PGR Seminar with Tilcia Woodville-price + Thu Nguyen

The next PGR seminar is taking place this Friday 16th May at 2PM in JC 1.33a

Below are the Titles and Abstracts for Tilcia and Thu’s talks – Please do come along if you are able.

Tilcia Woodville-price

Title: Definitely, Maybe? Communicating Uncertainty In Medicine

Abstract: An inherent aspect of healthcare and data science alike, uncertainty is present at every step of data utilisation, including its collection, analysis and dissemination. Accounting for and disclosing uncertainty is an ongoing challenge faced by many disciplines. In medicine, effective communication of uncertainty is essential for shared decision-making, with important considerations surrounding the user (patients, clinicians, policymakers), the underlying information, and the means of communicating it (data visualisation). Current medical research has focused on risk communication, often failing to evaluate more complex aspects of uncertainty. In contrast, the information visualisation community has more widely researched uncertainty visualisation in other domains, but insights remain limited regarding best practice. This interdisciplinary research aims to empirically assess different forms of visualising uncertainty in medicine, evaluate how user characteristics influence comprehension, and explore new forms of communicating it through data-driven storytelling.

Thu Nguyen

Title: Multimorbidity Dynamics in Scotland: Health inequality and Trajectories in chronic disease accrual and mortality across the lifespan

Abstract: Multimorbidity – the co-occurrence of two or more chronic diseases – is a growing global concern, and is associated with higher risk of mortality, worse quality of life and substantial financial burden. About one third of the world’s population has multimorbidity. Care for multimorbid patients in the UK accounts for more than 55% of NHS costs and 75% of primary care prescription costs. The focus of multimorbidity epidemiology so far has largely been on the static clustering of diseases through cross-sectional analyses, with less emphasis on the trajectories of disease onset and the sequence in which conditions develop. Understanding the order in which diseases occur and its impact on patient outcomes can help identify high-risk trajectories and aid healthcare resource planning by identifying target populations for preventive interventions, ultimately leading to earlier diagnosis and management. Using linked electronic health records (EHRs) on 858789 individuals (2005-2021), this study aims to employ multistate modelling to explore the dynamics of multimorbidity trajectories, measure chronic disease accrual, incorporating social factors to unveil the health inequality in Scotland.

Successful Technology Through The Ages Event with Madras College

The school hosted a highly successful outreach event on May 8th, welcoming S1 pupils from Madras College to the school. Attendees had the opportunity to explore the development of computing technology through the ages and interact with a large number of interactive technology demonstrations and exhibits. It was lovely to see how well behaved and engaged they all were with Computing, which is a real credit to Madras College and its values, and it was great to see everyone having fun, including the older kids too i.e., CS staff 🙂

Special thanks to all staff in CS who got involved with this, volunteering their equipment and time to talk to the S1 pupils, testing, setting up, and clearing away

Also, special thanks to the S1 pupils for joining us and to Janice Patterson, Stephen Forbes, and Keith Maskell at Madras for all their work organising the trip from the Madras end.

 

Research Software Group Lunchtime Seminar – Friday 23rd May

There will be a Research Software Group Lunchtime Seminar on Friday May 23rd at 1pm, in room 1.33B.

Talk Title: “People First: Sustaining Research Software by Sustaining the People Who Build It”

Speakers are Software Sustainability Institute Fellows: Deborah Udoh (OLS) and Olexandr Konovalov (St Andrews)

– https://www.software.ac.uk/fellowship-programme/deborah-udoh

– https://www.software.ac.uk/fellowship-programme/olexandr-konovalov

Abstract

What does it mean to build sustainable research software—and sustainable research software communities?

Too often, sustainability is framed in terms of clean code, reproducibility, funding and long-term maintenance. But sustainability is also about people: who gets to stay, who gets to lead, and who burns out or leaves before their potential is fully realised.

This talk invites us to look beyond technical best practices and consider the human infrastructure that truly sustains research software: the developers, contributors, maintainers, and collaborators who often work in the margins of recognition. We’ll explore how issues like burnout, impostor syndrome, and lack of psychological safety threaten not just individual wellbeing, but the continuity and health of the software ecosystems we care about.

Using real-world examples from both academic and open-source contexts, we’ll share practices and small culture shifts that have helped sustain people in research software roles.

This session will include a short, interactive exercise where participants will reflect on their own sustainability needs, and collectively brainstorm people-first practices for healthier RSE communities.

PGR Seminar with Duong Phuc Tai Nguyen + Thomas Metcalfe

The next PGR seminar is taking place this Friday 9th May at 2PM in JC 1.33a

Below are the Titles and Abstracts for Duong and Tom’s talks – Please do come along if you are able.

Duong Phuc Tai Nguyen

Title: Enhancing Dynamic Algorithm Configuration via Theory-guided Benchmarks.

Abstract: Algorithms play a vital role in numerous domains, ranging from machine learning to optimization and simulation. Developing an algorithm typically requires making multiple design choices and fine-tuning parameters, a process that can be both labor-intensive and complex. This project seeks to automate this process by employing machine learning techniques, particularly deep reinforcement learning (deep-RL). By leveraging theoretical insights from evolutionary computation, we establish new benchmarks to assess RL methods for dynamic algorithm configuration and propose enhancement techniques to increase their effectiveness

Thomas Metcalfe

Title: Listening to Rhythms: Exploring Human-Phenology Attunement through Research Products and Decentralised Computing

Abstract: Humanity and the planet are in an epoch of ecological breakdown. Modern technological cultures have severed human awareness from the living rhythms of more-than-human worlds. This research explores how decentralised, situated technologies might foster embodied attunement between humans and the phenological rhythms of place.

This seminar is a work-in-progress. 7 months into his PhD, Tom will present his journey and current thinking on the foundations and potential direction of his project. You can expect to hear how he’s trying to shift research paradigms; the profound change in the project’s onto-epistemological perspectives; and how he hopes to make a contribution to the design and HCI communities.

Successful Doors Open Event

The school hosted a highly successful Doors Open event yesterday, welcoming many visitors including industry professionals, university colleagues from other schools (e.g. Psychology & Neuroscience, Biology and Chemistry) and prospective students. Attendees had the opportunity to explore cutting-edge projects in Artificial Intelligence, Human-computer Interaction, Software Engineering and engage with interactive technology demonstrations.

Highlights of the event included the popular “Hot Tattie” sessions in Artificial Intelligence, Programming Languages and Human Computer Interaction. The enthusiastic participation and positive feedback from visitors highlighted the school’s commitment to outreach, education, and fostering a strong connection between academia and the broader community.

Special thanks to Ruth Hoffmann and Kirsty Ross who organised this event. We would like to thank all who attended Doors Open and made it a success. We look forward to seeing you next year!

PGR Seminar with Gen Li + Jess McGowan

The next PGR seminar is taking place this Friday 2nd May at 2PM in JC 1.33a

Below are the Titles and Abstracts for Gen and Jess’ talks – Please do come along if you are able.

Gen Li

Title: Visualization of clinical pathways based on sepsis comorbidities

Abstract: Sepsis is a severe infectious syndrome that can lead to critical illness and death. At present, most retrospective studies on sepsis focus on diagnosis and mortality risk prediction, with relatively limited attention to patients’ medical backgrounds. Comorbidities, as an important factor affecting the severity of the disease and treatment outcomes, present complex and variable characteristics in the treatment process. However, current research in this field generally lacks in-depth analysis of clinical pathways such as patient transfers and treatment interventions during hospitalization, which limits the development of personalized treatment strategies. Based on this, our research plans to use machine learning methods to extract similar comorbidity sub-groups of sepsis patients from electronic health records (EHRs), and further combine them with advanced visualization technology to explore the clinical pathways of these sub-groups. The research aims to help clinicians gain insights into the potential relationship between sepsis and related comorbidities, improve the interpretability of patients’ clinical records, and thus develop more effective treatment and management strategies for patients.

Jess McGowan

Title: Roll For Initiative: From Play to Personas

Abstract: In user centred design, designing for a wide target audience can lead to systems attempting to please everyone and thus pleasing no-one. Using a persona, i.e. a single member of that target audience, and designing a system dedicated to their needs results in a more focused design, which leads to improved usability. However, the design of personas is largely unstructured, with no clearly agreed methodology behind their creation. The solution to this could be found in Tabletop Role Playing Games (TTRPGs), which tend to feature clearly structured character creation instructions. This project aims to investigate to what extent can TTRPG character creation instructions aid the design of personas.

🦙 Alpacas a Heartwarming Success for CS 🦙

In a change from traditional stress-relief activities, the school hosted an alpaca wellbeing event yesterday that brought fun and relaxation to those who came along. The event featured a visit from a charming herd of alpacas from Bowbridge Alpacas Scotland, named Joseph, Angus, Jacob, Balthazar, Owain and Simon.

Timed during the lead into exams, the event provided a welcome escape from revision.  Alpacas are known for their gentle and inquisitive nature, making them ideal companions for stress relief.

This was Georgia Chiswick’s last event as CS school president and we would like to thank her for all she has done for the school. Good luck Georgia!

Wellbeing Event

Wellbeing Event Brings Alpacas to CS Llama

In the midst of deadlines, revision, and the general hustle of university life, it’s easy to forget to take a moment to breathe. That’s why this Tuesday, we’re inviting students and staff alike to pause and unwind with some very special guests: alpacas!

Our Wellbeing Team is thrilled to host this unique event designed to support mental health and wellbeing in a fun, memorable way. Taking place on Tuesday 29th April 2pm-4pm at the Jack Cole patio/BBQ area (outside the coffee area) the event will feature a group of friendly, gentle alpacas who are more than happy to lend a fluffy ear and a calming presence.

Why Alpacas?

Studies have shown that spending time with animals can significantly reduce stress and anxiety. Alpacas, known for their docile nature and soothing demeanor, are perfect companions for a moment of calm during a busy week. Whether you’re petting them, snapping selfies, or just enjoying their company, the experience is sure to bring a smile to your face.

What to Expect

  • A relaxed, outdoor setting to meet and interact with the alpacas
  • Information on wellbeing resources and support services available in the School
  • Opportunities to connect with fellow students and staff in a light-hearted atmosphere
  • Free refreshments while you mingle

No Booking Necessary!

This is a free, drop-in event open to all students and staff in the School. Just show up, take a breather, and enjoy some quality time with our alpaca friends.

We can’t wait to see you there.

Keeping Doors Open: Connection, Collaboration and Opportunities

By Nina Globerson

On 1 May, the School of Computer Science prepares to welcome visitors, staff, and students alike to its one-of-a-kind Doors Open day. As the only School to implement this initiative at St Andrews, co-founders Dr Ruth Hoffmann (Lecturer, Deputy Director of Postgraduate Research, and Head of the AI theme) and Dr Kirsty Ross (Industrial Liaison) are thrilled to welcome all to the third iteration of the event.

“Doors Open is an event where we’re trying to engage as many people as possible from the public, industry, and sectors that are not within the computer science department. The idea is to showcase what the School does and get people engaged, involved, or interested in computer science and see what we can foster from that.” Dr Ruth Hoffmann

The event emerged from conversations between Dr Ruth Hoffmann, Kenneth Boyd (Honorary Lecturer), and Dr Kirsty Ross on how they could better engage companies in the research within Computer Science. Inspired by art degree shows in Dundee and Glasgow:

“We started off with the idea to invite a bunch of industry people and give them various talks. However, we soon realised that we couldn’t simply talk at them. Therefore, we invited exhibits, and from there we decided to open the entire department up to the public because it needs to be everybody. There are many opportunities for industry people that perhaps they, staff, or the public are not aware of, especially on how we could integrate public engagement within the School for its teaching and research” Dr Ruth Hoffmann

Previous Doors Open events have led to productive and interdisciplinary projects such as the French Digital Library with Dr Pauline Souleau in the School of Modern Languages; involvement of Experian and Skyscanner in the third-year module CS3099: Software Engineering Team Project; Senior Honours projects with Wikimedia UK; as well ongoing projects with psychologists, marine biologists, and historians.

“The conversations are the real impact of Doors Open…Relationships don’t come out of nowhere. It sometimes takes time for these relationships to develop, and it might just be a random conversation at a Doors Open day that then turns into something else further down the line. It’s leaving space for serendipity, as well as creating a slightly more structured opportunity for all involved.” Dr Kirsty Ross

Besides forty projects being shown throughout the day, from climate action language models to generative machine learning for synthetic histopathology slides and video analytics for rugby skills training, this year’s Doors Open approach has evolved, with the addition of ‘Hot Tattie Talks’ to provoke meaningful conversations with the public. This includes fascinating topics such as the affordability of AI and Computing (Prof Simon Dobson), Co-designing Ethical Digital Futures (Dr Abd Alsattar Ardati), and a Brief History of Programming Languages (Dr Edwin Brady). There will also be closed sessions, similar to the collaborative nature of a sandpit event, that are driven by invited external partners who want to present a challenge and to consult with academics. This will not only spark fruitful discussions, but will also help create alliances between industry partners, academics, and the wider School.

The event is also about the students and enabling them to spotlight what they do. Dr Ruth Hoffmann commented that kudos should be given to the students as “they are extremely self-starting and they don’t need much help from us. However, I’m hoping that with these Open Days we can give them a little bit of a leg up to present their research and make new contacts.” This includes internship opportunities such as StARIS and the Vertically Integrated Projects, which often stem from conversations held between staff and various students at Doors Open. It also highlights the student societies within the School, such as St Andrews Computing Society (STACS) and Women in Computer Science (WICS) who showcase what they do, whilst accessing potential employers within a fun and interactive setting.

However, there is also something far more exciting taking place behind the scenes — the integration of external partners into academic modules, creating opportunities for students to gain industry experience. This is most notable in CS3099, where third year undergraduates work in groups to create a software product from start to finish. With the expertise provided by both academics and industry professionals, students have gone on to create Wikidata inspired web visualization, as well as creating novel social enterprise applications for specific audiences. Alongside the main theme of CS3099, accessibility has been built into the module in collaboration with Skyscanner.

“This means that every single graduate from 2024 and 2025 will have the experience of building accessibility into their software products, which is fantastic in creating a cohort of inclusive engineers coming out from the School.” Dr Kirsty Ross

It also means employers and potential employees are creating synergy to see if they are “a right fit for one another,” and having the opportunity to choose the best of the best adds Dr Ruth Hoffmann.

Doors Open is about representation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and connection. It is due to this that Dr Ruth Hoffmann  has been able to reconnect with colleagues from other Schools that she doesn’t typically get to see, as well as reigniting conversations held with visitors from previous years: “I think my favorite part is the buzz of the day where you’ve got people presenting and talking to each other and getting excited on various different levels.” It also is about highlighting that “the doors remain open permanently to anyone who wants to work with the School of Computer Science” says Dr Kirsty Ross, and creating the space to talk to people:

“I love spotting a need, joining the dots between individuals, as well as watching the relationships grow from there, and this only scratches the surface of what Doors Open could be like in the future.” Dr Kirsty Ross

This also raises the question of what’s next for Doors Open, which both Dr Kirsty Ross and Dr Ruth Hoffmann have agreed involves maintaining the enthusiasm amongst students and staff to present their work to the public, as well as encouraging other Schools within St Andrews take up the model.

Furthermore, there are ongoing discussions about setting up a rapid software prototyping centre where external partners can provide a source of paid, subject specific employment for the students of the School of Computer Science. Given St. Andrews location within a “sweet spot” to support local businesses in, around, and outside of Fife, the impact of initiatives like this could be significant. Furthermore, if more Schools were to run their own Open Doors events, the nature of academic research and student opportunity could change immensely, promoting increased interdisciplinarity and collaboration on a much larger scale.

Check out all the fantastic talks, sessions, and exhibits on show for Doors Open 2025 at https://doorsopen.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/our-show/ now, and see you on 1 May!