Ayana Mussabayeva on Her Career as an Applied Mathematician in Abu Dhabi and Research in Data Processing
In our series about scientists from Central Asia, we meet young researchers and learn about their daily work, development prospects, and growth. Our new featured scientist, Ayana Mussabayeva, shares her experience as a scientist in Abu Dhabi.
About Myself
I am an applied mathematician conducting data research. Currently, I live in Abu Dhabi, pursuing my PhD at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) while engaging in scientific activities. I also work as Head of Engineering and ML Engineer at the Kazakhstani startup GreenEye LTD, and in my free time, I perform standup comedy.
My interest in science emerged at Nazarbayev University during my master's studies. I worked in machine learning and signal processing for brain data with special systems that allow paralyzed people to communicate, similar to the device used by Stephen Hawking. This work resulted in four papers published at international conferences in Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and Greece, as well as an article in Applied Science journal.
About Scientific Research
After Nazarbayev University, I was invited to a PhD program at the University of Manchester in England, where I worked on numerical methods for identifying kinetic mechanisms of chemical reactions. However, the research topic was predetermined by the grant and wasn't as interesting to me, so I interrupted my studies after obtaining a master's degree. Later, I returned to doctoral studies but chose to focus on applying various machine learning algorithms for processing and classifying electroencephalogram signals.
I study Causality - a mixture of statistics, Bayesian methods, and in recent years, deep learning, to identify causal relationships in data. We apply these methods to brain data analysis. In neurology, there are many unknown cause-and-effect relationships that we try to uncover. For example, any brain development or degradation disease can be linked to various internal factors, such as genetics, and external factors like injuries. Through the lens of Causality, we try to determine whether there are actual cause-and-effect relationships between different factors, or if it's just correlation, or if both factors are consequences of some common hidden cause.
About Science in Kazakhstan
Science in Kazakhstan develops slowly because it requires significant investment. Science doesn't provide immediate returns on investment; it might take decades. However, we are actively developing applied research areas that can yield immediate results. Overall, this is not bad, and it's even sufficient for now.
Recommendations for Young Scientists
The main thing is to choose a research topic that interests you. I don't recommend completely changing your plans just to get into a PhD program. I had such an experience when I started studying in Manchester and eventually abandoned that idea. But now I'm doing what I truly enjoy.
It's never too late to start doing science; you can always come to it later, for example, closer to 40 years old, when you've already settled your life and don't feel like you're spending your most productive years on research.
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