Inspiring our future Biostatisticians

This summer, we were delighted to host three work experience students, providing them with a taste of what it’s like to be a biostatistician and inspiring them to pursue a career in a Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subject.

We welcomed Zayneb Kusar, Aimee Asimit and Isaac Kim. Zayneb’s placement was organised through the Nuffield Placement Scheme, while Aimee’s and Isaac’s work experience was coordinated directly with the Unit.

Our aims were to give all three students the opportunity to work with real-life data, to show them how important statistical analysis is for many different areas of medical sciences, and to gain an understanding of what it is like to be a biostatistician in an academic setting.

Aimee and Isaac, both currently studying for their GCSEs, were with us for a week, and worked on small projects relating to adolescent eating difficulties using data from the OxWell Study, under the guidance of Senior Research Associate, Simon White. While Zayneb, who was with us for two weeks and is studying Biology, Maths and Chemistry A-Levels, tackled a project which explored the relationship between demographic variables and cognitive abilities in older adults using the ADNI data, jointly supervised by Simon and Research Associate, Marco Palma. All three students were introduced to using the statistical software programme ‘R’ to learn how to import datasets and carry out data analysis, and were taught how to interpret the results and communicate them through graphical summaries. They also accompanied Simon and Marco to research meetings to find out about the types of topics discussed when carrying out biostatistics research. In addition, they benefited from meeting the different members of our Unit through coming to our weekly staff meetings and having chats in the tearoom.

It was a privilege to have Zayneb, Aimee and Isaac with us. We were so impressed with their enthusiasm and commitment to embracing the many different aspects of their placement, as well as the fantastic work they each produced. Here is what they each said about their experience:

My time at the BSU was incredible. I learnt so much; from new skills such as coding in R Studio, to expanding my knowledge of statistics. I have a newfound appreciation for the integral role of statistics in medical research. The opportunity to attend meetings and see collaborative work in action taught me so much about the work of researchers. Everyone at the BSU who I worked with, especially Simon and Marco, were so kind and welcoming, making it an experience I will forever cherish.- Zayneb Kusar

I really enjoyed my work experience at the BSU and all the people were very nice. The placement has helped me to gain confidence and given me a better understanding of how a science-based job works. - Aimee Asimit

My week at BSU was enjoyable and has given me a good idea of a workplace environment as an academic, which will be useful for when I am choosing my A-Levels. Thanks to everyone who made it possible. - Isaac Kim

As part of the Nuffield Placement Scheme, Zayneb will present a poster about the project she carried out at a celebration event in October organised by the scheme.

We wish all three students the very best of luck with their future studies.