I am a Lecturer in Health Data Science. I have been in post since the autumn of 2019.
What brought you to the University of Aberdeen?
When I had the opportunity to join the Centre for Health Data Science, a multidisciplinary and diverse research group, I had to take it! I have also always wanted to live in Scotland, and I have found Aberdeen to be a great place to live. It literally sparkles.
What is your current focus?
In my role, I am juggling many different things, but my main tasks revolve around research or teaching. My background is in biomedical engineering, and my main research interest is modelling human movement for the development of assistive technologies and telemedicine. During the covid-19 pandemic, I have been working with our local NHS trust to develop epidemiological models for monitoring the effect of the pandemic on the healthcare system. In terms of teaching, I coordinate our Masters programme in Health Data Science, and I run two short courses: Introduction to Health Data Science and Machine Learning for Healthcare.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I like juggling many tasks, it makes every day different. I am also keen to contribute to an inclusive and supportive environment for early career researchers, so I enjoy sharing skills and good research practices with our group.
What is your favourite thing to do in your spare time to relax?
Reading and baking. I was making my own bread before lockdown made it fashionable.
What made you choose this career?
I wanted to work in health, but I also really like computers, so developing computer models for healthcare applications was a perfect fit.
If you could go back in time and choose a different career, what would you choose and why?
Environmental engineering or something along those lines, as climate change is the biggest threat to human health.
What do you think is the most challenging part about your job?
There are many positive things about academia, but also many negatives: job insecurity, especially for early career staff; gender, ethnic, and disability pay gap; hiring and promotion incentives that do not align with good research culture; and an academic publishing model that is exploitative and inequitable. Things are getting better, and I try to make sure my work contributes to this improvement.
What is an accomplishment in life you are proud of?
I am proud of trying out things that scare me, and doing things I’m not very good at. For example, I once managed to cycle down a mountain biking trail without braking! (I am not a very confident cyclist.) I also make excellent chocolate brownies.
Who has inspired you in your life and why?
My mother, who was a medical doctor, and managed to also raise three daughters (to be fair, my dad helped too). She made me believe that I can do anything - even mountain biking.
