We work among extraordinary people doing extraordinary things; get to know some of them by reading these quick-fire interviews.
Name: Dr Shruti Nath
Job title: Postdoctoral Research Associate
What are you currently working on?
I am currently part of the Google.org-funded Strengthening Early Warning Systems for Anticipatory Actions (SEWAA) project. In particular, I am working on the development of generative AI-based post-processing for rainfall forecasts over the Greater Horn of Africa. This particular region has previously suffered from lack of forecasting resource and infrastructure and yet is increasingly experiencing the extreme effects of climate change. Our AI-based weather model enhances the accuracy of rainfall forecasts and offers high resolution predictions without the need for additional costly supercomputers. Our work, alongside partners including the World Food Program, the eight-country Intergovernmental Authority on Development’s Climate Prediction and Applications Centre and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, means that governments and agencies can access information to help them protect lives and livelihoods. We are working to operationalise the models on regional climate centres’ cloud-computing based systems.
Describe a typical day
I cycle to the gym for an early morning swim before going to work. As with most of my colleagues, the typical day doesn’t really exist! We recently hosted our project partners here at the Department of Physics for our annual workshop so that involved really useful meetings, media work and, as a nice break, a couple of lunches in college. Generally my days involve a mix of meetings and coding work with sporadic coffee and music breaks. Lunch is usually at the Bio-chem Cafe (I like their salads) and I like to take a walk in the park usually after. After finishing work, I cycle back home or meet friends at the pub.
If you had an entire day at your disposal (not at work/studying), what would be your ideal way to spend it?
At an outdoor swimming pool reading books, eating ice cream and going in and out of the water (if the weather permits).
What is your favourite place in Oxford?
Manzil Way Gardens: there’s always this one guy vibing out to cool techno beats among other buskers – it’s a great people-watching spot.
Plan B: what would you be if you weren’t doing the job you are currently doing?
Safari car driver across Kenya.