I am a wonder-filled and passionate Biological Scientist, Data Scientist and Teacher with over 12 years of direct data experience, and scientific contributions ranging from academic research to science education at tertiary to grassroots levels. My research illuminated the population dynamics and evolution of different groups of snakes in time and space, via generation and analysis of large genetic sequence data sets and integration of evolutionary information with geographic data.
I have always been enthused by the power and utility of data when judiciously processed and interpreted, and Data Science is now my professional focus.
Professional Interests and Projects
Systematics, Evolutionary Biology, Herpetology
Whilst research is no longer my full-time pursuit, I still collaborate on various projects and have a first-author paper in preparation on systematics of the African Adders: Old mountains and new species - the radiation of southern African dwarf adders (Bitis, Serpentes: Viperidae). Please see my Orcid profile for a full list of my academic contributions. A few key examples are provided below:
- One of my papers investigating the patterns and tempo of snake evolution (winner of a major international award)
- A highly-cited collaborative paper that I coauthored, on best practices in herpetological taxonomy
- An East African snake species has been named in my honour: Psammophylax kellyi
Data Science
Data is the currency of the future, and its prudent analysis and interpretation are key to understanding the vast sweep of physical reality. It is the raw material by which proximate truth may ultimately be discerned, while conversely its misuse enables compelling deception. A rich and rapidly evolving ecosystem of data science theory, methods and technologies has emerged, sustained by prodigious volumes of data generated across the landscape of human endeavour. Services delivered include robust solutions to real-world problems and a deep understanding of physical phenomena. I am manoeuvring into a natural sciences oriented niche of this ecosystem and am currently building a portfolio of projects to demonstrate essential skills, as follows:
- iNaturalist Scraper and Data Pipeline (web-scraping app for iNaturalist.org)
Python Coding
For the first time in more than 20 years, Python has overtaken Java, JavaScript, and C as the most popular programming language (according to the October 2021 release of the Tiobe index). As the dominant language for data science, not to mention the enticingly herpetological ring to its name, Python has been the subject of much of my current skills development. The following are a few portfolio pieces produced along my Python journey so far.
- Blackjack (Portfolio piece - Games)
- Noughts and Crosses (Portfolio piece - Games)