Shortly after joining SAMBa I broke my neck in a bicycle accident. But thanks to the support from the amazing team, I was still able to make a success of my PhD. The SAMBa environment surrounds you with wonderful people and fantastic opportunities.
Before I joined SAMBa, I was at the University of Edinburgh drinking whisky and climbing mountains, somehow ending up with an MMath degree along the way.
My research involved how things spread through networks. This could be anything from viruses in populations to messages on Twitter, though in a more abstract probabilistic way naturally. I’m now a postdoc at the University of Warwick. I got hired to model chicken pox vaccination, but then coronavirus hit so attention rather got turned in that direction instead.
SAMBa not only gave me the mathematical tools to pursue an area of really vital and interesting research, but enabled me to link up with biologists and epidemiologists so I could understand how my research is applied in real systems.
Dr Sam Moore, Lecturer, Lancaster
I can't imagine studying for my PhD anywhere other than SAMBa
(My supervisors) encouraged me to take my own research direction, guided by my interests, and to be involved in the wider community, presenting at and attending a wide range of national and international conferences
I had the opportunity to get involved in some international training and capacity building activities with international partners and was able to travel to Brazil and Mongolia to share my knowledge of statistical methods and applications, which was really rewarding.
Being part of SAMBa is like being part of a little community: everyone is super supportive and there is always someone to talk to if you need it (usually with cake!).
You get a lot of freedom to choose your research area...and there is a wide range of research areas within the department from which to choose
The ITTs were invaluable in providing experience in collaborating effectively with others on large projects, understanding and synthesising new information quickly, and liasing with academic leads and commercial partners
SAMBa’s most remarkable feature is the variety of study options it offers
The ITTs can be really fun. The best part is that each time you participate you come out with a head full of new ideas and knowledge. Truly amazing
I really valued the experience of being part of a cohort of students in SAMBa, which guaranteed that we were not doing our PhDs in isolation, despite working intensively on independent projects
SAMBa offers high level training in statistical and applied mathematical disciplines, as well as direct engagement with industrial partners
