Annual Richard James Boys Lecture: "From phylogenetic trees to time-series of one: when the past shapes the present"

Date: Wednesday 12 November 2025, 3.00PM - 4.00PM
Location: LT3, Herschel Building, Newcastle University
LT3, Herschel Building, Newcastle University
Local Group Meeting
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We are delighted to share that the next Royal Statistical Society North Eastern local group event will be the annual Richard James Boys lecture. The speaker will be Dr Rute Veira, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen.

🕒 When: 3pm on Wednesday 12th November 2025
☕️ Tea/coffee: before, from 2:30pm
🍷 Wine reception: following, at 4pm
📍 Where: LT3, Herschel Building, Newcastle University

Title — From phylogenetic trees to time-series of one: when the past shapes the present

Abstract:
From modelling evolutionary histories to understanding individual health trajectories, our data – and our models – remind us that few processes are ever truly independent. My research journey began with Bayesian phylogenetic modelling of gene evolution, under the supervision of Professor Richard Boys and Dr Tom Nye, where the challenge was to represent uncertainty and shared ancestry across complex tree structures. The same statistical principles—dependence, hierarchy, and temporal structure—now underpin my work in n-of-1 and personalised medicine, where dynamic regression models capture within-individual change over time. This lecture reflects on that continuity and on how the lessons and perspectives gained during my PhD continue to shape my approach to data, statistical reasoning, and professional development.

Local Event Organiser: Andrew Golightly
Local Group Secretary: Louis Aslett

 

We are delighted to share that the next Royal Statistical Society North Eastern local group event will be the annual Richard James Boys lecture. The speaker will be Dr Rute Veira, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen.

🕒 When: 3pm on Wednesday 12th November 2025
☕️ Tea/coffee: before, from 2:30pm
🍷 Wine reception: following, at 4pm
📍 Where: LT3, Herschel Building, Newcastle University

Title — From phylogenetic trees to time-series of one: when the past shapes the present

Abstract:
From modelling evolutionary histories to understanding individual health trajectories, our data – and our models – remind us that few processes are ever truly independent. My research journey began with Bayesian phylogenetic modelling of gene evolution, under the supervision of Professor Richard Boys and Dr Tom Nye, where the challenge was to represent uncertainty and shared ancestry across complex tree structures. The same statistical principles—dependence, hierarchy, and temporal structure—now underpin my work in n-of-1 and personalised medicine, where dynamic regression models capture within-individual change over time. This lecture reflects on that continuity and on how the lessons and perspectives gained during my PhD continue to shape my approach to data, statistical reasoning, and professional development.

Local Event Organiser: Andrew Golightly
Local Group Secretary: Louis Aslett

 

Dr Rute Veira,
Senior Lecturer,
Institute of Applied Health Sciences,
University of Aberdeen.

 

Local Event Organiser: Andrew Golightly
Local Group Secretary: Louis Aslett

 
Book now