I have always had a special interest in Science since I was a small child. I was (and still am) particularly fond of numbers, how reality operates, and how we derive knowledge from observation and apply that knowledge to different scenarios. I learned that I did truly enjoy information and its management. Not only that, I discovered I was a fast learner in most subjects having to do with programming and/or statistics. I was not aware that the combination of statistical and algebraic approaches associated to computational power could possibly yield such terrific results (neural networks and hidden Markov models, for instance).I am highly focused and methodical, constantly searching for new information on my favourite subjects (such as Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Algorithmics, Mathematics, Statistics, Biology, and some Physics). If I could procure information online about various approaches required for my degrees and thesis, if I managed to develop my own algorithms to apply those concepts, and even became an author and co-author within the scientific community, then I can infer that I possess potential for more. All I desire is an opportunity to prove my worth as an independent thinker and become a valuable member to our species: to develop new methods, to procure more information and generate not only knowledge but wisdom, and to embiggen myself as a person and as a scientist.

More information about António Pereira Barata

I just recently finished my MSc in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the University of Lisbon (Faculty of Sciences), which has a strong machine learning component, as well as exploratory and statistical analysis, and data mining. I was also recently published by Springer, in the 11th International Conference on Practical Applications of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (Anthropometric data analytics: a Portuguese case study, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-60816-7), in association with my thesis presentation (where I received a score of 18 in 20).

I am also co-author of another piece of work (open free paper) presented at the 29th European Congress of Pathology, held in Amsterdam (Microcephaly beyond the Zika virus: a two-centre study with discussion of etiopathogenesis, DOI: 10.1007/s00428-017-2205-0). Beyond this, and to aid an ecology and environment management research group within my university, I developed a statistical test function non-existent to the standard Python library or even the SciPy package at the time, which I hope will serve as contribution to other researchers in varying fields (https://github.com/BarataAP/dunn).

I am recently a PhD candidate studying sensitive data and trying to make predictions using network analysis and machine learning approaches.

Publications