In this episode, I sit down with Robert Smith, co-founder of Dark Peak Analytics, to discuss his journey from academia to advising the UK government during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rob shares his experience building data models that directly influenced public health policy and decision-making at the highest levels. We also dive into his work with Parkrun, a community-driven initiative promoting equitable access to physical activity, and how he used R to analyze participation patterns and improve accessibility.Rob's insights into health economics, simulation modeling, and the challenges of transitioning industries provide valuable lessons for data professionals.Important resources mentioned:Dark Peak AnalyticsAcademic Papers:https://wellcomeopenresearch.org/articles/5-9https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033350620304066https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1353829221001222https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-024-20420-0https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/19004143v1.full.pdfMap: https://iolmap.shinyapps.io/parkrun/ParkrunConnect with Robert on:LinkedIn: Robert Smith Subscribe to our newsletter: https://rfortherestofus.com/newsletter