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• Canberra Branch Meeting -- COVID-19 vaccine fatigue in Scotland

  • When
    30 Apr 2024
  •  
    5:45 PM - 7:00 PM (AEST)
  • Location
    In-person and online via Zoom

  SSA Canberra invites everyone to attend its April branch meeting, where Robin Muegge from Uni of Glasgow will be dazzling us (in-person!) with his research on COVID-19 vaccine fatigue!

  Details of the talk and its zoom link are given below. 

  Date: Tuesday 30 April 2024

  Time: Starts 5:45pm and finishes by 7pm    

  Speaker: Robin Muegge, University of Glasgow

  Venue: The Gallery, Level 2, Cultural Centre, University Ave, Kambri ANU (The Gallery - Kambri).

  There is a single level, underground car park at Kambri, with elevator access directly into The Gallery, and two pedestrian access points (Car Parking Kambri | Australian National University | Care Park).

  Zoom link:

  https://anu.zoom.us/j/83403347856?pwd=T3NFOTBWK2JWa3F4WE1zalhMZno4UT09

  (full link details are below)

  Topic: COVID-19 vaccine fatigue in Scotland: How do the trends in attrition rates for the second and third doses differ by age, sex, and council area?

  Abstract:

  Vaccine fatigue is the propensity for individuals to start but not finish a vaccination program with several doses, which thus means they are less protected. This is an especially important topic for COVID-19, where the vaccination program commonly consists of two doses followed by a booster vaccine dose to get full protection.

  COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (the delay in acceptance or refusal of the first dose of the vaccine) has been studied extensively, and a few studies investigated the willingness to receive the booster vaccine dose. In contrast, attrition rates across subsequent doses caused by evolving vaccine fatigue have yet to be examined, which is the novel contribution of this paper. Our study focuses on Scotland, where the vaccine rollout began on 8th December 2020. We model vaccine attrition rates in the first transition (from doses one to two) and the second transition (from doses two to three) for the 32 council areas in Scotland. We estimate the effects of sex and transition, examine trends and patterns in the attrition rates by age group and council area and evaluate if these differ by sex or transition. We model the attrition rates with a hierarchical binomial logistic regression model that allows for flexible autocorrelation estimation for the corresponding neighbourhood and age group structures via correlated random effects models. Inference is based on a Bayesian paradigm, using integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA). Our main findings are that attrition rates smoothly decrease with increasing age, that they are much higher in the second transition than in the first, that they are generally higher for males than females, and that the variation in attrition rates between age groups is greater for males than females.

  At the end of the seminar, Robin will briefly introduce his current work on outlier detection in areal data, titled “Disease mapping: What if Tobler's First Law of Geography doesn't hold?”. 

  Biography:

  Robin Muegge is a PhD student in statistics from the University of Glasgow, UK. His research is in spatial and spatio-temporal areal data modelling under the supervision of Duncan Lee, Nema Dean, and Eilidh Jack. Robin completed his B.Sc. Mathematics at the Leibniz University of Hanover in Germany, and his M.Sc. Statistics at Portland State University, USA. He is currently visiting Wollongong on a research placement, collaborating with Andrew Zammit Mangion.

   

  Dinner: 

  After the talk we will be holding a dinner at 7.15pm at Kathmandu Momo House, 24 West Row, Canberra, ACT (The Kathmandu Momo House | Canberra ACT | Facebook). 

  If you are interested in attending the dinner, please let us know by 5pm Monday 29 April by entering your details at SSA Canberra Branch dinner attendance sheet or contacting Warren Muller (warren.muller@csiro.au ; 0407 916 868). Please regard this as a firm commitment, not just an intention. For withdrawals after the deadline, please remove your name from the sheet and phone or text Warren (0407 916 868).

  NOTE: We are offering discounts to SSA early career and student members who attend dinner! For this meeting, dinners will be a fixed charge of $10 for student members and $20 for early career members. 

   

  -----------------

  Zoom link:

  Topic: SSA Canberra branch meeting
  Time: Apr 30, 2024 05:45 PM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
  
  Join Zoom Meetinghttps://anu.zoom.us/j/83403347856?pwd=T3NFOTBWK2JWa3F4WE1zalhMZno4UT09
  
  Meeting ID: 834 0334 7856
  Password: 623437
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• Artificial Intelligence and Statistics 2024

  • Start
    2 May 2024
  •  
    (CEST)
  • End
    4 May 2024
  •  
    (CEST)
  • Location
    Valencia, Spain

  Call for Papers

  They invite submissions to the 27th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Statistics (AISTATS 2024), and welcome paper submissions on artificial intelligence, machine learning, statistics, and related areas.

  AISTATS is an interdisciplinary gathering of researchers at the intersection of computer science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, statistics, and related areas. Since its inception in 1985, the primary goal of AISTATS has been to broaden research in these fields by promoting the exchange of ideas among them. The conference is committed to diversity in all its forms, and encourages submissions from authors of underrepresented groups and geographies in ML/AI.

  Key dates

  • Abstract deadline: 6 October 2023 (Anywhere on Earth)
  • Paper submission deadline: 13 October 2023 (Anywhere on Earth)
  • Appendix submission deadline: 20 October 2023
  • Reviews released: 27 November 2023
  • Author rebuttals due: 5 December 2023 (Anywhere on Earth)
  • Paper decision notifications: 19 January 2024
  • Conference dates: May 2 - May 4, 2024

  Paper Submission (Proceedings Track)

  The proceedings track is the standard AISTATS paper submission track. Papers will be selected via a rigorous double-blind peer-review process. All accepted papers will be presented at the Conference as contributed talks or as posters and will be published in the Proceedings.

  Solicited topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Machine learning methods and algorithms (classification, regression, unsupervised and semi-supervised learning, clustering, logic programming, …)
  • Probabilistic methods (Bayesian methods, approximate inference, density estimation, tractable probabilistic models, probabilistic programming, …)
  • Theory of machine learning and statistics (optimization, computational learning theory, decision theory, online leaning and bandits, game theory, frequentist statistics, information theory, …)
  • Deep learning (theory, architectures, generative models, optimization for neural networks, …)
  • Reinforcement learning (theory of RL, offline/online RL, deep RL, multi-agent RL, …)
  • Ethical and trustworthy machine learning (causality, fairness, interpretability, privacy, robustness, safety, …)
  • Applications of machine learning and statistics (including natural language, signal processing, computer vision, physical sciences, social sciences, sustainability and climate, healthcare, …)

  Formatting and Supplementary Material

  Submissions are limited to 8 pages excluding references using the LaTeX style file we provide below (the page limit will be 9 for camera-ready submissions). The number of pages containing only citations and the reproducibility checklist is not limited. You can also submit a single file of additional supplementary material which may be either a pdf file (such as proof details) or a zip file for other formats/more files (such as code or videos). Note that reviewers are under no obligation to examine the supplementary material. If you have only one supplementary pdf file, please upload it as is; otherwise gather everything to the single zip file.

  Submissions are accepted at https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/AISTATS2024/.

  Formatting information (including LaTeX style files) is available in the AISTATS2024PaperPack. We do not support submission in preparation systems other than LaTeX. Please do not modify the layout given by the style file. If you have questions about the style file or its usage, please contact the publications chair or the program chairs via aistats2024conference@gmail.com.

  
  

  For more information about submission or registration click here.
  

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• Join R Exchange 2024

  • Start
    8 May 2024
  •  
    (NZST)
  • End
    9 May 2024
  •  
    (NZST)
  • Location
    National Library in Wellington, New Zealand

  Join R Exchange 2024

  Now in its 4th year, R Exchange provides a regional opportunity for New Zealand and Australian open-source analytics and data science enthusiasts to connect and learn from each other. The programme showcases how organisations across a variety of disciplines are using R and related tools to create insights for decision-making and align them with strategic goals. Learn with us how to better visualise outputs, automate reporting, and scale up work flows and data products. If you haven’t worked with R and other open-source tools yet, get inspired by how others use them and what can be done.
  
  R Exchange 2024 will take place on 8-9 May at the National Library in Wellington, New Zealand.
  
  The event will include a conference day full of presentations, panel discussions and networking; as well as a pre-conference workshop (see details below).
  
  Click here for more details, the full schedule and to register
  
  Don’t miss out on the R community event!
  The Epi-interactive team

   

   

  R Shiny in Production Pre-event workshop (8 May 2024)

   

  Moving beyond conceptualising R Shiny apps to deploying them in real-world scenarios can be challenging. This workshop addresses the gap, focusing on essential software engineering and DevOps practices to elevate your R Shiny projects. Dive deep into code modularisation, performance optimisation, testing, security, and data source integration. Ideal for those progressing from basic R Shiny skills, this workshop caters to developers looking to enhance existing projects or embark on new ones. Facilitated by: Nick Snellgrove (Tech Lead – R Development, Epi-interactive), Ieuan Jenkins (Tech Lead – Infrastructure, Epi-interactive) & Dr Stefan Schliebs (Senior Data Scientist, Air New Zealand) Learn more and register here Please note: This workshop does assume familiarity with R and prior experience with R Shiny, either acquired on your own or through attending our Introduction or Advanced R Shiny Masterclass, which will be offered online in February and March. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come – first served basis.

   

  Connecting data, science & people   At Epi-interactive they use open-source technologies, visualise data, craft dashboards, research websites and analytical software, or help you fine-tune your data science infrastructure. Learn more or connect at www.epi-interactive.com. As a Full-Service Posit Partner they can help you succeed with Posit professional products such as Posit Server, Connect or Package Manager at all levels. You can buy all licenses at list price directly through them and access added support as you need it: epi-interactive.com/posit. They are B Corp certified, joining a global community of like-minded businesses that deeply care about people, community and the environment, not just profit. Follow them on LinkedIn for news and updates or contact them on info@epi-interactive.com if you would like to discuss your project idea.

   

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• FOURTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON STEPPED WEDGE TRIAL DESIGN

  • Start
    13 May 2024
  •  
    (BST)
  • End
    15 May 2024
  •  
    (BST)
  • Location
    Online

  FOURTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON STEPPED WEDGE TRIAL DESIGN

  
  13th-15th May 2024, FREE ONLINE CONFERENCE
  
  The University of York is pleased to announce the Fourth International Conference on Stepped Wedge Trial Design ONLINE on 13th-15th May 2024.
  
  The conference is a platform to share ideas, experience, best practice and challenges for the design, implementation and analysis of the stepped wedge design model.
  
  Keynote Speakers: Professor Richard Hooper (Queen Mary University of London) and Associate Professor Jessica Kasza (Monash University)
  
  Registration is FREE.
  
  Abstract submissions are welcome now (Deadline: Noon 16th February 2024).
  We especially encourage contributions from underrepresented groups and diverse fields of application.
  
  For further information and link to the abstract submission form, see:
  https://www.york.ac.uk/healthsciences/research/trials/stepped-wedge2024/

  Free and open to all (Registrations will open in February 2024)
  

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• SSA NSW May 16 – David Warton and Houying Zhu - Macquarie University – 11am – 2pm, lunch provided

  • When
    16 May 2024
  •  
    11:00 AM - 2:00 PM (AEST)
  • Location
    Macquarie University and via Zoom (https://unsw.zoom.us/j/85384116829?pwd=cWVrSVlqaWFRWXBhakQrL3hZdVpjQT09)

  Register

  We are happy to announce a seminar by Prof David Warton and Dr Houying Zhu. We hope to see you there.

  Any questions, please feel free to contact: secretary.nswbranch@statsoc.org.au.

  Date: Thursday, 16th May 2024

  Time:

  11.00 - 12.00: Houying Zhu

  12.00 - 13.00: Complementary lunch with speakers (please RSVP for catering)

  13.00 - 14.00: Prof David Warton

  
  

  Venue: Macquarie University (room TBA) and via Zoom (https://unsw.zoom.us/j/85384116829?pwd=cWVrSVlqaWFRWXBhakQrL3hZdVpjQT09).

  RSVP: Register at https://www.statsoc.org.au/event-5700496 and  RSVP for catering or Zoom (https://unsw.zoom.us/j/85384116829?pwd=cWVrSVlqaWFRWXBhakQrL3hZdVpjQT09).

  Speaker: Prof David Warton (UNSW)

  based on work with Elliot Dovers and Jakub Stoklosa

  
  

  Title: Multivariate Spatial Models for Community Ecology Using a Basis Function Approach

  
  

  Abstract:

  Basis function expansions are a fundamental tool for doing spatial statistics on large datasets or complicated problems. Essentially, a basis function approximation to a random field lets us treat a spatial model like a generalised additive model. Here we will look at three problems from ecology that require the fitting of spatial models to point event or multivariate data and show how we can develop powerful new tools using a basis function approximation, extended (where needed) to the multivariate setting by combining with factor analytical techniques. We show how we can then: fit a log-Gaussian Cox process using standard GAM software; partition biodiversity along spatial gradients to identify regions of high turnover and its main drivers; fit multivariate point process models to account for observer bias and study co-occurrence from citizen science data.

  
  

  Biography:

  David trained to postgraduate level in both statistics and ecology, and his research continues to be at the interface between these disciplines. He has been influential in modernising approaches used in ecology to analyse allometric, multivariate and presence-only data. He advocates a model-based approach where we identify the key properties of data and develop a statistical model to capture these properties, an approach which sometimes necessitates the development of new methodology. He recently wrote a text for ecologists on this theme, published through Springer. David is a Statistics Professor at UNSW Sydney, where he co-founded Stats Central, the university's first statistical consulting unit, which now has eleven staff. He also co-founded the Statistical Consulting Network, which has active members across Australia and New Zealand.

  David's research has been honoured with awards from the Australian Academy of Science, the American Statistical Association, and the Royal Society of New South Wales. He is currently interested in developing fast tools for large spatial and spatio-temporal datasets, to better understand ecological communities using presence-only data.

  
  

  Speaker: Dr Houying Zhu (Macquarie)

  
  

  Title: Statistical Solutions: From Wildfire Losses to Protein Engineering

  
  

  Abstract:

  This presentation explores two projects utilising statistical methodologies to address diverse challenges. The first project utilises flexible Generalised Additive Models for Location, Scale, and Shape (GAMLSS) to analyse wildfire property losses in the United States. Through the integration of climate, socioeconomic, and geographical variables, our approach enhances catastrophe risk management for insurance companies and government agencies. In the subsequent segment, at a glance,  we showcase some fundamental techniques used in assessing a proposed human-centred platform to augment the capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs) in tackling protein engineering tasks.  This collaborative endeavour demonstrates how statistical insights, combined with domain knowledge, empower informed decision-making.

  
  

  Biography:

  Dr. Houying Zhu (https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/houying-zhu) currently holds the position of Lecturer in Statistics at the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at Macquarie University. She earned her PhD in Applied Mathematics from the University of New South Wales, Sydney. Her research is centred on computational statistics, where she pioneers methodologies and fosters efficient implementations. Dr. Zhu's ongoing research interests are geared towards advancing both theoretical understanding and practical applications in computational statistics and data science.

   

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• International workshop on Statistical Modelling (IWSM 2024)

  • Start
    14 Jul 2024
  •  
    (BST)
  • End
    19 Jul 2024
  •  
    (BST)
  • Location
    Durham, England, UK.

  UPDATE!!!! The deadline for 4-pages short paper submission for the 38^th International Workshop on Statistical Modelling (IWSM2024) in Durham-UK (15-19 July 2024) has been extended to Thursday 27^th of February 2024. Please visit the conference website https://maths.dur.ac.uk/iwsm2024/.  and submission details IWSM2024 Durham | Call for Papers. for more information.

  
  

  
  

  The 38th International Workshop on Statistical Modelling (IWSM) will take place in Durham City, England, UK.

  The IWSM is one of the major activities of the Statistical Modelling Society, founded with the purpose of promoting and encouraging statistical modelling in its widest sense. The workshop aims to involve both academic and professional statisticians and data analysts with a particular focus on real data problems which involve an element of novel statistical modelling, or novel model application.

  The atmosphere of the workshop is friendly and supportive, with no parallel sessions, with the aim of stimulating the exchange of ideas and experiences related to statistical modelling.

  Papers focusing on applications with important substantive implications as well as methodological issues are welcome, including new developments in Data Science. Submissions by students and young researchers are particularly encouraged.

  The programme will consist of a short course on the Sunday (July 14th), an academic programme spanning from Monday (July 15th) morning to Friday (July 19th) lunchtime, and a social programme including a welcome reception (Monday), an excursion (Wednesday afternoon) and a conference dinner (Thursday).

  Registration: Event Booking Details (durham.ac.uk)

  Paper submission deadline: February 20, 2024

  

  
  

  
  

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• Australasian Applied Statistics Conference

  • Start
    2 Sep 2024
  • End
    5 Sep 2024
  • Location
    Samphire, Rottnest Island

  Australasian Applied Statistics Conference 2024

  2-5 September, Rottnest Island, Western Australia

  https://aasc2024conf.netlify.app/

  The Australasian Applied Statistics Conference 2024 (AASC2024) will be held on Rottnest Island at the Samphire Resort on 3-5 September 2024, with pre-conference workshops being held on 2 September in Fremantle.

  The conference will provide you with the opportunity to liaise with fellow statisticians within the agricultural, biological and environmental sciences and keep abreast of the most recent developments in statistics within this area.

  The invited speakers are: Hans-Peter Piepho, Kerrie Mengersen, Lucy Marshall, Roger Payne, Adrian Baddeley and Anna Hayes.

  Key dates

  31 May 2024: Abstract submission closes.

  1 July 2024: Early-bird registration closes.

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• 9th Biennial ACSPRI Social Science Methodology Conference

  • Start
    27 Nov 2024
  •  
    (AEDT)
  • End
    29 Nov 2024
  •  
    (AEDT)
  • Location
    Holme Building, University of Sydney

  ACSPRI is a consortium of universities, government research agencies and not-for profit research organisations, established as a non-profit organisation in 1976 to support and promote social science. They run intensive courses on both qualitative and quantitative research methods; develop Open source computer-assisted survey software; and undertake survey and infrastructure projects for researchers from member organisations.

  The ACSPRI conference is multi-disciplinary and brings together researchers and methodologists from a range of environments and contexts and contexts.

  CALL FOR SESSION CONVENORS: 9th Biennial ACSPRI Social Science Methodology Conference 2024

  The call for session convenors is now open. They welcome proposals for sessions, workshops, panels or plenaries. Examples of topics are listed on the call for session convenors form. Proposals close on 12 April 2024. A call for papers will be issued shortly after.

  A unique feature of this conference is that it is multi-disciplinary and brings together researchers and methodologists from a range of environments and contexts.

  The conference is organised around four themes:

  1. Research paradigms and designs;
  2. Research methods and techniques;
  3. Research technology and tools;
  4. Datasets, data collections and data archiving.

  There will be three types of submissions considered:

  1. Presentations where an abstract is reviewed (abstract in the conference proceedings).
  2. Posters - including a student poster competition (abstract in the conference proceedings).
  3. Short videos (5 minutes) - including a student short video competition (abstract in the conference proceedings).

  More details will appear on the conference website soon

  Some important dates:

  • Late August 2024: Earlybird registration opens
  • 20 September 2024: Abstract submission closes
  • 11 October 2024: Earlybird registration closes
  • 13 November 2024: Final date for submission of short videos
  • 27 November 2024: Conference opens

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