This seminar gives the background to the Mars Perseverance Rover's collection of samples from Mars, the return of the samples, and the statistical issues involved in sampling and testing. 

The statistical methods to be employed are similar to the Bayesian methods used in decision-making in medicine, but there are some particular issues in applying these methods to this particular problem.  

Biography: I joined the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) at the beginning of 2011, after working in New Zealand for the last 30 years. I originally trained in biostatistics, before moving over to do a PhD in epidemiological methods. 

Since the completion of my PhD in epidemiology in 1985 I have been engaged in a wide range of public health research activities. My current research interests focus on epidemiological and biostatistical methods, and their application to studies of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including occupational and environmental health, asthma, kidney disease and neurological disease. 

I have a particular interest in global epidemiological studies. I am a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand (FRSNZ) and the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSCi) and Past-President of the International Epidemiological Association (IEA).   

This seminar will NOT be recorded. 

All welcome Zoom link