U of T Statistical Sciences: What program are you graduating from?
Harriet Ware: I'm graduating from the Master of Science in Statistics program.
Can you describe your academic journey? What got you into this field?
My academic journey is a bit unique. I did my undergrad degree in economics and graduated in 2015. Towards the end of my degree, I realized I wasn't that interested in economic theory, but my favorite classes were econometrics and applied econometrics, because I got to work with data and statistical models.
I went to work at an economic consulting firm as a senior research professional for a few years. After a year or so of working there, I started specializing in quantitative cases, because I was good at applying statistical analysis and really enjoyed it. That's how I ended up pursuing a formal education in statistics.
Do you have a specific area of interest you're passionate about?
I'm still figuring that out, even though I've finished my degree. Before the master’s program, I hadn't taken many formal statistics classes. So, this year was a great way to explore different areas in the field. I am definitely more interested in applied statistics, versus theoretical, especially in global health and biostatistics.
What's the next chapter after graduating?
Since finishing my courses at the end of April, I’ve started a one-year contract as a data scientist and epidemiologist at SeroTracker, a dashboard and data platform for SARS-CoV-2 serosurveys.
SeroTracker reviews and analyses data on seroprevalence, which is the number of people who have previously been infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, based on antibody testing. In this role, I lead data analysis for SeroTracker’s collaboration with the World Health Organization.
The role involves mapping global immunity to COVID-19 by analyzing data and synthesizing findings from complex epidemiological data. Working alongside our scientific advisors at McGill University, I'm getting valuable research experience through this position and new exposure to the global health field. Because of the pandemic, it’s a very relevant field right now, which is exciting.
After my contract finishes, I might try to get another job in data science or continue my academic journey by pursuing a PhD.
What is it like to be a data scientist? How does your work connect to what you've learned in the classroom?
Learning R and RMarkdown in my courses has prepared me well for this job. Before the master’s program, I had barely used R and I’ve now become very proficient in it. The work I'm doing now is exclusively in R. And, of course, the basic theoretical models that I learned are the foundation for what I'm doing now. For example, I studied Bayesian models in my applied statistics courses and some of my work at SeroTracker focuses on applying and extending hierarchical Bayesian models of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence to estimate population immunity to COVID-19 for countries and global regions.
Data analysis and modelling become a lot more complicated when you're dealing with real-world data, especially something like COVID-19. There are so many complexities in terms of modelling that I haven't seen before. Acquiring quality data and building data pipelines are also more challenging tasks in the real world compared to the classroom.
Do you have any advice for students who are interested in statistics?
When you're going into the program, try to plan what you want to get out of it. Think about what field you might want to go into, and tailor your courses to that. There are a lot of options you can choose from, beyond your required courses.
Also, try to make connections with your professors because it will enrich your experience and can lead to interesting career and academic opportunities in the future. Finally, don’t hesitate to reach out to industry professionals working in different fields to learn more about what they do. They’re generally eager to help.
Can you think of any advice that you’ve gotten from professors that was helpful to you?
I found it interesting to learn about the different backgrounds of professors in the statistics department.
Over the last few years, the department has hired people with varied research interests. Towards the beginning of the year, invest in reading the faculty profiles to get ideas about what kind of research you can do.
How do you stay motivated during these challenging times?
I think some of it comes from internal drive and motivation. I've always enjoyed school and academics. I waited a long time after my undergraduate degree to go to graduate school, so when I finally did, I was more mature and driven to succeed in my studies. This year was definitely challenging, personally and academically. I would say that choosing courses and professors that I connected with in areas I’m interested in has helped a lot.
Do you have any hobbies or clubs that you're a part of?
Outside of school and work, I like to swim, read, and connect with friends and family. My job can be stressful, so spending time on these activities helps my brain to focus on something other than all the details of my current project.
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