MRC Biostatistics Unit
The BSU’s increasingly successful internship programme returned this summer, welcoming a record number of 13 interns.
Our internships provide those with an interest in data science and knowledge of statistics to join the Unit for 2 months, to work on projects being led by BSU researchers. They carry out data analysis, take part in research team meetings, present their findings, and get involved in all aspects of life at the BSU. The programme is expertly managed by Hélène Ruffieux and Pavel Mozgunov, and each project is supervised by a researcher in the Unit, allowing one-to-one support and guidance. As well as this, each intern is integrated into research group meetings, is paired up with a ‘PhD buddy’ and attends Unit wide activities such as seminars and weekly staff meetings. This year, a series of internal career discussion sessions were also organised, providing valuable insight into the different research paths the interns could take following their placement at the Unit.
This year, we have been delighted to welcome; Geraldine Hanna, Josef Hanke, Fatemeh Torabi, Abigail Terry, Connor Fitchett, Dhara Patel, Joseph Feest, Rory Toogood, Neel Basak, Jiawei Gao, Zhi Cao, Martin de Climente, and Christopher Buck.
Read some of their experiences about what it’s been like to intern at the BSU.
I went into this internship having just finished my 3rd year on a Mathematics and Statistics Integrated Masters at the University of Warwick. I found that it aligned very well with my growing interest in medical applications of my degree! I worked with Leiv Rønneberg on a project looking at machine learning methods to predict drug synergy in cancer, with our main focus looking at how and if the model performance changed depending on how the data was pre-processed. This experience allowed me to extend my R skills and introduced me to High Performance Computing, skills which I am sure I will take with me into the future.
My internship at the BSU has been an incredible experience! The BSU has a welcoming and supportive environment, with insightful career talks, which really gave a taste of what life as a biostatistician and a researcher entails. If you are uncertain about applying but have a keen interest for statistics and are eager to learn more, I would highly recommend this internship programme!
My internship at the BSU has been an incredible experience! The BSU has a welcoming and supportive environment, with insightful career talks, which really gave a taste of what life as a biostatistician and a researcher entails. If you are uncertain about applying but have a keen interest for statistics and are eager to learn more, I would highly recommend this internship programme!
Dhara Patel
Going into my internship at the BSU, I had finished my second year at University College London, studying towards a Computational Biology degree. I had always gravitated towards the data science domain in biology and the BSU internship seemed like a great opportunity to gain insight into learning about applied statistical methodology.
Despite initial apprehensions about my unconventional background, I quickly learned that part of the learning process lies in pushing boundaries. I was part of the Precision Medicine (PM) theme and worked on neuroimaging models with Simon White. I really enjoyed our weekly meetings discussing everything from statistics of mental health to board games! Over the internship, we developed my project, which I had the opportunity to regularly present on in the PM group meetings and on the final day. I worked on a simulation study exploring degeneracy in exponential random graph models and mapped out the parameter space. I learnt a lot about coding in R in general, LaTeX, computational efficiency, and GIT.
The camaraderie and support within the Unit was unparalleled. I’m leaving the BSU as a better researcher and with a great group of friends. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. To the future interns, if you’re unsure about applying, I’d recommend just going for it as the Unit will ensure you have a great time and provide ample opportunities for personal development, whatever your interests might be.
Despite initial apprehensions about my unconventional background, I quickly learned that part of the learning process lies in pushing boundaries. I was part of the Precision Medicine (PM) theme and worked on neuroimaging models with Simon White. I really enjoyed our weekly meetings discussing everything from statistics of mental health to board games! Over the internship, we developed my project, which I had the opportunity to regularly present on in the PM group meetings and on the final day. I worked on a simulation study exploring degeneracy in exponential random graph models and mapped out the parameter space. I learnt a lot about coding in R in general, LaTeX, computational efficiency, and GIT.
The camaraderie and support within the Unit was unparalleled. I’m leaving the BSU as a better researcher and with a great group of friends. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. To the future interns, if you’re unsure about applying, I’d recommend just going for it as the Unit will ensure you have a great time and provide ample opportunities for personal development, whatever your interests might be.
Neel Basak
When I joined the BSU, I was excited to build on my statistical knowledge from my mathematics degree at the University of Bath. My work involved a sample size re-estimation for a clinical trial based on interim data, supervised by Dominique-Laurent Couturier and Sofía Villar. Over the course of this project, I really enjoyed working with new statistical distributions, improving my R programming skills, and learning how to run simulations on the HPC.
The interns team were so supportive, setting up a PhD buddy system and facilitating career discussions with researchers from a range of different teams. These sessions were a highlight of my time here, and have inspired me to apply for PhD programmes in biostatistics. I’ve learned so much during my internship and I look forward to utilising the knowledge I have gained during my MSc in Data Science and Statistics at the University of Bath next year.
The interns team were so supportive, setting up a PhD buddy system and facilitating career discussions with researchers from a range of different teams. These sessions were a highlight of my time here, and have inspired me to apply for PhD programmes in biostatistics. I’ve learned so much during my internship and I look forward to utilising the knowledge I have gained during my MSc in Data Science and Statistics at the University of Bath next year.
Abigail Terry
I joined the BSU already equipped with a diverse set of methods and tools pioneered by the institute. I was enthusiastic about actively participating in the development process, which I had the privilege to do as a member of Chris Jackson’s team. My experience was further enhanced by working in a collaborative project led by Iain Timmins and Mike Sweeting from AstraZeneca, and Paul Lambert of University of Leicester.
This summer has been an incredibly valuable experience, and I’m excited to continue working with the remarkable team beyond the summer as a Visiting Scientist in the Unit.
This summer has been an incredibly valuable experience, and I’m excited to continue working with the remarkable team beyond the summer as a Visiting Scientist in the Unit.
Fatemeh Torabi
I joined the BSU following completion of a masters in Maths at the University of Bath. Through my masters project, I’d had a taste of research, but wasn’t sure a PhD was something I would be capable of – the internship seemed like the perfect chance to make an educated decision. During the internship, I had the privilege to work with and be guided by Mia Tackney, looking at missingness from wearable devices, a popular new way of measuring activity in medical trials. Alongside the research, I also attended a series of invaluable talks organised specially for the internship about careers in academia.
This summer has been an incredible experience, with the BSU the perfect, friendly introduction into research, alongside the loveliest cohort of interns. Now not only does a PhD seem possible, but I also feel I have the knowledge to attain a studentship.
This summer has been an incredible experience, with the BSU the perfect, friendly introduction into research, alongside the loveliest cohort of interns. Now not only does a PhD seem possible, but I also feel I have the knowledge to attain a studentship.
Geraldine Hanna
Having recently completed my second year on an integrated masters degree in Mathematics at Durham University, I had the opportunity to embark on a summer internship at the BSU. Under the supervision of Paul Kirk, I worked on a project comparing different methods for clustering and variables selection. Undertaking this project allowed me to develop my R programming skills, learning more about statistical methods and gaining a great insight into the life of researcher. This has both provided me with useful tools for my future, as well as helping me realise my interest in potentially more involvement in research in Biostatistics further down the road.
Rory Toogood
Prior to this internship, I pursued an MPhil in Population Health Science at the University of Cambridge and gained a lot from the insightful statistical courses offered by Unit. The expectations I held when I penned my cover letter were not only met but surpassed.
I’m deeply grateful to my supervisors Martin Law and Sofia Villar for their considerate and adaptive support. Their detailed feedback and insights as senior statisticians have guided me away from impractical or unrelative research paths. They’ve been an unwavering source of guidance, from coding efficiency to core clinical trial principles, serving as a reliable support throughout my research journey this summer.
Words fall short to express how memorable is this summer to me, deepening my attachment to this unit and affirming my commitment to pursuing a PhD and clinical trial research. My heartfelt thanks go out to everyone this summer, and I sincerely hope for the chance to rejoin this wonderful community!
I’m deeply grateful to my supervisors Martin Law and Sofia Villar for their considerate and adaptive support. Their detailed feedback and insights as senior statisticians have guided me away from impractical or unrelative research paths. They’ve been an unwavering source of guidance, from coding efficiency to core clinical trial principles, serving as a reliable support throughout my research journey this summer.
Words fall short to express how memorable is this summer to me, deepening my attachment to this unit and affirming my commitment to pursuing a PhD and clinical trial research. My heartfelt thanks go out to everyone this summer, and I sincerely hope for the chance to rejoin this wonderful community!
Jiawei Gao
I began the internship in the summer between graduating from the University of Edinburgh with an MA Mathematics degree and starting a master’s in Computational Biology. The internship felt like a nice way to facilitate the transition from my undergraduate to my postgraduate study and to get a taste of research.
Coming into the internship, I thought that coming from a pure maths background, I would not have enough expertise in statistics. However, my supervisors, Paul Kirk and Romit Samanta, were extremely supportive throughout and guided me so well that I never felt out of my depth. My project focused on analysing data from a clinical trial, specifically clustering patients based on cytokine levels and seeing whether the clusters found had any clinical significance. I really enjoyed applying the skills I learned in my degree to real life scenarios and the drive that came with doing work that could have tangible benefits to society was a consistent theme throughout the unit.
Not only was everyone at the BSU very welcoming, but I also had the opportunity to become friends with the other interns, a group of amazing people who all had a wide range of backgrounds and came into the internship with many different skill sets. I would implore anyone with a mathematical/statistical background to apply for this opportunity to spend some of their summer working in this prestigious Unit, exploring the world of biomedical research and making connections for life. I am now planning on applying for a PhD this coming year.
Coming into the internship, I thought that coming from a pure maths background, I would not have enough expertise in statistics. However, my supervisors, Paul Kirk and Romit Samanta, were extremely supportive throughout and guided me so well that I never felt out of my depth. My project focused on analysing data from a clinical trial, specifically clustering patients based on cytokine levels and seeing whether the clusters found had any clinical significance. I really enjoyed applying the skills I learned in my degree to real life scenarios and the drive that came with doing work that could have tangible benefits to society was a consistent theme throughout the unit.
Not only was everyone at the BSU very welcoming, but I also had the opportunity to become friends with the other interns, a group of amazing people who all had a wide range of backgrounds and came into the internship with many different skill sets. I would implore anyone with a mathematical/statistical background to apply for this opportunity to spend some of their summer working in this prestigious Unit, exploring the world of biomedical research and making connections for life. I am now planning on applying for a PhD this coming year.