Newsletter December 2012
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Newsletter December 2012 2013 International Year of Statistics Richard Emsley As many readers will know, the BIR is its population, economy and education or other topics for the website at any actively participating in the Interna- system; the health of its citizens; and time by emailing the items to Richard tional Year of Statistics 2013, and similar social, economic, government Emsley and Jeff Myers of the Ameri- there are several ways that members and other relevant topics. can Statistical Association at . are encouraged to contribute to this Around the World in Statistics—A short event. Please join in where you can! The Steering Committee are also seek- 150 to 200 word article about how ing a core group of regular bloggers When the public-focused website of statistics is making life better for the to feature on the new website blog the International Year of Statistics is people of your country and are particu- unveiled later this year it will feature Statistician Job of the Week—A short larly keen for lots of exciting content informing mem- 150 to 250 word article, written by young statisti- bers of the public about the role of any members talking about his/her job cians to contrib- statistics in everyday life. So that this as a statistician and how he/she is ute to this. If content remains fresh and is frequently contributing to improving our global anyone would updated, the Steering Committee is society. like to become a seeking content contributions from par- blogger and ticipating organizations throughout the Statistics in Action—A photo with a contribute to this world in several subject areas. brief caption that shows how statistics collective en- improves the quality of life of your Statistic of the Day—A series of four deavor, please country’s people. or five brief, informative statistical contact Richard facts about your country, for example, Anyone can contribute items on these or Jeff as above. Roundup of Newsletter Next year 2013 is the Inter- Network meeting pro- other members of the BIR national Year of Statistics gramme is here. The BIR is are proud to kickstart the (IYS). Please contribute to sponsoring the 36th Re- UK’s own Causal Inference Inside this issue: this by adding events to search Students’ Conference. meeting. James Carpenter achieve one event a day The Intergrated population gives his comments. Finally CHANNEL NETWORK 2 worldwide! Email Ron Was- modelling meeting was a membership renewal infor- serstein to do this. Also add great success. Speakers at mation including the form 2 the IYS logo to your web- the 40+ years of Cox model are here. RSC 2012 site! Details of the IYS Vid- meeting guest starring Sir eo Competition can be David Cox have been an- INTEGRATED POPULA- 3 found here. The Channel nounced. Richard Emsley and TION MODELLING PROPORTIONAL HAZARDS 3 President’s corner MEETING It seems no time at all since I spect. With the reform of UK CAUSAL INFERENCE 3 took over as BIR President, the governance now in MEETING but very soon my two-year place and the election of period of office will be up members to the executive SECRETARY’S COMMENTS 4 and I shall be passing the committee under way, I Region over to Simon hope that my period of Thompson. Rather unexpect- office will be one where we INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF 4 edly for me, this will coin- can build upon these demo- STATISTICS VIDEO COMPE- cide with my taking up of- cratic changes within the IBS KOBE AWARD WINNERS 4 fice as the incoming vice- to produce a stronger, more President of the IBS, an ex- engaged, and international- ly integrated scientific soci- John with current IBS president, citing and challenging pro- MEMBERSHIIP 5 Clarice Demetrio ety. Newsletter December 2012 President’s corner continued For both the Society at ings, etc, we attempt to ob- members, possibly making tunity for the Region and all large and the BIR, a key tain some idea of what you use of social media, to en- members, young and older, aspect for officers and com- value in your Biometric Socie- hance the sense of a biomet- to meet up. Then in 2014 mittees is communication with ty membership. However, it rics community. The project is the IBC will be held in Flor- the members. In the Region can be difficult to know what being led by Rhian Daniel ence, somewhat easier to we now have excellent ways else you would be interested (LSHTM) and I wish her well get to than Japan. I hope to of disseminating information in and how you would like to in this endeavour. meet many of you at these to members through email, see the Society developing Conferences are always a events and for you to tell the website, and this news- to serve your needs. Under great way of meeting new me what you think of the BIR letter. But the flow of infor- an IBS Strategic Initiative we people, exchanging ideas, and the IBS – what we are mation in the other direction have started a BIR pilot pro- and forming research col- doing well, what needs is more problematic. Of ject on Communication with laborations. The Channel changing, and what you course, through broad rep- Young Members of the Re- Network Conference in St would like to see us doing in resentation on our Regional gion. The aim is to see how Andrews in July of next year the future. Please don’t be Committee and involving the Region/Society can reach will be an excellent oppor- shy. members in scientific meet- out to its young and student Channel Network Meeting Sue Welham This conference will be host- by David Spiegelhalter Andrews), Eleni Matechou (University of Pennsylvania) ed at the University of St and invited sessions on (Oxford University), Jérôme Andrews from 3-5th July Statisical Ecology, Mixed Dupuis (Université Paul Saba- Pre-conference workshops Modelling and Advances in 2013. tier, Toulouse) Parameter redundancy: Diana Genomics. Contributed The conference will start at Cole (University of Kent) talks and posters are also Mixed modelling: Simon lunchtime on Wednesday sought (details to follow). Wood (Bath University), Current Methods in Mixed 3rd July and finish at Ingelin Steinsland Modelling: Peter Diggle lunchtime on Friday 5th July, Keynote speaker: Geert (Norwegian University of (University of Lancaster) with pre-conference work- Verbeke (KU Leuven) Science and Technology), shops taking place on the Fisher Memorial Lecture: Adeline Samson (Université Wednesday morning. Uni- David Spiegelhalter Paris Descartes) versity accommodation is available from Tuesday to (Cambridge) Advances in genomics: Saturday. The programme Invited sessions Mark van de Wiel (VU Uni- includes a keynote address versity Amsterdam), Hae by Geert Verbeke, the an- Statistical Ecology: David Won Uh (Leiden University nual Fisher Memorial Lecture Borchers (University of St Medical Center), Hongzhe Li 36th Research Students’ Conference BIR is proud to sponsor the we are extending the scope opportunity for some dele- 36th Research Students’ of the conference to also gates to present their re- Conference in Statistics. include social statisticians. search before an international audience. There are no entry The conference will take The RSC is a conference that requirements and all dele- place on the 25th-28th is organised for students by gates are encouraged to pre- March 2013 at Lancaster students. We aim to provide sent some of their work either University. The conference is a friendly atmosphere by a talk or a poster, alt- open to PhD students or where you can make inter- hough this is not mandatory. equivalent in any field relat- institution connections and ing to probability, statistics discuss ideas freely. Further- or social statistics. This year more, this will be the first Page 2 Newsletter Inside Story Headline December 2012 Integrated population modelling Diana Cole On 24th September ecol- tutorial talk on integrated another talk on Recent de- gave a talk about State-space ogists and statisticians got population modelling velopments in integrated modelling reveals the proximate together for an joint meeting by Takis Besbeas (Athens population model- causes of harbour seal popula- of the Environmental Statis- University of Business and ling, Fitsum Abadie tion declines and Allan Tucker tics Section of the Royal Sta- Economics, University of (Centre D'Ecologie Fonctionn (Brunel University) talked on Dy- tistical Society British and Kent). Then over lunch 8 elle & Evolutive) talked on namic probabilistic models for Irish region of the Biometric posters were presented in- Combining demographic predicting regime shifts in fish Society and the Computa- cluding both the theoretical and population count data populations. The meeting ended tional Ecology Special Inter- and applied aspects of inte- to estimate immigration rate with a discussion led by Byron est Group of the British Eco- grating different data sets. and the strength of density Morgan (University of Kent). logical Society on Integrat- In the afternoon four speak- dependence, Ja- ed Population modelling. ers presented their son Matthiopoulos The meeting started with a work. Takis Besbeas gave (University of St. Andrews) Celebrating 40+ years of the Cox Model Daniel Farewell Together with the Centre for 2013 in the John Snow history analysis, and a his- Statistical Methodology at (formerly Goldsmiths) Lec- torical perspective on the the London School of Hy- ture Theatre at the London impact of the paper. The giene and Tropical Medi- School of Hygiene and meeting starts at 11:00am, cine, we're pleased to an- Tropical Medicine, where and speakers include Bianca nounce a scientific meeting the "proportional hazards" De Stavola, Torben Marti- to mark 41 years of Sir Da- paper was read before the nussen, Paul Lambert and vid Cox's celebrated rela- Royal Statistical Society on Robin Henderson (pictured).