Past Meetings
QLD Branch
Tuesday July 27, 2010
Model Based Geostatistics
Time: 5:00pm - 6:00pm (Refreshments 4:45pm)
Location: Owen J Wordsworth Room, Level 12, S Block; Gardens Point Campus, Queensland University of Technology; Directions; Transport and parking
Speaker: Dr. Archie Clements, School of Population Health, University of Queensland
Geostatistics is an interpolation method that uses information from a limited set of locations to predict values at all, or a subset, of locations in a study area. The fundamental basis of geostatistics is spatial autocorrelation, where observations from nearby locations tend to be similar. While traditional geostatistics has advantages over other interpolation methods, it is not ideally suited to non-Gaussian response data and has limited utility in estimating prediction uncertainty. To address these issues, Diggle and colleagues developed model-based geostatistics (MBG). This embeds geostatistics in a generalised linear modelling framework. Via the GLM architecture, a flexible range of different types of response variable can be accommodated. Additionally, MBG employs a Bayesian method of statistical inference, thereby providing an intuitive interpretation of parameter uncertainty whilst explicitly modelling spatial autocorrelation and, most importantly, allowing a formal expression of uncertainty in the prediction estimates.
The application of Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation (MCMC) for model fitting makes the considerable computational demands of integrating functions over multiple dimensions achievable. MBG has increasingly been used in epidemiology to predict the distribution of diseases and associated uncertainty. I illustrate the applicability of MBG in providing an evidence base for control programme planning and resource allocation using the example of tropical parasitic diseases.
Friday June 25, 2010
Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: Half-Day Meeting
Time: 9:00am-11:30am, followed by lunch.
Location: Seminar room, IHBI Building Kelvin Grove Campus, Queensland University of Technology Please see this webpage for directions.
Speakers:
- Prof. Jenny Doust (Bond) “Doing a systematic review with the Cochrane Collaboration”
- A/Prof. Suhail Doi (UQ) “Combining heterogeneous studies using the random-effects model is a mistake and leads to inconclusive meta-anlayses”
- Dr. Adrian Barnett (QUT) “Incorporating study quality into meta-analyses”
- Dr. Henry Zheng (QUT) “The effect size and dose-response of walking interventions to prevent CHD: Meta-analysis”
This meeting is free and all researchers conducting a systematic review or meta-analysis (not just statisticians) are welcome to attend. Please register with Adrian for catering purposes (a.barnett@qut.edu.au). After the four speakers we hope to have a lively question and answer session. If you have any questions about systematic reviews or meta-analyses that you’d like to be answered by our four experts then either e-mail Adrian in advance or bring your question on the day.
Friday May 21, 2010
Young Statisticians Networking Event
The Gardens Point Guild Bar, Level 3, Y Block, Gardens Point Campus, Queensland University of Technology.
All career young statisticians are invited to the Gardens Point Guild Bar for a young statisticians networking event. There will be some pizza and drinks provided free of charge. You need not be a current member of the Statistical Society of Australia to attend.If you’re a student (undergraduate or postgraduate) studying some statistics, work in areas related to statistics or have an interest in statistics and are within 5 years (or so) of commencing your career then please come along and meet your fellow career young statisticians.
ORDINARY BRANCH MEETING: Tuesday 24 November 2009 at QUT, Gardens Pt
Christmas Event 
Frequentist vs. Bayesian Debate
Speaker: Frequentists vs. Bayesians
Date: Tuesday 24th November, 2009
Time: 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Location: Owen J Wordsworth Room, Level 12, S Block
Gardens Point Campus, Queensland University of Technology
http://www.qut.edu.au/about/location/
Details:
Come and join us for Christmas nibbles and drinks from 5:00pm before getting your ringside seats
to the statistical event of the year. First round commences at 5:30pm. Post-match celebrations
follow, including finger-food and drinks.
Adjudicator
Referee Robert Reeves
Frequentist Corner (THE WINNERS!)
Roundhouse Rodney Wolff
Adrian Boom Boom Barnett
vs.
Bayesian Corner
Tony the Tornado Pettitt
Kerrie Lean Machine Mengersen
ORDINARY BRANCH MEETING: Tuesday 13 October 2009 at UQ, St Lucia
SPEAKER: Dr Paul Jackway, Principal Research Scientist in the Quantitative Image Analysis group, Mathematical and Information Sciences, CSIRO, QLD
TITLE: Ten Things to Do With a Dirty Picture
TIME: 4:00- 5:30, Tuesday 13th October 2009
VENUE: Room 67-442 (67 = Priestly Building; Room 42 on level 4), University of Queensland, ST LUCIA
Map: see www.uq.edu.au/maps/index.html Transport and parking: www.uq.edu.au/maps/directions.html
DINNER: Members and guests are invited to join the speaker at a nearby restaurant.
Abstract
This talk will attempt to convey some of the breadth of contemporary image analysis without getting too bogged down in the detail; broad rather than deep it will target the statistician who wants to forget about numbers and algorithms and theorems for an hour and look at the big picture(s).
From the vantage point of nearly 2 decades in the field of computer image analysis, I will talk about some of the things I have found to be “cool” possibly including: Watersheds, Granulometries, Snakes, Mathematical Morphology, Scale-Space, Top-hats, Texture Measures, Zero-crossings, Histograms, Edges… The starting point will be the difference between a picture and an array of numbers.
Those wondering about the title should first Google “Julian Besag” “Dirty Pictures”.
Biography
Paul studied electronics at RMIT in the early 1980's followed by applied statistics, also at RMIT, in the later part of that decade. During this time he was employed by Telstra first as a product engineer and later in business planning and support performing business data integration analysis. In 1991 he moved to Brisbane to undertake graduate studies at QUT in mathematics and computer image analysis and was awarded a PhD in 1995.
Following his PhD submission, Paul obtained a research fellowship in the Cooperative Research Centre for Sensor Signal and Information Processing (CSSIP) based at the University of Queensland. For the next eight years at CSSIP, Paul led a research group working on automated cytology focussing on the automation of Pap smear cytology for cervical cancer screening. In 2002 Paul accepted a Principal Research Scientist position in the Quantitative Image Analysis group within the Mathematical and Information Sciences Division of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). Since then he has contributed to a range of projects and has undertaken general image analysis research while leading the group’s strategic push into automated microscopy and photography.
ORDINARY BRANCH MEETING: Tuesday 1 Spetember 2009 at QUT, Gardens Point
SPEAKER: Greg Waite, Principal Data Analyst, Organisational Performance and Strategy, Department of Communities, Qld Government.
TITLE: Use of a data set for in depth analysis of an administrative dataset for informing evidence based policy.….
TIME: 4:00- 5:30, Tuesday 1st September 2009
VENUE: Room 520, level 5, O Block (Mathematics Building), Gardens Point Campus, QUT
Maps, Transport and parking: http://www.qut.edu.au/about/location/
DINNER: Members and guests are invited to join the speaker at a nearby restaurant.
Format of Meeting *
This is a new interactive style format- where Greg will present the variables and his needs from the data. We hope post grads and honours students who are interested in real life large datasets may come along, to see an interactive discussion of how the data will be summarised, and what questions may be needed from policy makers. ( If you are interested we may be able to give the variables names and intentions of analysis a few days ahead- so you can develop your own questions of interest)
The participants can assist in suggesting novel ways of analysing the data. This is a hands on practical application of – scoping of methods to a real social problem. This data set has a depth of information awaiting the right analysis and summary to inform policy.
* New Style - participatory
For more details of our next meeting, please see http://ssaqld.wordpress.com/
ORDINARY BRANCH MEETING: Tuesday 4 August 2009 at UQ, St Lucia
Queensland Stats Brain Challenge
Student Symposium and Quiz Night
SPEAKERS: TBA
VENUE: Room 67-442 (67 = Priestly Building; room 42 on level 4), University of Queensland, ST LUCIA
Map: see www.uq.edu.au/maps/index.html Transport and parking: www.uq.edu.au/maps/directions.html
The QLD branch of the Statistical Society of Australia invites all members and guests to our student symposium and quiz night. The night will showcase the work of some of our up and coming statisticians, and provide an opportunity for members to enjoy each other’s company and test their knowledge of statistics, with the inaugural Queensland Stats Brain Challenge!
Put your knowledge of statistics trivia to the test!
Program
5:00: Student Talks - 3 minutes and 1 slides! Prize for 2 Best Presentations - $25 gift voucher. Register now - email Rob Reeves r.reeves@qut.edu.au.
5:30: Pizzas, wine and cheese.
6:00 Quiz Register your team of three now, email r.reeves@qut.edu.au. Teams must provide a
set of 10 questions on statistics related trivia.
Prizes: Win bottles of wine and beer, as selected by our prize committee!
Come along and enjoy a night of fun, and enjoy seeing what the next generation of statistics professionals are up to!
Register now: RSVP by Friday 31st July to Rob Reeves r.reeves@qut.edu.au or 3138 2827 (BH).
ORDINARY BRANCH MEETING: 14 July 2009 at ABS, City
SPEAKER: Professor Chris Lloyd, Associate Dean of Research, Melbourne Business School, The University of Melbourne
TITLE: Statistical Blogging: The Fishing in the Bay Story
TIME: 3:45pm for 4pm talk, Tuesday, 14 July, 2009
VENUE: Training Room 1, Level 3, Australian Bureau of Statistics, 639 Wickham St, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.
*ABS Office: take lift to Level 3 above Freedom Furniture (Homemaker Centre)
Google map here
DINNER: All are invited to join the group at a nearby restaurant.
ABSTRACT:
Prior to the web, professional peers were linked though societies and the conferences and newsletters they sponsor. Interactions were limited to members and specific times. The first professional forums that used the web were professional lists (such as anzstat) and discussion boards (such as radstats) where participation was less restricted and communication more immediate. During the past 5 years a new platform, the weblog, has emerged. The number of weblogs has doubled every 6 months, yet only a small minority are oriented towards particular professional communities, let alone statisticians.
In this talk I will talk about blogs in general and why I decided to establish one for the Australasian statistical community. Have you ever wondered how to set one up, how much time it takes to run and how I find material to post? Perhaps not, but I will tell you anyway. I will illustrate the advantages of the platform as I see it. Some of my favourite posts will be described in detail. I will finish by describing how FIB could be a much more effective space for our profession, with only a small but consistent input from my fellow statisticians.
BIOGRAPHY:
Chris Lloyd's recent research focuses on accurate inference for count data, including so-called exact methods, higher order asymptotics and bootstrap. His recent teaching is centred on business statistics for MBA students, and emphases hands-on computation, how to assess rather than ignore uncertainty, and how to combine several simple techniques to unpack complex business problems. The talk however is about the third strand of the so-called triple helix - knowledge transfer. For the past three years, Chris has run a weblog covering all areas of statistics and probability.
For more details of our next meeting, please see http://ssaqld.wordpress.com/
Upcoming Workshops
A Three-Day Course on Practical Bayes for Beginners, Brisbane
Presented by Kerrie Mengersen, Centre for Data Analysis, Modelling & Computation, QUT
26, 27 and 28 August 2009.
For more information, please click here.