Maria Dunbar GradStat, Mathematical modeller

I got into statistics pragmatically. I enjoyed mathematics at school and opted to study applied mathematics at university. From here, I was introduced to statistics beyond the initial concepts seen at school, and realised I found these courses more interesting than the economics courses I was taking. As my interest and passion grew, I obtained an MSc in Statistics from the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen and started applying my knowledge to the field of public health. I am very happy to have started a career in statistical modelling in public health. It’s a very interesting field to work in and I have not yet had a boring day at work.

I joined the RSS in 2016 as an MSc student to make myself known in the wider statistics community and cement my commitment to the field. I have just been awarded GradStat status and am looking forward to the mentoring opportunity available to me. As an early career professional, I’m extremely busy but I hope to get more involved in more of the Society’s activities in the near future.

While I am personally interested in public health, being a member of RSS allows me to keep up with current trends in other areas of statistics. It keeps me informed on current suggested changes to policy on statistics. There are also the fun elements such as last year’s Christmas quiz.