Person profile

Joanna Macnab (Head of Data Analysis, MMR Food and Drink Research Worldwide)

Since completing a BSc in Statistics as a mature student followed by an MSc in Biometry, I have had a varied career experiencing many different areas of statistics.

On graduating, I worked at Zeneca Seeds using a huge amount of what I had learned on my MSc in an agricultural context. Much of the work involved liaising directly with scientists in the design and analysis of field and greenhouse trials.

Following this I spent a year at the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, again spending most of my time working directly with scientists to design and analyse practical experiments and bioassays.

I then moved away from agriculture/biology into official statistics, spending a year with ONS working on the General Practice Research Database (a live database of GP records). I then moved to my current employer, MMR Food and Drink Research Worldwide.

MMR is a full service market research agency specialising in food and drink with a very strong statistical heritage. I started out as a statistician in the Data Analysis section. Within 18 months, I was heading the section.

I have now been head of Data Analysis for just over four years and as such I have an extremely varied role, ranging from analysing data through to the administrative and managerial responsibilities of the department. My main responsibilities include:

• Analysing data. Yes, I still do this! Despite my departmental responsibilities, I spend a substantial amount of time actually analysing and reporting on data
• Ensuring that our research team (our "clients") have the statistical support that they need at all times
• Coordinating, and if appropriate undertaking, development of methodologies and procedures from the statistical point of view
• Visiting clients with non statisticians to provide expertise in areas such as experimental design
• Managing the staff who make up the Data Analysis team.

In short an extremely varied role, which has kept me interested from the day I joined!