Overview

I am currently a Lecturer in the Section of Applied Statistics at the University of Reading.

My research interests centre around the application of statistics to problems in genetics. Ongoing research includes estimating population genetics parameters such as the inbreeding coefficient and formulae for relatedness testing. Collaborative research includes the analysis of data from prospective studies on shingles patients, evaluation of markers for species identification and analysis of bryozoan statoblast data.

Teaching

	AS2B Linear Models - Multiple Regression
	AS2D Medical Statistics - Epidemiology
	AS2G Skills for Statisticians
	AS2H Forensic Statistics and Genetics
	AS2B1 Statistics and Epidemiology for the Life Sciences - Epidemiology
	AS3C Analysis of Structured Data - Multivariate Analysis
	AS3F Statistics Research Project
	ASM110 Data Analysis, Research Methods and Consultancy Skills - Research Methods
	ASM150 Statistical Genetics

Responsibilities

	Executive Director of Teaching and Learning (Applied Statistics)
	Programme Director/Advisor: BSc Applied Statistics, Business Statistics, Maths & Applied Statistics, Maths & Statistics, Statistics
	Undergraduate admissions
	Co-director of the MSc in Biometry programme
	Admissions tutor for the Post-Experience Diploma in Statistics
	Applied Statistics Learning Technology Co-ordinator
	Internal examiner, BSc, Diploma and MSc programmes
	Timetabling
	Department webmaster
	Member of Applied Statistics Staff-Student Committee
	Member of Faculty Staff-Student Committee
	Member of Applied Statistics Postgraduate, and Chair of Applied Statistics Undergraduate, Boards of Studies
	Member of Biological Sciences, and MPharm Pharmacy, Undergraduate Boards of Studies
	Member of School of Biological Sciences Teaching and Learning Committee

Other responsibilities

	2007 - 2009: Senior Examiner for the Royal Statistical Society professional examinations
	2004 - 2007: Associate Editor for JRSS Series C (Applied Statistics)
	2000 - 2007: Voluntary webmaster for the Royal Statistical Society
	Also, formerly a member of the Careers Promotion Committee for the Royal Statistical Society (before the committee was dissolved in 2003)

I am a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society.

Principal research interests (Past and Present)

	Use of DNA profiles for forensic identification and relatedness testing
	Estimation of population genetics parameters (e.g. genetic correlations within and between loci) via Bayesian (and Markov chain Monte Carlo) techniques
	Conservation genetics
	Estimating mutation and recombination rates from DNA sequence data via coalescent methodology

Publications

Any software related to publications below can be downloaded from the Statistical Genetics Group software page.

	Measuring departures from Hardy-Weinberg: a Markov chain Monte Carlo method for estimating the inbreeding coefficient. K.L. Ayres and D.J. Balding (1998). Heredity 80, 769 - 777.
	Validation of Short Tandem Repeat Analysis for the investigation of cases of disputed paternity. J.A. Thomson, V. Pilotti, P. Stevens, K.L. Ayres, and P.G. Debenham (1999). Forensic Science International 100, 1 - 16.
	Allowing for within-subpopulation inbreeding in forensic match probabilities. K.L. Ayres and A.D.J. Overall (1999). Forensic Science International 103, 207 - 216.
	Validation of Multiplex STR Systems for the Investigation of Parentage and Other Familial Relationships. J.A. Thomson, K.L. Ayres, V. Pilotti, M. Barrett, J. Walker and P. G. Debenham (2000). In "Progress in Forensic Genetics 8" (Eds. G.F. Sensabaugh, P.J. Lincoln and B. Olaisen), Elsevier Science.
	Relatedness testing in subdivided populations. K.L. Ayres (2000). Forensic Science International 114, 107 - 115.
	A two-locus forensic match probability for subdivided populations. K.L. Ayres (2000). Genetica 108, 137 - 143.
	Lipoprotein (a) as a predictor for myocardial infarction in middle-aged men. M. Seed, K.L. Ayres, S. Humphries, and G. Miller (2001). American Journal of Medicine 110, 22 - 27.
	Measuring gametic disequilibrium from multi-locus data. K.L. Ayres and D.J. Balding (2001). Genetics 157, 413 - 423.
	Short Tandem Repeat profiling provides an international reference standard for human cell lines. J.R.W. Masters, J.A. Thomson, B. Daly-Burns, Y.A. Reid, W. Dirks, P. Packer, L.H. Toji, T. Ohno, H. Tanabe, C.F. Arlett, L.R. Kelland, M. Harrison, A. Virmani, T.H. Ward, K.L. Ayres & P.G. Debenham (2001). Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences USA 98, 8012 - 8017.
	Analysis of disputed single-parent/child and sibling relationships using 16 STR loci. J.A. Thomson, K.L. Ayres, V. Pilotti, M.N. Barrett, J.I.H. Walker and P.G. Debenham (2001). International Journal of Legal Medicine 115, 128-134.
	Paternal exclusion in the presence of substructure. K.L. Ayres (2002). Forensic Science International 129, 142-144.
	Implications for DNA identification arising from an analysis of Australian forensic databases. K.L. Ayres, J. Chaseling and D.J. Balding (2002). Forensic Science International 129, 90-98.
	Linkage disequilibrium assessment via log-linear modelling of SNP haplotype frequencies. A.P. Morris, A.D. Pedder and K.L. Ayres (2003). Genetic Epidemiology 25, 106-114.
	DNA variation in a 13 Mb region including the F9 gene: inferring the genealogical history and causal role of a haemophilia B mutation (IVS 5+13 A->G). T. Anagnostopoulos, A.P. Morris, K.L. Ayres, F.Giannelli and P.M. Green (2003). Journal of Thrombosis & Haemostasis 1, 2609-2614.
	API-CALC 1.0: a computer program for calculating the average probability of identity allowing for substructure, inbreeding and the presence of close relatives. K.L. Ayres and A.D.J. Overall (2004). Molecular Ecology Notes 4, 315-318.
	Detecting non-multiplicative disease penetrances from transmissions of parental alleles to affected children. K.L. Ayres and R.N. Curnow (2004). School of Applied Statistics, The University of Reading: Technical Report 04/01.
	Detecting non-multiplicative genotype relative risks from transmissions of parental alleles to affected children. K.L. Ayres and R.N. Curnow (2005). Journal of Human Genetics, 50, 46-48.
	Gene conversion and evolution of Xq28 duplicons involved in recurring inversions causing severe Hemophilia A. R.D. Bagnall, K.L. Ayres, P.M. Green and F.Giannelli (2005). Genome Research, 15, 214-223.
	Calculating the exclusion probability and paternity index for X-chromosomal loci in the presence of substructure. K.L. Ayres and W.M. Powley (2005). Forensic Science International, 149, 201-203.
	Paternity index calculations when some individuals share common ancestry. K.L. Ayres and D.J. Balding (2005). Forensic Science International, 151, 101-103.
	The expected performance of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism loci in paternity testing. K.L. Ayres (2005). Forensic Science International, 154, 167-172.
	Polymorphisms can be maintained by the interaction of maternal behaviour and competition between progeny. R.N. Curnow and K.L. Ayres (2006) Section of Applied Statistics, The University of Reading: Technical Report 06/01.
	Population genetic models can be used to study the evolution of the interacting behaviour of parents and their progeny. R.N. Curnow and K.L. Ayres (2007) Theoretical Population Biology, 72, 67-76.
	Effect of viral load on the outcome of Herpes Zoster. M.L. Quinlivan, K. Ayres, H. Ran, S. McElwaine, M. Leedham-Green, F.T. Scott and J. Breuer (2007) Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 45, 3909-3914.
	Selection of candidate coding DNA barcoding regions for use on land plants. C.S. Ford, K.L. Ayres, N. Toomey, N. Haider, J. van Alphen Stahl, L.J. Kelly, N. Wikström, P.M. Hollingsworth, R.J. Duff, S.B. Hoot, R.S. Cowan, M.W. Chase and M.J. Wilkinson (2009) Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 159, 1-11.

I have also written two chapters on the use of the internet for postgraduate research, for the second edition of Tony Greenfield's book 'Research Methods' (2002).

Software

For programs related to Curnow & Ayres (TPB, 2007), download rnc_kla.zip.

For files related to the e-Mark automated marking macros (Ayres & Underwood, submitted), download e-Mark.zip.

Background

Jan. 2002 -

Lecturer, School & later Section of Applied Statistics, University of Reading.

• 2003 - successfully completed the University of Reading Certificate in Further Professional Studies in Higher Education (accredited by the ILTHE)
• 2005 - School Award for Teaching Excellence (Rising Star)
• 2007 - School Award for Teaching Excellence

 

Aug. 1999 - Dec. 2001

Research fellow, Department of Applied Statistics, University of Reading.
The project (funded by the BBSRC) focused on the development of new statistical techniques (using coalescent methodology) for investigating DNA sequence variation on the human X chromosome (mutation and recombination rates). The project was supervised by David Balding and John Whittaker, and was in collaboration with Francesco Giannelli and colleagues at Guys Hospital, London, who generated data for the project.
 

Jan. 1999 - July 1999

Research assistant, Dept. of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, St. Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
Work included (i) analysing data from a prospective cohort study for haemostatic risk factors for heart disease (myocardial infarction) in middle-aged men (working with George Miller), and (ii) maintaining the computer database for the European Randomised Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (ERTOCS; working with Deborah Ashby); also web administrator for Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine.
 

1995 - 1998

Ph.D. in Applied Statistics at the University of Reading (first year completed at Queen Mary & Westfield College, London).
I was supervised by David Balding, and was funded by a studentship from the EPSRC. My thesis is entitled "Measuring Genetic Correlations Within and Between Loci, With Implications For Disequilibrium Mapping and Forensic Identification".
 

1994 - 1995

M.Sc. in Statistics at the London School of Economics.
 

1991 - 1994

B.Sc. in Pure Mathematics (1st class honours) at Queen Mary & Westfield College, University of London.

Personal

What little free time I have (!) I like to spend it doing the following

• watching and reading about motorsport, particularly IRL (Indy Racing League), Formula 1 and the BTCC (British Touring Car Championship)
• watching old movies (especially pre-1950, including silents)
• listening to old 50s/60s radio shows (particularly science fiction and drama)
• listening to 50s/60s rock + roll music
• collecting pictures and ornaments of Rough Collies, my favourite breed of dog - click on the link for a picture of my own (late) Collie dogs, and my current Collie dogs.