Professor King is the Thomas Bayes’ Chair of Statistics in the School of Mathematics and an international leader within the field of statistics. She takes over from Professor Michael Rovatsos, who has led the Bayes Centre since January 2018, establishing a strong record of collaboration and engagement, bringing together multidisciplinary research within the institution and building partnerships with industry.
Professor Rovatsos said: “It has been a pleasure and an honour to lead the Bayes Centre as the Hub of AI and Data Science in the University of Edinburgh from its launch to its position today as a leading force in the Data-Driven Initiative and a key part of the Scottish Entrepreneurial Ecosystem. I look forward to following its continued journey of success.”
Find out more about the University’s Data-Driven Innovation initiative here
Professor King’s achievements include co-founding the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Statistics in 2017, which unites statisticians and quantitative researchers across the three colleges of the University and the Statistics Consultancy Unit. She also launched the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Statistics: Unlocking the World of Data in 2017, which is still running.
Professor King was elected as a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales in 2017; a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2018; and a fellow of the Institute for Mathematical Statistics in 2022. She was also awarded the prestigious Royal Statistical Society Barnett Award in 2022 for her outstanding research in statistical ecology.
She said: “I would particularly like to thank Professor Rovatsos for his incredible work and leadership of the Bayes Centre and look forward to following his example in driving forward the DDI initiative and committing to make the Bayes Centre a force for societal progress.”