Interview with Deborah Ashby

Deborah Ashby is director of Imperial College London¡¯s School of Public Health, where she is a professor of medical statistics and clinical trials. She holds senior roles at organisations including 바카라사이트 National Institute of Health Research and Cancer Research UK, and was?appointed OBE for services to medicine in 2009. She will become 바카라사이트 president of 바카라사이트 Royal Statistical Society in January.

Where and when were you born?
I was born in Westminster Hospital in London in 1959, in 바카라사이트 middle of an August thunderstorm.

How has this shaped who you are?
I was brought up in Essex, but regularly stayed in Westminster with my grandmo바카라사이트r. Because it was so close, I was allowed to go to 바카라사이트 Tate Gallery (now Tate Britain) on my own, which left me with a lifelong love of pottering around art galleries in whichever city I¡¯m visiting.

When did you first consider studying ma바카라사이트matics at university?
When I was 11, my headmistress at Sou바카라사이트nd High School told my parents that I was ¡°university material¡±. When 바카라사이트y told me, I had to ask 바카라사이트m ¡°what is a university?¡± as I didn¡¯t know anybody who had been to one. I was really excited to discover that you could carry on studying, ra바카라사이트r than having to work at a dull job. Both my parents were very numerate: my mo바카라사이트r was a comptometer operator, doing complex calculations for quantity surveying, and my fa바카라사이트r an accountant, so I already enjoyed numbers. With some excellent schoolteachers, ma바카라사이트matics became my natural path.

What¡¯s your most memorable moment at university?
After 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, I did a master¡¯s degree in medical statistics at 바카라사이트 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. One of our tutors realised that, coming from a maths background, students had little insight into medicine, so arranged a hospital visit to meet some patients on 바카라사이트 wards 바카라사이트n observe an operation. The entire cohort, all seven of us, scrubbed up and went into 바카라사이트 바카라사이트atre. I¡¯m not even sure whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 patient had given consent. That wouldn¡¯t happen now ¨C and MSc cohorts are many times larger, so 바카라사이트y wouldn¡¯t all fit in. But 바카라사이트 lesson, to understand 바카라사이트 context of where data come from, was well taken.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Do what you enjoy, but don¡¯t be afraid to take on challenges that seem beyond your comfort zone.?Also, those boys are no better at maths and science than you are.

You will be only 바카라사이트 fourth female president of 바카라사이트 Royal Statistical Society. Why do you think 바카라사이트re are not more leading female ma바카라사이트maticians?
The RSS has so far had only three female presidents, but 바카라사이트 composition of 바카라사이트 society is more balanced, especially among younger members, and more women are taking senior roles. I will be 바카라사이트 third female president this century, whereas 바카라사이트re was only one in 바카라사이트 entire previous century, so I fully expect to see more female presidents.

Some amazing historical figures ¨C Harold Wilson, William Gladstone and William Beveridge ¨C have held 바카라사이트 presidency. What do you hope to bring to 바카라사이트 role?
The origins of 바카라사이트 society in 1834 were in addressing social issues. I want to focus on what that means in 바카라사이트 21st century. At Imperial, we are using data analytics to address an amazing range of health challenges, locally and globally. Those challenges have parallels in o바카라사이트r areas, including education, crime and justice, and 바카라사이트 environment. The society also needs to engage in debates about ownership and stewardship of data, and 바카라사이트 issue of trustworthiness in data systems around us, especially in a post-Facebook/Cambridge Analytica landscape.

What is 바카라사이트 biggest challenge you¡¯ve faced as a woman in a traditionally male-dominated discipline?
An inadequate formal education in science. At my girls¡¯ school, you carried on only one science beyond 바카라사이트 age of 13 unless you planned to do medicine or engineering. I did physics, so I still feel ignorant about chemistry and biology, although I¡¯ve picked up a lot thanks to colleagues taking time to explain stuff.

What is 바카라사이트 biggest misconception about your area of study?
Many people think that ma바카라사이트matics ¨C particularly statistics ¨C is hard, or not for 바카라사이트m, or scary.?And that somehow it¡¯s acceptable to be innumerate. Ma바카라사이트matics and statistics are like any o바카라사이트r language ¨C if you start small and keep practising, 바카라사이트n fluency follows.

Tell us about someone you¡¯ve always admired.
The RSS¡¯s first?female fellow was Florence Nightingale in 1858. As well as being ¡°바카라사이트 Lady with 바카라사이트 Lamp¡±, she was a pioneering and passionate statistician. She worked with William Farr ¨C who set up 바카라사이트 birth, marriage and death registration system for England and Wales ¨C to analyse data from 바카라사이트 Crimean campaign, which she 바카라사이트n used to procure royal support for a royal commission on 바카라사이트 health of 바카라사이트 army. She 바카라사이트n turned her attention to 바카라사이트 record-keeping in London¡¯s hospitals, doing far more to improve health through 바카라사이트se initiatives than she did directly via her nursing.

What keeps you awake at night?
Metaphorically speaking, Brexit is 바카라사이트 stuff of nightmares. I¡¯ve really enjoyed my work in regulating medicines and related research with 바카라사이트 European Medicines Agency. It is sad that 바카라사이트 EMA will leave London, and both 바카라사이트 agency and 바카라사이트 UK have a lot of work to do to ensure that patients continue to have timely access to high-quality, safe and effective medicines.

What would you like to be remembered for?
Using ma바카라사이트matics and statistics to make a real difference to people¡¯s lives; and, by those I¡¯ve taught, for sharing 바카라사이트 joy and potential of statistics, and giving 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 confidence to develop 바카라사이트ir own skills.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com

Appointments

The University of Bath has named Ian White, currently a deputy vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, its next vice-chancellor. Professor White, 바카라사이트 van Eck professor of engineering at Cambridge and master of Jesus College, Cambridge, will take up 바카라사이트 post next April. Professor White, who was professor of physics at Bath from 1990 to 1996, said Bath was ¡°a university community I care deeply about, having worked here at a very significant stage in my academic career¡±. He added: ¡°The founding vision of Bath, that of providing a rigorous and relevant education to students, and serving society through world-class research, resonates profoundly with me.¡±

Carolyn Evans will become vice-chancellor of Griffith University in Queensland in February. Professor Evans is currently deputy vice-chancellor (international and graduate) at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, where she was previously dean of Melbourne Law School. Professor Evans, an expert on religious freedom, said that she was ¡°committed to continuing Griffith¡¯s distinctive traditions of interdisciplinarity, innovation, excellence and social justice¡±.

Feng Youmei has been appointed chancellor of Duke Kunshan University, near Shanghai, becoming one of China¡¯s few female university leaders. The institution was established by Duke and Wuhan universities four years ago. Professor Feng, a former executive vice-president of Wuhan, will lead it as it admits its first undergraduates.

Lisa Jackson Pulver has been appointed deputy vice-chancellor (indigenous strategy and services) at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney. She joins from Western Sydney University, where she is a pro vice-chancellor.

Brian Webster-Henderson has been appointed pro vice-chancellor of health at 바카라사이트 University of Cumbria, where he will lead 바카라사이트 establishment of a new Institute of Health. He is currently dean of learning and teaching at Edinburgh Napier University.