Emma Hazelwood (Ask-JGI Data Science Support 2023-24)
I am a final year PhD student in Population Health Sciences. I found out about the opportunity to support the JGI’s data science helpdesk through a friend who had done this job previously. I thought it sounded like a great way to do something a bit different, especially on those days when you need a bit of a break from your PhD topic.
I’ve learnt so many new skills from working within the JGI. The team are very friendly, and everyone is learning from each other. It’s also been very beneficial for me to learn some new skills, for instance Python, when considering what I want to do after my PhD. I’ve been able to see how the statistical methods that I know from my biomedical background be used in completely different contexts, which has really changed the way I think about data.
I’ve worked on a range of topics through JGI, which have all been as interesting as they have been different. I’ve helped people with coding issues, thought about new ways to visualise data, and discussed what statistical methods would be most suitable for answering research questions. In particular, I’ve loved getting involved with a project in the Latin American studies department, where I’ve been mapping key locations from conferences throughout the early 20th century onto satellite images, bringing to life the routes that the conference attendees would have taken.
This has been a great opportunity working with a very welcoming team, and one I’d recommend to anyone considering it!