With the commencement of his presidency in January 2025, we asked Sir John Aston about himself, his views as a statistician and member of the RSS and his aspirations for the next two years...
Congratulations on starting your new role as RSS president! Can you tell us a little about your career so far and your experiences with the RSS?
I’m delighted to start as RSS President. It is an amazing society with such a long history, and I’m really honoured to be serving as president. I’ve always loved maths, but my love of statistics came really through my PhD, where I looked at how statistical modelling could be used to understand the human brain. The quote from John Tukey always rings true for me: ‘The best thing about statistics is that you get to play in everyone's backyard’ – something the Society really embodies. I’ve been fortunate to work all over the world, but I started my involvement with the RSS when I returned to the UK in 2008 and attended the conference. It has been great to be part of the Society ever since.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your work to date?
I’ve been fortunate to be involved in projects in so many areas, as diverse as developing methods for brain imaging, reconstructing the sounds of ancient languages, enhancing earthquake detection, developing methodology for economic time series, interpreting migration statistics, enhancing methodology for computational biology, developing new techniques in forensic entomology and working on multiple aspects of Covid-19, as well as many more areas besides. In all these projects, gaining understanding through often novel statistical models is always the most rewarding aspect.
One of the ways you were involved with the UK’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic was as Home Office Chief Scientific Adviser and Director-General of Science, Technology, Analysis, Research and Strategy. What lessons from that time might you bring to your presidency?
That statistics can be vital to many decisions, but it always needs to be considered among many other aspects. Unless statisticians help people understand the statistics, quantitative evidence can either be overlooked or misinterpreted.
Public statistics and the use of data in public life have been key areas of focus in your work. How can the RSS best work towards improvements and innovation in these areas?
I think the Statistics Under Pressure project has been a great example of the RSS thinking about how to make statistics a real force for public good, and I’m so pleased to have been involved. It shows that statisticians really can make a difference, often in really difficult circumstances – I’d encourage everyone to take a look at the
case studies.
What do you see as the biggest challenges facing statisticians and other data professionals today?
I think that both the biggest opportunity and biggest challenge is simply the overwhelming need for good statistics and data science at the moment. We really need to ensure that, as things rapidly develop, we are able to train enough people who have the true skills to help with this revolution.
With the growing use of AI and big data, how do you foresee the role of statistics evolving over the next few years?
I think the role of statistics will evolve to make more use of the tools developed within the frameworks of AI and big data, but also I very much hope that we don’t forget the long-standing and highly relevant knowledge that statisticians have built up over more than a century. These ideas are critical in AI and big data, and we have much to contribute to AI evolution.
What are your key priorities as RSS president, and are there any particular initiatives or projects that you’re excited about?
As you’ve mentioned, I’m really keen to continue the work started by previous presidents to make sure the RSS is relevant for modern society, and particularly modern public decision making. I’m also sure that I, and indeed much of the RSS executive and council, will spend lots of time making a success of the transition from Errol St to our new home, wherever that may be.
The RSS has been working hard in recent years to bolster inclusion and diversity in the statistical and data fields. How do you plan to ensure that we remain inclusive and representative of a diverse range of voices?
Diversity of thought is paramount to proper statistics. Statisticians embrace the quantification of uncertainty, and we can only do that if we represent a diverse range of voices. I want to make sure that thinking about inclusion and diversity remains core to everything the RSS does, from our events to our campaigns, and we really learn from what we do well, and indeed what we could and should do better.
As technology continues to change rapidly, how can the RSS stay ahead of the curve in supporting its members with relevant skills and resources?
The RSS has been at the forefront of thinking and training for the next generation of statisticians and data professionals. This needs to continue, especially making sure that we incorporate new technologies, while remaining true to the core statistical ideas that make us so useful in modern society.
Finally, do you have a favourite statistic or piece of data?
I think that the topic of inflation data is endlessly fascinating – understanding how different inflation statistics do or do not represent the lived experiences of people. However, if I had to pick one statistic, it would be a warning one – the significant linear correlation between chocolate consumption per capita and the number of Nobel laureates per 10 million persons – ignore the difference between correlation and causation at your peril, unless of course you like chocolate!