NEWS

Welcome to the MDAP newsletter! Our aim here is to share with you highlights from our MDAP collaborations, information about our MDAP seminar series, key dates for training and research partnership applications, and random cool stuff we have stumbled upon and would like to share.

In this document we showcase how we have contributed in 2020 across the University to research outcomes in areas such as human and animal health, preservation and understanding of culture, energy, neuroscience and more.

The Epoch of Incredulity: Data, Narrative & Contemporary Crisis, by Dr Tyne Daile Sumner

Bobbie is our resident genomics wizard, who knows a thing or two about data pipelines and draws inspiration from the film Mad Max and his two dear whippet babies. Meet our much loved social ‘glue’ of MDAP, Bobbie!

With an avalanche of misinformation and fake news about COVID-19 out there, who & what do you believe? Check out our 'Living with COVID' campaign, communicating the facts in a fun and engaging way.

Meet Emily, our resident expert on Australian and American politics during Australian federation, and enthusiastic traveller for blues dance and Broadway show experiences. Today, Emily brings a wealth of digital humanities experience to our team, after hopping over to MDAP from The University’s Digital Studio in early 2020.

Recently, our own Dr Maria del Mar Quiroga (Mar) starred on ABC podcast, The Pop Test joining hosts, Andy Matthews and Alasdair Tremblay Birchall, and comedians, Dilruk Jayasinha and Naomi Higgins to discuss all things ‘Computers’.

In 2020, MDAP collaborated with Dr Marianne Coleman, a new researcher in orthoptics to The University of Melbourne. In this three-part series, Marianne shares a bit about her research and experience working with us.

We are so pleased to see our colleagues, Dr Mar Quiroga and Priyanka Pillai become Superstars of STEM, joining sixty other women in a two-year leadership and communication program run by STA.

To help celebrate NAIDOC Week 2020, we reflect on one of our recent collaborations with the Kaiela Institute, the Indigenous Data Network (IDN) and Scholarly Services to support Indigenous governance of Indigenous Data.

Meet our resident geographer, YouTube star and now Research Data Specialist, Jonathan Garber, who is passionate about knowledge sharing, travel, and helping to solve data and code crimes to address global challenges.

Whether it’s decoding questions about the universe, ancient Arabic texts or monolithic ‘Jars’ in present-day Laos, Robert Turnbull has us covered. Discover his journey from Australia to the Middle East and back again to pursue his life passion in uncovering questions of the past.

In August, we co-facilitated Defining the Third Space with the Sydney Informatics Hub team: an online event that aimed to explore our data-intensive research support space with the community nationally and abroad.

Meet Gus, Lingyu, Lexie, Sophia and Hai Ho, Master of Data Science and Information Technology students who joined the MDAP team in mid-2020, shortly after we all started to settle into remote working life.

Meet Noel, our in-house bioinformatics and genetics specialist with a knack for tackling complex computational challenges in health and biological sciences and enjoying backyard travel in lieu of European getaways for now.

To celebrate our first year at MDAP: a showcase of some of our successful collaborations with researchers across the Faculties, and our ideas on the future of data-intensive research.

Meet Aleks, our resident archaeologist who brings a passion for uncovering history to help shape the future of research data stewardship at the University and beyond. Here we learn about Aleks' journey to, in, and around her new MDAP 'digs'.

Recently we co-organised a virtual event with Sydney Informatics Hub (SIH) titled Third Space: The Depth, the first of hopefully many to explore the data-intensive research support space in different institutions. Here we share presentations from this event and exciting next steps.

While we have been self-isolating, the innovative Melbourne Connect precinct has been taking form. At its heart: a major new digital artwork that will live and grow with the building, its occupants, and its environment over time.

Meet Zaher, one of our talented research data specialists with a passion for turning creative software skills towards boundary-pushing projects at the intersection of art, science, and technology that can benefit humans and animals alike.

Recently, Dr Andrew Siebel jumped on board as our Platform Manager, helping the team to foster inclusiveness, collaboration, technical innovation, and good spirit from the get-go. Here we learn about his pathway in human and animal biology and a life-long passion for diversity.

Recently, MDAP kicked off its internship program with four Master of Data Science students jumping onto real-world research problems with our research data specialist and data steward team. Interns Maria, Rohit, Pratibha and Saket slotted seamlessly into the team...

"I don’t think there are any wicked problems on my horizon that can't be fixed." Celebrating #IWD2020 with a Q&A with one of our research data stewards, Priyanka Pillai.

RDA Plenary and C3DIS adapt for online viewing! We thank organisers for their work to enable us to contribute to the new program, and look forward to sharing more video recordings of our presentations here as they become available in 2020.

Introducing Mar, one of our talented research data specialists with a serious knack for problem solving in mathematics, neuroscience, public health, and any data-intensive area!