Tell us a bit about your current job:

I’m a statistician at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), a specialist university for research into public and global health. My work is specifically around modelling infectious diseases, analysing data to understand patterns in how the number of cases varies over time and space and who is most at risk. Usually I work on a rare vector-borne disease in India, but recently have been involved with a large group of modellers and statisticians working on the coronavirus epidemic in the UK.

What and where did you study after school:

I got an undergraduate degree in maths and statistics from the University of Bath and then a master’s degree in medical statistics from LSHTM, where I now work.

How did you get from answer 2 to answer 1?

I liked LSHTM so much during my masters that I just came back! The variety of work going on to improve health in different global contexts and communities was really inspiring while I was studying. Although I initially took a job elsewhere, I stayed in contact with some people and kept up with the opportunities being advertised until something came up for someone with my qualifications.  

How does your formal education feed into your present career (if at all)?

The master's degree I did was very vocational so almost every day I’m using the skills I learnt then in some form or another, but I am learning more all the time.  

What things have you learnt outside of formal education that have been helpful to your career?

Being able to confidently present your work to others at meetings and conferences is quite a key skill which I didn’t learn at university and am definitely still working on…

What are the really useful skills for someone in your job to possess?

In academia projects tend to span months and years, and can be somewhat meandering so it’s important to be able to stay focussed and motivated, despite set-backs along the way. When you’re trying to solve a problem no-one’s solved before there are many wrong turns and dead ends and it’s easy to get discouraged. The key is just to be able to stick at it and ultimately you make progress! 

What does an average day at work look like for you?

At the moment of course I’ve been working from home every day, but usually I’d be home one or two days a week anyway. Usually I’m working on writing code for an analysis, creating figures to illustrate the results and then writing everything up into reports and papers to be submitted to journals. I have to keep up with what others in my field are doing by reading new publications and sometimes attending conferences. As university staff, I also teach about the use of statistics in public health so sometimes I’m running seminars, talking to students and helping to develop new teaching materials. 

What's the best thing about your job?

It’s common for people to spend years studying for a degree never to use that specific knowledge again, so I’m really lucky that my job allows me to directly apply what I learnt. The context is fascinating and it’s motivating to think that you’re helping people in some small way. I also sometimes get to travel to meet and work with experts in my field across the UK and abroad – it’s fun talking to others who are as excited by statistics as I am! 

What's your least favourite aspect of your job?

Imposter syndrome is a struggle! It can be intimidating to have to promote yourself and your work around experts with years of experience who can tease apart and critique every detail. I always find I feel everyone around knows more than I do, and the curse is that the more you learn the more you realise there is to learn! 

What advice would you give someone seeking a job like yours?

If you work in a university I’d recommend taking advantage of the opportunity to keep studying and gaining qualifications, as staff usually have access to courses. In order to progress in academia you usually need a PhD these days, but working as an applied statistician in a university like I do it’s possible to take modules and build up the research experience required without having to be a full-time student (and while earning a proper salary!).