Melissa Humphries

After completing an undergraduate degree with an accredited major in Psychology and a major in Mathematics, I commenced my PhD at the University of Tasmania in the field of Mathematical Psychology.
In addition to working on my PhD, I also co-ordinate and teach both a second year unit; Data Handling and Statistics (KMA253) and the post graduate unit Statistical Analysis Using R (KMA711). I have tutored and lectured across multiple schools within the university including Mathematics, Psychology, Medicine, Engineering and Geology as well as Philosophy in the breadth unit Good Thinking for Life (XBR105). I am also currently developing a fully on-line breadth unit as a part of a collaboration between Philosophy, Psychology and Mathematics; Big Decisions! Rational belief and action in an uncertain world (XBR111).
Statistics is my passion and making it easy to understand and use is the goal of much of my teaching and research. Simplicity, transparency, accuracy and realistic interpretations of what is possible are the underlying themes behind much of what I do. My current projects involve identification of sampling strategies for obtaining estimates of illicit drug use from waste water data (in collaboration with the University of Queensland), and looking at the efficacy of mathematical models of cognitive performance when used as clinical tools at the level of the individual.
In addition to working on my PhD, I also co-ordinate and teach both a second year unit; Data Handling and Statistics (KMA253) and the post graduate unit Statistical Analysis Using R (KMA711). I have tutored and lectured across multiple schools within the university including Mathematics, Psychology, Medicine, Engineering and Geology as well as Philosophy in the breadth unit Good Thinking for Life (XBR105). I am also currently developing a fully on-line breadth unit as a part of a collaboration between Philosophy, Psychology and Mathematics; Big Decisions! Rational belief and action in an uncertain world (XBR111).
Statistics is my passion and making it easy to understand and use is the goal of much of my teaching and research. Simplicity, transparency, accuracy and realistic interpretations of what is possible are the underlying themes behind much of what I do. My current projects involve identification of sampling strategies for obtaining estimates of illicit drug use from waste water data (in collaboration with the University of Queensland), and looking at the efficacy of mathematical models of cognitive performance when used as clinical tools at the level of the individual.
Position
PhD Candidate, Lecturer Faculty / Division School of Physical Sciences School of Mathematics and Physics Telephone (03) 6226 2449 Melissa.Humphries@utas.edu.au Location University of Tasmania Sandy Bay, Tasmania 7005 |
Qualifications
- BSc, Hons Teaching Interests - Statistics - Research Methods - Applied Mathematics Fields of Research - Biostatistics - Applied Statistics - Astronomical and Space Sciences Research Impact - Expanding Knowledge in the Mathematical Sciences, Substance Abuse, Expanding Knowledge in the Medical and Health Sciences |
Journal Publications
In Press
In Print
2016
Humphries, M. A., Bruno, R., and Lai, F.Y., Thai, P. K., Holland, B. R., O'Brien, J. W., Ort, C. & Mueller, J. F. (2016). Evaluation of monitoring schemes for wastewater-based epidemiology to identify drug use trends using cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA and methadone. Environmental Science and Technology, 50 (9), 4760-4768.
Lai, F. Y., O'Brien, J. W., Thai, P. K., Hall, W., Chan, G., Bruno, R., Ort, C., Prichard, J., Carter, S., Anuj, S., Kirkbride, K. P., Gartner, C., Humphries, M. A. & Mueller, J. F. (2016). Cocaine, MDMA and methamphetamine residues in wastewater: Consumption trends (2009-2015) in South East Queensland, Australia. Science of the Total Environment, 568, 803-809.[Click here to request a copy]
Manning, E. M., Holland, B. R., Ellingsen, S. P., Breen, S. L., Chen, X. & Humphries, M. A. (2016). Comparison of three statistical classification techniques for maser identification. Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 33 Article e015.
2015
Humphries, M. A., Bruno, R., Karpievitch, Y., & Wotherspoon, S. The expectancy valence model of the Iowa Gambling Task: Can it produce reliable estimates for individuals? Journal of Mathematical Psychology, 64-65. 17-34.
In Press
In Print
2016
Humphries, M. A., Bruno, R., and Lai, F.Y., Thai, P. K., Holland, B. R., O'Brien, J. W., Ort, C. & Mueller, J. F. (2016). Evaluation of monitoring schemes for wastewater-based epidemiology to identify drug use trends using cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA and methadone. Environmental Science and Technology, 50 (9), 4760-4768.
Lai, F. Y., O'Brien, J. W., Thai, P. K., Hall, W., Chan, G., Bruno, R., Ort, C., Prichard, J., Carter, S., Anuj, S., Kirkbride, K. P., Gartner, C., Humphries, M. A. & Mueller, J. F. (2016). Cocaine, MDMA and methamphetamine residues in wastewater: Consumption trends (2009-2015) in South East Queensland, Australia. Science of the Total Environment, 568, 803-809.[Click here to request a copy]
Manning, E. M., Holland, B. R., Ellingsen, S. P., Breen, S. L., Chen, X. & Humphries, M. A. (2016). Comparison of three statistical classification techniques for maser identification. Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 33 Article e015.
2015
Humphries, M. A., Bruno, R., Karpievitch, Y., & Wotherspoon, S. The expectancy valence model of the Iowa Gambling Task: Can it produce reliable estimates for individuals? Journal of Mathematical Psychology, 64-65. 17-34.