Catalogue of Possibilities / Supervisors

Dr Craig Anderson he/him

Developing statistical models to solve real world problems around health and the environment

Senior Lecturer in Statistics

School of Mathematics and Statistics

Research interests:

Statistics, Environmental modelling, Disease modelling, Health inequalities, Air quality

Research fields:

Developing statistical methodology to help understand health inequalities, Space-time modelling of environmental phenomena (eg climate, pollution) and how they related to health, Interdisciplinary work around societal inequalities both locally (Glasgow/Scotland/UK) and internationally

Mission Priority Areas

Why do you want to join the DiveIn community?

"The best thing about being a statistician is you get to play in everybody else's backyard" (John Tukey) The thing which drew me towards studying statistics in the first place, and which keeps me excited about the subject, is the opportunity to use my skills to help solve real world problems across a variety of applications. I am excited about the possibilities from this vastly interdisciplinary CDT and would like to be a part of it to work with students and other researchers who understand the importance of sharing knowledge across subjects and using it to help tackle societal issues. The CDT has inclusivity at its core, and this is a topic I am passionate about. A fundamental goal of my research around inequalities is that everyone, no matter their background, should have the same opportunities in life. That is why I am excited to see the DiveIn CDT, which seeks to overcome some of the barriers to higher education, and actively ensure a wider pool of academic talent.

Personal profile:

My main research interests lie in developing statistical methodology for health data, with a focus on health inequalities both in Scotland and globally. I have a particular interest in space-time modelling, which looks at how one or more variables of interest (eg disease cases, pollution levels, children’s weights) evolve over time and or geographical space.

The thing which excites me about collaboration is the ability to use my skills as a statistician to help develop models in a variety of research settings, thus allowing research partners to unlock new ideas. I have experience working with partners with a background in public health, medicine, geography and environmental science, but I am open to any collaborations which involve data in some way.

I consider my role as a supervisor to simply be about helping my students maximise their own talents and potentials during a PhD, which means every supervisory relationship will be different. I ensure that my students always feel supported and listened to.

EDI within higher education is important to me, and I represented the School of Mathematics & Statistics on the College EDI Committee for 3 years, and also set up and chaired the school’s first EDI group which I led for 2 years. I have also been heavily involved in statistical outreach, with a particular emphasis on reaching groups which are underrepresented in statistics, and in STEM more generally.

I have been involved in the School of Maths and Stats as an undergraduate, PhD student and member of staff for just under 20 years, with a brief 2.5 year hiatus for a postdoc in Sydney. Over that time I have been fortunate to work with and learn from fantastic colleagues, and believe this is a great place to study.