Bio, Sort Of
I was bad at maths in high school. Not terrible, but bad enough that it’s now amusing that I specialise in AI*, applied mathematics, and statistics. My mum and dad certainly found it amusing too. I like to think it was because of the teacher, but some people insist statistics is not really maths. I have also heard that applied mathematics is not really maths either, and that those who specialise in AI are failed statisticians. In a way, this keeps things appropriately uncertain.
I originally tried biology, as I trained as an agronomist at IUT de Brest and then at ENSAIA. But at some point, I realised these studies were setting me up to become either a marketer or an agricultural advisor — and business jobs are not my cup of tea (not at all). What I actually enjoyed was analysing data, much more than running experiments, I have to admit. So I decided that agriculture was not for me: I left the crops in the field (they were not going anywhere) and turned to stats and coding (data science). You might think I must have been slightly traumatised to make a transition like that — but higher education is exceptionally long in France, so I had plenty of time to think. I mean, I even had the time to visit Australia.
In fact, studying statistics, maths and AI at L’Institut Agro Rennes-Angers felt like a fresh start (not the case for everyone). A mix of timing and luck took me Down Under (Australia) again, where I began what turned out to be an unexpectedly stimulating journey into metascience and research integrity. I returned to France, where I continue working on these topics in collaboration with IRMAR (UMR 6625 CNRS – French National Centre for Scientific Research). And then who knows, I might start a PhD in mathematics soon?
*AI: Artificial Intelligence
“Research integrity often feels like detective work - which is exciting”
Research integrity is a fascinating and depressing field. Uncovering evidence of fraud can be captivating — but you may lose faith in humanity in the process (if you haven’t already). I personally love it, and throughout this blog I will try to explain why.
As you may have gathered, this blog is about research integrity and the science of science. Here, I will share my views on the publishing industry and the modern scientific enterprise. I will also use this space to share and comment on my own work. More specifically, I will respond directly (with honesty) to the community’s comments and letters to the editors regarding my papers. I should remind readers that the views expressed on this blog are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my colleagues or my employer (who are, on average, much more reasonable than I am).
