We are delighted to announce that one of our third-year DPhil Students, Vik Shirvaikar, is one of the new 2023-24 MPLS Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Fellows. The MPLS Division strives to create an inclusive culture where different perspectives and experiences are encouraged, and each person is respected and treated fairly, so that individuals of all backgrounds can fully contribute their talents to our scientific community.
MPLS recognises that there are incredibly talented individuals across the Division who are passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) and are dedicated to making positive change within our institution. To garner this energy and support this work, since 2020-21 we have annually recruited a team of ED&I Fellows to help inform and implement our ED&I action plan and wider divisional work.
You can also find out more about what past Fellows have been up to, including initiatives and activities they have led on.
What does a statistician do for the England football team?
From squad selection to modelling how footballs behave at altitude, statistician Matt Penn explains how data is helping shape the modern game, and why coaches will always matter more than the numbers.
New evidence suggests vast hidden magma systems inside Mars
Researchers from the Departments of Earth Science and Statistics have found evidence that Mars once hosted enormous, Earth-like magmatic systems deep below its surface – even though the planet lacks the plate tectonics long considered essential for this kind of geological complexity. The findings open up new possibilities for how rocky planets become habitable.
Finding a needle in the genomic haystack: Targeting rare genes using statistical outliers
In statistical modelling, extreme outliers are often written off as 'noise'. But a new study by researchers from Oxford's Department of Statistics and Big Data Institute published this week in The American Journal of Human Genetics reverses that principle, using these outliers as the basis of a targeting system for locating rare, high-impact genetic mutations.