Background
Dr Jacinta Holloway-Brown is a lecturer in the School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences at University of Adelaide, South Australia. Her research is about working with imperfect data and models to better monitor the environment. She develops hybrid approaches of statistical methodology and machine learning, working across mathematical and biological disciplines on environmental problems. Jacinta is passionate about using methodological tools and free data to inform the UN and World Bank Sustainable Development agenda. She provides advice to UN expert groups on ground truth data collection and satellite image analysis for Sustainable Development Goal monitoring. I was drawn to Antarctic research for two reasons. The first is that research shows the polar regions are being impacted by climate change at rates and magnitudes not yet seen elsewhere and these regions are such important indicators of warming. The second is that Antarctica is a unique and magical place. I think as humans we have a responsibility to ourselves and future generations to do what we can to preserve it. As scientists we have the skills to make that possible.