60 second interview
David Elston
Director of Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland,
(BioSS)
How did you become interested in statistics?
The first time I can recall considering estimation as an issue was when I was on a family holiday as a teenager. We were sitting on a shingle beach and my Uncle asked if I could guess how many stones there were on the beach. Quite a challenge, given that the beach had an irregular profile having been shaped by the winter storms and that there was no way of knowing how far down the stones went. Maybe the point of the question was to encourage me to occupy myself digging down to the bedrock rather than loafing about teenager-style.
What was your first job on leaving University?
I first began looking for a job during the second term of the MSc course I was taking in Biometry at Reading. Motivated by interactions I' d had with biological contemporaries as an undergraduate, my ambition was to work as a statistician at a research institute. I was very fortunate to be recruited to the first job I applied for, at David Finney's AFRC Unit of Statistics in Edinburgh. Although David interviewed me and appointed me, he retired before I actually arrived, leaving other staff with the problem of how to manage me!
What is your current role?
The transition from the Unit of Statistics to BioSS suited me, and my career has benefited from being in the right place at the right time on a number of occasions. The shift in emphasis from production agriculture to environmental issues brought work closer to my personal interests, helped considerably by my move from Edinburgh to work at Macaulay Land Use Research Institute in Aberdeen and my subsequent interactions with ecologists in the NERC-funded Centre for Ecology and Hydrology research station at Banchory (now sadly closed down). As a result, I have worked my way up from our graduate recruitment grade to becoming Director of BioSS. The final jump heralded the biggest change, as being Director requires giving organisational responsibilities priority over personal scientific contributions. Although I do regret my increasing detachment from science, I am immensely proud of the scientific achievements of BioSS staff and hope that my actions as Director help create an environment that allows them to prosper.
Who or what has inspired you in your career?
My initial management, shared by Tony Hunter and Chris Glasbey, provided my career with an excellent start. Tony taught me how to interact with scientists, getting to the root of their problems and explaining the benefits that the discipline of statistics can provide. Chris taught me to think laterally about research, taking an independent view of problems rather than following standard lines. Rob Kempton, BioSS Director until his tragic death in post in May 2003, was exceptional both in identifying outlets for statistical thinking and nurturing the strengths that different people bring to their jobs: he remains my managerial role model. External influences are more numerous, hence harder to pin down. If I were to pick two, they would be: witnessing at first hand David Spiegelhalter's outstanding ability as a communicator, successfully explaining the essence of complex statistical thinking to non-statistical audiences; also a comment by Brian Cullis during a conference discussion, to the effect that "modelling is a personal thing", which has shaped my thinking about the inter-relationship between the subjective and objective steps that are taken at different stages of the research process.
What would you say is your greatest achievement?
I would like to think my greatest achievement will take place in the future, so will take the liberty of answering the related question of what gives me greatest satisfaction. From a scientific perspective, I particularly enjoy adapting modern statistical methods so that scientific questions can be investigated more incisively: also to hear scientists discussing issues of statistical methodology in a manner which suggests my interaction with them has gone beyond dealing with specifics to influencing their mindsets. From a managerial perspective, I have drawn great satisfaction from the favourable headline comments in recent external reviews of BioSS, these comments providing evidence that we have made the most of the stability provided by our benefactors in the Scottish Government.
What is your vision for the future of Statistics in Scotland?
I wish we could break down the institutional barriers and funding constraints that inhibit experts in statistics from contributing where they can make most impact. The formation of BioSS in 1987 was a positive step, integrating staff from the former AFRC Unit of Statistics with statisticians employed by agricultural research organisations funded by the then Scottish Office. Although Scottish Government policy documents have repeatedly stated the benefits of integrating the work in research institutes with the work in HEIs, progress has been very limited and there is much to do to turn ambition into achievement. I think it is important here to recognise the potential contributions that can be made from individuals with methodological expertise whose work with data lies out with the formal discipline of statistics: they can have much to offer alongside those who lie within the confines of the discipline of statistics.
What do you think are the main benefits of AQMeN?
AQMeN provides integration of statistical expertise across the HEI sector in a broad swathe of research activity. From my reply above, it will be clear that I wholeheartedly support this initiative. Now all that is required is to cover the remaining areas of HEI research, also to integrate this with the work of BioSS and related staff from the rest of the research sector! Whilst this ambition may never be achieved in its entirety, it is a worthy goal to strive towards and every step along the way should be given due recognition.
About BioSS
BioSS undertakes research, consultancy and training in mathematics and statistics as applied to agriculture, the environment, food and health. They are one of the Main Research Providers for strategic research in environmental, agricultural and biological science funded by the Scottish Government's Rural and Environment Research Analysis Directorate (RERAD).
For more information about BioSS visit www.bioss.ac.uk
