Let's talk robotics with Dr Melanie Zeppel!

Joining me today is Dr Melanie Zeppel. Melanie is a senior data scientist and researcher. She was awarded 2022 Women in AI: Agribusiness, for carbon modelling using Machine Learning, as well as 2019 Scopus Researcher of the year, in sustainability, for her research in climate change. She has been awarded over $1.9 million in competitive funding, with over 60 peer-reviewed publications. She has been co-ordinator of the local Python Users Group, with experience in modelling using Python, R, and SAS, as well as SQL, in addition to hosting departmental Women in Science groups.

Her multi-disciplinary research spans experimental design and modelling impacts of climate change, impacts of drought, temperature and CO2 on vegetation and soil carbon and water relations, as well as customer user experience and A/B testing for the financial industry. She also has experience in genomic medicine, including childhood cancer and other conditions. She has experience in Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Predictive Analytics, Cluster Analysis, and enjoys presenting complex results, in simple language to stakeholders.

She has also worked on modelling financial well-being and costs of informal care due to chronic conditions on workforce productivity, particularly on vulnerable populations. She has modelled the impact of genetic diagnosis on costs and quality of life to individuals and government.

Experience over the previous 15 years includes measuring and modelling impacts of drought, elevated CO2 and heat waves on plant physiology, at National and Global scales. She has over 15 years of commercial and consulting experience in Telstra, Westpac, the Australian Museum Consulting (AMBS), and other smaller companies.