Gillian Dobbie is a world-leading computer science researcher who has made major contributions to the field of database management, particularly to the understanding of object-oriented databases, the design of semi-structured databases and the accuracy of stream data mining, all of which are fundamental technologies supporting the current “data science revolution”. Her recent research in stream data mining has spawned several new research projects, where the characteristics of the data stream are used to adjust the algorithm in real time to provide superior results. A key concept in this research is to predict when a drift is likely to occur and make the drift detection algorithm more sensitive to it. This research can be applied to detect change in data streams, such as network traffic and the output of monitoring devices. This research has international importance, with the uptake of internet of things and data science. Her experience led naturally to her appointment as the Science Leader on the Precision Driven Health Research Partnership, an award-winning research partnership between New Zealand’s health IT sector, health providers and universities. She has recently been appointed Chair of the Marsden Fund Council.
