The University of Edinburgh Informatics Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications
Photo of Alastair
Alastair M Kilpatrick

a.m.kilpatrick [at] sms.ed.ac.uk

University of Edinburgh
Informatics Forum 5.06
10 Crichton Street
Edinburgh
EH8 9AB

(0131) 650 5185

About Me

I'm currently a PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh in the School of Informatics, under the supervision of Dr Stuart Aitken and Dr Bruce Ward. I'm a member of the Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications, Edinburgh Bioinformatics and the International Society for Computational Biology.


Research Interests

My research interests include machine learning, probabilistic modelling, model optimisation, pattern matching and discovery, bioinformatics & intelligent systems. My working thesis title is "New Approaches for Regulatory Motif Discovery in Alphaproteobacteria".


Qualifications

DipABRSM Principles of Instrumental Teaching (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, 2010)
Material for use with Young Beginners, supervised by Mrs Margaret Moffat

MSc Informatics (University of Edinburgh, 2009)
Regulatory Motif Discovery in Magnetic Bacteria, supervised by Dr Stuart Aitken and Dr Bruce Ward

BMus(Hons) Music Technology (University of Edinburgh, 2007)
Composer Identification through Algorithmic Analysis, supervised by Prof Peter Nelson


Teaching

Introductory Applied Machine Learning
Tutor and Marker 2011-13
Informatics 2B: Algorithms, Data Structures and Learning
Marker 2010-11
Music Technology 1A
Tutor 2007-08
Music Technology 1B
Tutor 2007-08

Sound Recording 3A
Tutor 2007-08
Sound Recording 3B
Tutor 2007-08
Computer Programming for Music Technology
Tutor 2007-08


Awards

ECCB'12 Conference Fellowship (SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics)
EPSRC Doctoral Studentship (University of Edinburgh)
PSAS Studentship (Student Awards Agency for Scotland)
UK/EU Master's Scholarship (University of Edinburgh) (declined)
Eileen Cameron Music Prize (University of Edinburgh)


Talks

"Listen to what you've got": Three data-based improvements to motif discovery algorithms
CISA seminar, 26th March 2012.

Me, my work and CISA
CISA MSc presentation, 30th November 2011.

New approaches for regulatory motif and sRNA discovery in alphaproteobacteria
CISA seminar, 5th September 2011.


Poster Presentations

A. M. Kilpatrick, S. Aitken & B. Ward, MCOIN: A novel dual heuristic for determining unknown TFBS motif width
11th European Conference on Computational Biology, 9-12th September 2012.

A. M. Kilpatrick, S. Aitken & B. Ward, MCOIN: A novel dual heuristic for determining unknown TFBS motif width
2nd European ISCB Student Council Symposium, 8th September 2012.

A. M. Kilpatrick, Three data-based improvements to TFBS motif discovery algorithms
4th Annual SICSA PhD Conference, 20-22nd June 2012.

A. M. Kilpatrick, Expectation Maximization for DNA motif discovery
EUSA Postgraduate Conference 2012, 8th February 2012.

A. M. Kilpatrick, S. Aitken & B. Ward, An information-theoretic measure of TFBS motif palindromicity (F1000 mirror)
9th Annual Rocky Mountain Bioinformatics Conference, 8-10th December 2011.

A. M. Kilpatrick, Determining the prevalence of gapped TFBS motifs in E. coli
3rd Annual SICSA PhD Conference, 23-25th May 2011.

A. M. Kilpatrick, Expectation Maximization for DNA motif discovery
Cardiovascular Sciences Workshop, 18th March 2011.

A. M. Kilpatrick, Expectation Maximization for DNA motif discovery
Modelling for Life Sciences Workshop, 16th December 2010.