Statistics Author of the Month - May: Peter Diggle
CRC Press is pleased to share with you our author Q&A session with Peter Diggle!
Model-based Geostatistics for Global Public Health : Methods and Applications, 1st Edition
Author(s): Peter J. Diggle, Emanuele Giorgi
Price: $115.00
Cat. #: K32307
ISBN: 9781138732353
Publication Date: March 11, 2019
Binding: Hardback
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Q&A with Peter Diggle
Congratulations on the publication of your book Model-based Geostatistics for Global Public Health: Methods and Applications and being named Statistics Author of the Month! What inspired you to write this book?
I had previously written a book with a similar title, “Model-based Geostatistics,” co-authored with a former student, Paulo Ribeiro. That book was aimed at a statistical audience. I felt there was an unfilled niche for a book that was more focused on a specific, but in my opinion important, area of application.
What are the main developments in research that you’re seeing in your subject area of expertise?
An increasing penetration of spatial statistical methods into substantive epidemiological research.
How does your book relate to these recent developments?
It is linked to open-source software written by my colleague, friend and co-author Emanuele Giorgi, and forms the basis for training courses aimed at quantitatively minded health scientists.
What audience did you have in mind whilst writing you book?
Quantitatively minded health scientists, and biostatistics students.
What did you enjoy about writing the book?
I enjoy writing generally, but I especially enjoy the challenge of explaining sophisticated statistical methods in a way that is (I hope) accessible to a wider readership. Working (not for the first time) with a co-author who is also a good friend is a bonus.
What is your academic background?
BSc (Liverpool), MSc (Oxford), PhD (Newcastle upon Tyne)…very conventional.
What is innovative about your research?
Perhaps applying my early training in stochastic processes (point processes, Gaussian processes) to a very applied area of research (tropical disease epidemiology).
Who has influenced you the most?
Without a doubt the late Julian Besag, an inspiring teacher and (briefly) my PhD supervisor.
What first attracted you to mathematics as an area of study?
Simply that it was what I did well at school. Thereafter, my scholarly journey has taken me from pure maths through stochastic processes and statistical mathematics to statistical science and global health research.
What advice would you give to an aspiring researcher in your field?
Pick an application area that you care about, and show how statistical thinking can add value to it.
What do you feel has been a highlight for you, in your career?
Training and working with younger colleagues, and being given the opportunity to contribute in a small way to improving population health in low-income countries.
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