University of Surrey and NPL partnership to boost data science

Professor Philip Aston from Surrey’s Department of Mathematics will now spend 40 per cent of his time at NPL’s Data Science Group in Teddington, where he will be looking to strengthen links between the University and NPL in data science research.

The appointment is part of the strategic alliance established in 2015 between the Universities of Surrey and Strathclyde, and the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills to help provide leadership to NPL. 

Professor Aston has worked for the University of Surrey for nearly 30 years, where he has led research in nonlinear dynamical systems, mathematical biology and mathematical pharmacology. His most recent papers cover topics such as pharmacokinetics/ pharmacodynamics (PKPD), models of hepatitis C infection and new methods for analysing long streams of cardiovascular data.

Philip Aston, Professor of Mathematics and Data Science at the University of Surrey, said: “It is a privilege to be given this opportunity to strengthen the research links between the University of Surrey and the National Physical Laboratory and I look forward to this exciting new role.”

Professor David Sampson, Vice-Provost for Research and Innovation at the University of Surrey, said: “We are delighted to have Philip take up this joint role and we have every confidence that he is the right person to initiate quality research projects with NPL in mathematical modelling, especially those related to health and medicine.”

Professor Alistair Forbes, NPL’s Science Area Leader in Data Science, said: “We are very excited to welcome Philip on board as Professor of Mathematics and Data Science. His appointment represents a significant step along our journey to develop a framework that will deliver confidence in the intelligent and effective use of data. We are also extremely pleased to strengthen our collaboration with the University of Surrey in this way.”