Keynote Speakers
A/Prof Tanya P. Garcia - University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
Collaborating with neuroscientists and biologists, Tanya’s research focuses on extracting maximal information from large, highly correlated data structures and has led to scientific discoveries in neurodegenerative diseases and the gut microbiome. Her leadership promotes the success of underrepresented groups in (bio)statistics.
Dr Phillip Gould - Deputy Australian Statistician, Head of Data and Statistical Practices Group, Australian Bureau of Statistics
Phillip joined the ABS in September 2024 from the Department of Health and Aged Care where he was the Chief Data Officer and First Assistant Secretary for the Health Economics and Research Division. Phillip has worked across the private, university and government sectors, including at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, with roles in the COVID-19 response taskforce and in establishing the Office of the National Data Commissioner. He has also worked previously at the ABS, where he helped establish the ABS’ data integration program.
Prof Martin L. Hazelton - Otago University, Dunedin, NZ
Martin Hazelton is a statistician with wide-ranging research interests. He has worked previously at the University of Oxford, University College London, the University of Western Australia, and Massey University in NZ. Martin was editor-in-chief of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Statistics.
Dr Joanne Potts - Director, Analytic Edge Consulting, Tasmania
Joanne Potts is an ecological statistician based in southern Tasmania, is the director of The Analytical Edge Pty Ltd., a statistical consulting firm she has led since 2012. An Accredited Statistician with the Statistical Society of Australia, Joanne brings a wealth of expertise in survey design and data analysis across a broad spectrum of applications. Her main areas of expertise are estimating abundance invasive, rare and commercially harvested species; developing species distribution and demographic models, especially under climate change; and creating models of pest and disease spread to assess biosecurity risks. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Melbourne (2003) and a PhD in Applied Statistics from the University of St Andrews, Scotland (2011).
Dr Katharina Schuller - Founder & CEO, STAT-UP Statistical Consulting, Germany
In 2020, Katharina initiated the development of a Data Literacy Charter under the sponsorship of the Donors' Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities in Germany, which was signed by more than 100 representatives from business, politics and science. In 2021, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standards Association appointed her to lead an international working group to develop a global standard for Data & AI Literacy. Katharina was also involved in the development of the app Stadt, Land, DatenFluss by the German Adult Education Association. This was created to strengthen citizens' data literacy by explaining how new data-based technologies work in a playful way.
A/Prof Sofia S. Villar - MRC Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge, UK
Since September 2020, Sofia has been an MRC Investigator (Programme Leader) working as part of the Efficient Study Design (ESD) theme of the MRC Biostatistics Unit. Her research aims to improve clinical trial design through the development of innovative methods that lie in the intersection between optimisation, machine learning and statistics.
In 2025, Dr Villar was awarded the Frank Hansford-Miller Fellowship, supporting collaboration between the Australian and UK statistical communities. As part of the Fellowship, she will visit Perth to deliver a keynote presentation and participate in ASC2025 activities.
