Education

MSc Health Data Science

University of Aberdeen, UK | Sep 2021 - August 2023 (part-time)

Instead of opting for a 60-credit research project, I have chosen to do two 30-credit courses each summer: Evaluating Policy Effects in Practice in year 1, and a work-based placement in year two.

  • Introduction to Health Data Science
    • Featuring a team project to develop an infographic on the topic of Patient and Public Involvement/ Engagement in Research. Link to project here, see slide 2 for my contribution: Infographic
    • Developed a dashboard ‘Patients Discharged from Psychiatric Hospitals in Scotland, 2002-2020’, using ScotPHO data - see Projects page for more details
  • Applied Statistics
    • Linear and non-linear models
    • Logistic regression
    • \(\chi^2\) distributions and analysis of categorical data
  • Health Informatics
    • Data and information governance
    • Ethics of data use and reuse
    • Linked data and data specifications
    • Investigated the impact of psychological interventions on diabetes-related distress during routine appointments and during follow-up
  • Machine Learning for Healthcare
    • Supervised and unsupervised classification
    • Artificial intelligence applications in healthcare
    • Algorithmic bias and risks
    • Ethics of machine learning in healthcare, specifically the use of electronic health records (EHRs) to determine mental health presentations in emergency departments in Australia, across different demographics
  • Evaluating Policy Effects in Practice
    • Ethical frameworks and the use of AI in mental health care and research - I chose this theme as it is an area of particular interest that I will be continuing to develop over time. One of my primary outputs is a storyboard, a link to which can be found here.
  • Evidence-based Health
    • Systematic reviews and meta-analysis
    • Reviewing evidence from randomized controlled trials on the impact of protein supplementation in elderly patients in hospital
  • Database Systems and Big Data
    • Design and creation and management of secure databases using MS Access, phpMyAdmin and MySQL Workbench
    • Simple and complex transactions
    • Implementation of database security protocols
    • Transaction planning and scheduling
  • Epidemiology
    • Principles and applications of epidemiological research methods
    • Common statistical methods and measures
    • Study designs and their uses in public health
  • Data Science: From Data to Insight
    • Fundamental steps in generating insights from data
    • Computational essays to explore, analyse and present research in Mathematica
  • Work-Based Placement

Data linkage project in the Grampian Safe Haven to determine the incidence of diabetes in new users of antipsychotics and the extent to which monitoring of NICE-recommended health process measures are carried out, compared to statins and SSRIs.

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PhD Evolutionary Biology

University of Edinburgh, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh & The James Hutton Institute, UK | Sep 2007 - August 2011

Epiphyte diversity on Scottish Aspen (Populus tremula): a component of the extended phenotype

My thesis is in the process of being converted to Bookdown, with some revisions and updates from the original. Link here: aspen

I studied genotype x environment interactions and community genetics in a native and biologically important, but rare, tree.

  • Carried out DNA microsatellite analysis of various ‘wild’ aspen clones found at RSPB Insh Marshes nature reserve to identify clones, and determine relationships within and between stands
  • Carried out fieldwork in different sites across Scotland, collected count data of lichen, moss and liverworts growing on wild and experimental aspen clones to determine differences in community structure
    • RSPB Insh Marshes
    • Moray
    • Lochgilphead
    • Loch Lomond and Trossachs area (clones were not present however)
  • Collected bark from clones to analyse phenolic glycosides and identify differences in chemical profile based on clonal identity
  • Measured bark roughness to determine extent of genotype x environment effects and how this might influence (or be influenced by) epiphyte communities
  • Applied various modelling techniques (linear models including regression, ANOVA, GLMM; ordination and classification techniques such as CCA, RDA, Mantel tests; dabbled in Structural Equation Models) to identify differences in epiphyte community structure between clones, difference in bark properties attributable to genotype, and the interactions between these effects

It was a lot of fun, and I would love to carry on, which is why I am continuing through publishing on Bookdown.

Plant aspen!

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MSc Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants

University of Edinburgh & Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK | Sep 2005 - August 2006

  • A combination of classical herbarium taxonomy, and molecular aspects of plant identification and classificaion
  • My final project investigated the relationships between Prunus laurocerasus, Prunus lusitanica and allies from the Mediterranean and West and Central Asia.
  • To be converted to Bookdown one day…

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BSc (Hons) Botany

Reading University, UK | Sep 2003 - July 2005

A really good degree programme that unfortunately no longer exists, but gave a solid grounding in a variety of topics, such as:

  • Macroevolution and microevolution
  • Plant biodiversity
  • Crop physiology
  • Statistics and experimental design
  • Plant identification

My final project was to map and attempt to classify Carpobrotus spp. growing on the Bournemouth-Southbourne coast in the UK, comparing phenotypes from the various entities found to existing taxonomic treatments. Also to be converted to Bookdown one day.

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