Lewis Mitchell

Lewis Mitchell serves as Professor of Data Science at the University of Adelaide, where he has progressed from Lecturer to Professor since joining in 2014. After earning his PhD from the University of Sydney in 2012, he has established himself as a leading expert in computational social science and mathematical modeling of information flow across social networks. His research combines applied mathematics with data science to understand how information and misinformation spread online, developing tools for monitoring population-level trends and predicting real-world events. His work has attracted significant funding, including an ARC Discovery Project on mathematical modeling of information flow and an NHMRC Ideas Grant for improving medical device safety. As Chief Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers, he has contributed to groundbreaking research in social media analysis, disease outbreak prediction, and civil unrest forecasting. His innovative work includes developing open online tools for social media trend analysis and creating predictive models using Bayesian network approaches. Beyond research, Mitchell actively engages in science communication through media interviews, outreach events, and mentorship programs, while supervising numerous PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in areas ranging from healthcare analytics to illegal wildlife trade analysis.