Curriculum Vitae
Martine J. Barons
Contact: Department of Statistics, Mathematical Sciences Building, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL
Click on 'Page contact: Martine Barons' at bottom of page to send an email.
Research interests:
Mathematical modelling and analysis of human systems, Decision support, Structured Expert Judgement, Machine Learning, Complex systems, Data analysis, Structured Expert Judgement.
I have been Director of the Applied Statistics & Risk Unit, Department of Statistics, since November 2016 and Reader in Statistics since August 2023.
Before that I held a Research fellow position for 3 years to work with Prof Jim Q Smith on coherent inference over a network of probabilistic systems for decision support with applications to food security.
I first joined the Department of Statistics in December 2012 to work with Professor Jane Hutton , Professor Jim Smith and Professor Tony Marson , exploring the role of Chain Event Graphs in modelling and managing chronic diseases.
My doctoral research in Complexity Science involved the use of relevant machine learning techniques to analyse healthcare data sets with a view to personalising healthcare. I used two contrasting datasets from a clinical trial and an observational study and compare the performance of the machine learning technique relative to standard statistical analysis.
I am a responsible individual with excellent organisational skills, able to work on my own initiative or contribute as part of a team. I am able to plan a project and see it through to fruition, using creative thinking to circumnavigate the obstacles. I am able to motivate others to work towards a shared goal, to create and maintain professional networks, to teach and to engage members of the public with science at an appropriate level and engagement has been part of my promotionLink opens in a new window. I enjoy media work and have successfully created opportunities for myself in this area.
Publications
Link to list of publicationsLink opens in a new window
Funding
Martine has won over £260,000 to date in research funding from EPSRC, STFC, The British Council, industry collaborations and other sources.
Invited talks
S3RI Statistical Sciences Research InstituteLink opens in a new window, Southampton, UK, October 2023, "Safeguarding National Digital Memory: Bayesian
Network modelling of digital preservation risks"
Society of Decision Professionals Annual Conference, Houston, Texas, USA, March 2023, "Safeguarding a National Digital Memory" ProgrammeLink opens in a new window
DSTL Multi-Scale Digital Twin Workshop, Alan Turing Institute, London, UK, February 2023, "Decision Making" Invitation-only.Link opens in a new window
ABNMS December Webinar, Melbourne, Australia, December 2022, " Saving the UK National Memory with Bayesian Networks" hereLink opens in a new window
Statistics Across Campuses, Sydney, Australia, November 2022 "
National InstituteLink opens in a new window for Applied Statistics Research Australia (NIASRA), Wollongong, Australia, November 2022, "Masterclass on Decision analysis and Bayesian Networks"
SRA ANZ Conference 2022, Risk science for Sustainability, Melbourne, Australia, October 2022, Keynote Talk, "Safeguarding National Digital Memory: Bayesian Network modelling of digital preservation risks" Program Link opens in a new window
Russia's War in UkraineLink opens in a new window and its Consequences for Sustainability, Warwick, June 2022 "Household food security, causes, solutions and geopolitical upheavalsLink opens in a new window"
Education
2023 Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
2018 -19 PG Award in Interdisciplinary Pedagogy (Distinction), University of Warwick, UK
2009 -13 PhD in Complexity Science and Health Sciences, ‘What is the added value of using non-linear models to explore complex healthcare data sets?’ University of Warwick, UK
2011-12 PG Cert Introduction to Academic and Professional Practice (H.E.Teaching), University of Warwick, UK
2008 - 09 MSc Complexity Science, University of Warwick, UK
2005 - 08 BSc (Hons) in Mathematics (First Class) Coventry University, UK
HND: Business Studies with Accountancy, Distinction
Employment
In reverse chronological order:
- University of Warwick
Director of the Applied Statistics & Risk Unit November 2016
- University of Warwick
Research Fellow: Coherent inference over a network of probabilistic systems for decision support with applications to food security 2013/16
- University of Warwick
Research Assistant: Chain Event Graphs for modelling and managing chronic disease 2012/13
- University of Warwick
Studentship in Complexity Science doctoral training centre. MSc in 2008/9, Doctoral research 2009/12.
- Coventry University
Lecturer (HPL, part time). Delivery of the second half of the module 123MSE Mathematical Modelling and Problem Solving in two consecutive academic years. Performance rated 'Excellent' under the annual review process.
Teaching
Qualification: Postgraduate Award in Interdisciplinary Pedagogy
Qualification: Warwick’s Postgraduate award ‘Introduction to Academic and Professional Practice’ (IAPP I & II)
Undergraduate:
132 hours’ undergraduate lecturing: 'mathematical modelling and problems solving' module
Postgraduate:
Masters in Medical Education course, Research Methods in Clinical Education module MD967-20, ‘Concepts of Descriptive and Analytical Stats, including generalised linear modelling’
Masters level Complexity in the Social Sciences module, ‘Food security and a quantitative approach to policy design’.
MSc Food security ‘Decision support for food security: approaches and potential’
I designed the content and approach for all the Masters level teaching and received very positive feedback for both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, from clearly engaged and enthused non-specialist students
Awards and Memberships
Poster Prize: research poster presented at European Conference on Complex Systems 2011, Vienna, September 2011.
Eportfolio competition winner: Warwick Medical School inaugural e-portfolio competition September 2011.
Poster Highly commended: research poster presented at Warwick Medical School Annual Research Student Symposium January 2011.
Sigma Prize for excellence in supporting and encouraging the learning of Mathematics, 2006.
Member of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.
Member of the Royal Statistical Society
Junior Membership of the Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences
Organisational roles
Discussant OBayes 2019 Warwick
Scientific committee COST IS1304 Expert Judgment Network: Bridging the Gap between Scientific Uncertainty and Evidence-Based Decision Making - Workshop on Food Safety and Food Security, Dubrovnik, April 2016.
International workshop on ‘Evidence-based decision support for food security’, Warwick, April 2015.
IMA Vice President (Learned Society)
IMA West Midlands Branch Chairman, Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (Re-established branch)
IMA representative for University of Warwick
IMA Chairman of Branches committee
IMA Finance Committee
Organising committee for the inauguaral Young Researcher Network at European Conference on Complex Systems 2011, sponsored by FuturICT YRN at ECCS2011.
Organising committee for Young Researchers in Mathematics 2011 YRM2011.
Organising committee for Satellite meeting of European Conference on Complex Systems 2010 Young researchers session at ECCS 2010.
Organising committee for Satellite meeting of European Conference on Complex Systems 2009 PhD "In Progress" Workshop (inaugural event).
Continuing professional development
Data protection and information security
Warwick principles of Social Inclusion
Applying Consumer protection Law at Warwick
Universal admissions - handling, processing and storing personal data
Academic and Professional Pathway for Experienced Staff (APP EXP)
Recruitment and selection
What is mentoring?
Health and safety induction
Fire safety awareness
Maths Busking for public engagement
Bystander training
Public Engagement presentation
GDPR training
Preparing for Leadership
Unconscious Bias training
Introduction to Infographics
Australasian Bayesian Network Modelling Society Modelling tutorials
Royal Statistical Society writing webinar.
Diversity in the workplace
Public engagement practitioner network meetings
Practical Project Management
Warwick Preparing to Manage
Data management seminar
Internal research funding – a collaborative approach
Women in Science
Time Management
Working with other departments
Research Student Skills Programme and other courses:
Effective Research (2-day course)
Poster Creation and Design
Presenting to an Academic Audience
Voice training
Science Communication
Presentations Training (2-day course)
Effective Literature Searching Techniques
Introduction to SPSS (PASW) Statistics 17
Microsoft Publisher 2007 Overview for beginners
Microsoft Access 2007 Introduction to design
How to Write a Literature Review - Science and Medicine
Developing and improving your memory
Interview success workshop
Microsoft Access 2007 - using filters and queries to extract information
Organising an academic conference
Getting the most out of conferences
SPSS (PASW) Statistics 17 - Data operations
Microsoft Excel 2007 - New features for experienced users
Negotiate like a pro
One-day Media workshop
Getting Published - Successfully (for Science, Technology, Engineering & Medicine)
Writing for Publication
Mature Student Careers Workshop
MSOR Network: Supporting Postgraduates who teach Mathematics
Institute for Advanced Study: Early Career Fellowships, successful applications.
Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, ECM conference: Facilitation, a skill for life.
Sitebuilder2 - creating forms and quizzes
Sitebuilder2 - adding news and events
How to make a Digital Poster
Maths Busking
Writing that is interesting to read
Introduction to Academic and Professional Practice parts I and II (H.E.Teaching)
Managing Transition in Complex environments
Preparing for and Surviving your Viva
Kitchen Hygiene Certificate Level 2; 2003, 2008, 2011
Skills
Communication
I am proficient at both written and verbal communication for audiences with technical and non technical backgrounds alike. I have given talks at Conferences and at internal events and received compliments for the quality of my presentations; I had one of my posters highly commended, and another awarded a prize at a large, international conference.
Leadership
I am experienced and successful in leadership in a variety of contexts. I ran, with 7 others, a 3-day conference called ‘Young Researchers in Mathematics 2011 for around 200 delegates, plus keynote speakers. We received many compliments for the running of the conference, and during the planning phase, my detailed forward planning was particularly appreciated by my peers.
Initiative
I am willing to make things happen and capable of setting up a project from new. With one other collaborator, a mathematician working in industry, I set up the West Midlands Branch of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, which is now thriving with good audience numbers and regular, interesting speakers.
Team working
I am interested and successful in building a cohesive and effective team in whatever context I am working. I have used informal social events to successfully foster a sense of unity within the Complexity Science doctoral training centre particularly across cohorts, despite being a mature student, and therefore needing first to overcome the natural social difference across generations.
Networking
I am skilled and practised at networking and maintaining relevant contacts. Within the research arena, I have maintained contact with colleagues with whom I have shared interests, e.g. I kept sufficient communication with researchers I met at a conference that I was able to invite them to a seminar of shared interest when they were visiting my institution, and was subsequently able to make fruitful contact with their student at another conference. I have also been able to link my contacts to each other where their work is related, to the benefit of those concerned e.g. a Warwick colleague and an ICCS delegate both analysing patient interviews.
Problem Solving
I am skilled at identifying the root of a problem and proposing and evaluating candidate solutions against relevant criteria. My Doctoral research has provided many such examples, including the need to identify pertinent research questions and select the most appropriate technique or software for the analysis.
Time management
I can successfully prioritise and plan tasks so that my time is used to maximum advantage. I have undertaken my both undergraduate and postgraduate study against a background of family responsibilities and still managed to engage significantly with professional bodies and the wider research community.
Interpersonal skills
I am able to adapt to colleagues with a wide variety of working styles and preferences and work together towards a shared goal. Complexity science is deliberately multi-disciplinary, requiring significant communication and interpersonal skills. I have helped to inaugurate and maintain a young researcher’s presence within the European Conference on Complex Systems with colleagues from scientific backgrounds ranging from psychology to physical sciences.
Financial management
I am able to prioritise, plan and manage spending of a budget. I effectively managed a small travel budget during my PhD, including augmenting it with outside funding, and maximising the benefit of the expenditure by choosing conferences and other meetings with care, and following up on the research and researchers I encountered there.
Research skills
I have the ability to define useful research directions, access literature and other background information and evaluate and implement suitable methodologies for answering the question. I have acquired knowledge and understanding of unfamiliar contextual and technical background to my research area, particularly medical background. I have proposed and discussed research questions and methodologies and have been successful in identifying sub-groups in the patient data.
Teaching
I have effective teaching skills with secondary, undergraduate and postgraduate students. I have built on the experience I had in presenting health messages in schools, and have taught an undergraduate module on Mathematical Modelling and Problem solving to two consecutive cohorts of first-year mathematicians. I have also taught elementary statistics to postgraduate students on Masters Programmes and the Medical School, and am working towards a H.E. teaching qualification.
Motivating others
I like to motivate and inspire others to achieve, especially to achieve beyond what they believe they can. I have been instrumental in encouraging others to take up hobbies and courses of study which they formerly believed they were incapable of, such as learning musical instruments and embarking on a PhD. My own experience of being denied access to A-level maths at secondary school only to be highly successful as a mature student is useful for leading by example.
Ability to learn
I am able to identify my own learning needs and to access relevant training and to learn independently. I have been proactive in accessing appropriate elements of the rich Research Student Skills Programme during my PhD, and have embedded the relevant principles into my personal practice, e.g. meeting my supervisors face to face once a month but keeping in touch by sending a brief weekly report.
Public engagement
I am passionate about sharing my love of science, and in particular mathematics, with the wider public. I have delivered a talk on Machine Learning to members of the public at my local Cafe Scientifique. The audience was very mixed, most having no scientific background, but I was able to help them understand machine learning and its relevance to their lives and to I answer their questions. Public engagement
Media skills
I have a good level of skill in dealing appropriately with the media. I have taken training and written a number of press releases leading to maths reseach – related newspaper articles and a live broadcast radio interview. Following my first radio interview, the broadcaster has asked me to provide maths-related content on subsequent occasions, also as live broadcast interviews and at short notice.
Strengths
Strengths analysis using the Realise2 tool identified my strengths as: planning, mission, catalyst, gratitude, order, change agent, explainer, humour, self-awareness, counterpoint, work ethic, growth, personalisation and resilience.
Community Activities
School Governor:
1996-2002 Stratford Primary School, Finance & Governor training.
2000 -2005 Stratford-upon-Avon High School, Curriculum & Head’s Performance Management.
Church:
Sunday school: teach and organise curriculum and rota.
Holiday Bible Club for 4 to 11 year olds; teach and organise age groups.
Women’s Study Group; teach and organise.
Speaker’s Corner; training for speaking engagements.
Catering