Biography
My main area of research is in probabilistic machine learning algorithms, with a focus on variational inference methods for probabilistic machine learning and optimisation, and machine learning for causal inference and discovery. I am currently working on applying machine learning optimisation to synthetic biology problems, and developing causal discovery methods for real-world data. I have also been involved in the creation and maintenance of a number of machine learning code-bases, see my website for more details.
Previously I’ve researched probabilistic algorithms for inverse problems, and for the automatic, unsupervised interpretation of data (without human training), such as underwater imagery of the seafloor obtained by autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).
I finished my PhD in July 2013 with the marine systems group at the Australian Centre for Field Robotics, which is in the University of Sydney. I have a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechatronics, honours 1) and Bachelor of Commerce (Finance), also from the University of Sydney.
Academic Qualifications
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2013
PhD (Computer Vision/Machine Learning)
The University of Sydney -
2008
Bachelor of Engineering (Mechatronic, Honours class 1)
The University of Sydney -
2008
Bachelor of Commerce (Finance)
The University of Sydney
Achievements and Awards
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2025-2025
Top reviewer award
NeurIPS 2025 -
2025-2025
Oral presentation award
ICML 2025 Workshop on Scaling up Intervention Models (SIMS) -
2024-2024
Oral presentation award
NeurIPS 2024 Workshop on Bayesian Decision-making and Uncertainty (BDU) -
2023-2023
Oral presentation award
NeurIPS 2023 Workshop on Adaptive Experimental Design and Active Learning in the Real World -
2014-2014
Spotlight Paper Award (Extended and Unscented Gaussian Processes)
NeurIPS
Current Roles
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Team leader
Decisions & Statistical Learning
Fields of Research
Grants
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2026-2029
ARC Linkage: "Student wellbeing: Identifying key supports and high-impact school practices"
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2025-2026
ACT Government Deed of Grant: "Causal discovery on linked datasets for improving wellbeing"
Professional Experiences
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2019-2023
Principal Researcher
Gradient Institute -
2016-2019
Senior Research Engineer
CSIRO (Data61) -
2013-2016
Researcher
NICTA -
2012-2013
Research Associate
The University of Sydney (ACFR) -
2006-2010
Control Systems Engineer
BioPower Systems
Community and Corporate Citizenship
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2025-2025
International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR): Area Chair
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2022-2022
Invited talk to APS Data Professionals Forum
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2022-2022
Invited talk to Jobs and Skills Australia
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2020-2020
Invited talk to Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
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2019-2022
Algorithmic fairness and applications lecturer and tutor, Gradient Institute
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2017-2019
Data Integration Partnership Australia (DIPA) tutor and mentor
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2015-2015
Lead tutor, machine learning summer school (MLSS), Sydney 2015
ORCID 0000-0003-1887-5115