforts more effectively.

___Next, Scott calls on Biomolecular scientist, Dr Mark Tanaka, who is working on genetics and disease transmission. Dr Tanaka is interested in factors that contribute to outbreaks of diseases, like SARS. Scott's simulation results and methods he has developed are helping to address this problem. His work is definitely of a world class standard!

___Scott’s is cross-disciplinary work in action! Genetics and Biomolecular sciences look to Mathematics for answers. And Scott’s research has nothing to do with laboratories, dangerous chemicals, white coats, and clunky machines. Instead, all he needs are a desktop computer with a pen and writing pad on the side. How is that for simplicity!

___"Mathematics and Statistics both play a supporting role and background to most other sciences. I can take Mathematics and run with it anywhere I like! Take Genetics, for example. With an ageing population, the government wants people to stay at work longer. So, we want to improve the quality of life for older workers, and this is how I became interested in Genetics and Biostatistics. 'What are the genes that can make me live forever?’ Because there is so much data, and due to the way this data is collected, there are no standard statistical methods that can analyse so much information in current formats. That's where we come in."

___After these discussions, it was back to Scott's office, where he wrote computer codes for a simulation that will run over the weekend. However, Scott does not seem to be done yet; he has other research projects, too!

___Scott's work is not confined within the walls of UNSW. He stresses that Science is international, and you need to keep up with new scientific developments worldwide. He and a handful of academics are organising a 'Symposium in Biostatistics and MCMC' for June 2005. Researchers in Biology and Statistics from all over the world will come together to discuss their research and latest discoveries in what Scott considers the "most vibrant area of statistical research".

___Toward the end of the afternoon, I posed the question I would have asked any other scientist, "Why choose Science? Why choose research over riches?"

___He replied, “There are many things people don’t know, and I could be the first person to discover them. Private companies are motivated by profit, and that limits what I’d be able to do if I worked for them. As a lecturer, I can do precisely what I want to do and what I find interesting. I have no constraints. And if I can change the world, which I probably won’t, that would be brilliant...”

___I am reminded of the wise words of Confucius: Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

___I chose Science in Mathematics and Finance, which is the closest substitute to Actuarial Studies, hoping to transfer after a few successful years. You can probably guess that my motive is money. The truth that I discovered from my Day in Science is that Science is broad and diverse. There are always opportunities. As long as there is a problem in the world, Mathematics will be there to fix it.

___If you ask where I willl be in 10 years, I will tell you that I will still be doing Science in Mathematics…

Maths Intro | Toss a Coin | Flexible Hours | Multidimensional Statistician | SARS Equation