What inspired you to start research in computational biology?
I got interested in computational biology late, during my PhD. I was always interested in computer science and maths, and started my PhD studying properties of probability distributions on phylogenies. I decided half way that this was too remote from "real world problems", and started working on methods to infer genetic population structure. I immediately loved it, as it allowed to answer important questions in ecology and evolution immediately.
What are 5 important skills needed for your research?
- Algorithm development (very different from programming!)
- Mathematical/statistical modeling
- Logical thinking
- Programming
- Ability to work collaboratively
How did you learn the computational and quantitative skills necessary for your work?
At university, first. Then through reading books and papers. Finally, by taking advantage of my colleagues' knowledge!
What important questions do you address in your research?
I am primarily interested in the inference of ancestry and the discovery of hidden familial relationships through genomic data. I am fascinated by the application and development of machine learning techniques to answer these questions. In addition to being fundamental for understanding the history of our species, each person can relate to them, and learn about his/her own history. They are a great way to engage the public in science!