Trevor Matthews
AMSI Winter school 2021 participant: Statistical Data Science
With a background as a career paramedic and now a part-time PhD candidate, Trevor is exploring how expert systems and machine learning can assist ambulance dispatchers in selecting the most appropriate clinical crew for each case, aiming to improve patient outcomes and reduce unnecessary ambulance use. As an AMSI Winter School alumni, he credits the program for refreshing his mathematical knowledge and sparking a research collaboration through participant talks.
What is your role in the Mathematical Sciences?
When I was at the winter school, I was early researcher with less than a full-time year equivalent of a master’s in philosophy. Since then, I have upgraded my study and I’m now in the latter stages of a part time PhD candidature. My research is exploring how we can use expert systems to support dispatchers to choose the right ambulance crew to send to a patient. In a multi-tiered ambulance system, choosing the right clinical level to send to each patient is an area of interest of mine. By taking the information that is currently presented to the dispatcher, and fusing it with other available datasets, I’m exploring whether the prediction from a machine learning system can support the dispatcher to choose the right ambulance crew to send. The theory being that by sending the right crew first, we are reducing overall the number of ambulance dispatches needed which reduces ambulance utilisation as well as improving patient outcomes by sending the care they need as the first resource.
As an AMSI alumnus, how did participating in AMSI programs support your career trajectory? You mentioned that participant talks led to a collaboration?
I attended the program as a means of undertaking an intensive means of building my maths knowledge around the mathematics relevant to my research interests. I am a mature-age candidate, with my undergraduate years last century (yes, I know that makes me sound old!) and therefore I did some study to refresh my math skills before starting my MPhil. I saw the flyer for the winterschool, and was relevant to my research interests, and seemed like a good way to direct some more study in areas of mathematics relevant to my research interests.
During the breakout sessions, I discovered that there was another student who was researching in a similar field, but using different techniques.. We spoke out of session and discussed our high-level approaches to our research – this enabled us both to consider alternative approaches we may have not considered without the conversation.
As you are currently working in the ambulance service, can you explain how you believe mathematics to be a transferrable skill across a breadth of industries and sectors?
Nearly every industry today is either embracing or moving toward data-driven decision making. Organisations are generating and accessing vast amounts of data and turning that data into useful insights requires statistical and analytical techniques grounded in mathematics. Understanding the methods, assumptions, and limitations of these techniques is essential for making informed, reliable decisions.
Math is also part of everyday life—even simple tasks like keeping score at a local football game rely on basic arithmetic. That same foundation scales all the way up to advanced technologies like artificial intelligence. Even streaming your favourite podcast involves complex mathematical processes behind the scenes.
Mathematics opens the door to a wide range of fields—from healthcare and finance to engineering, design, and technology. As a mathematician, your challenge (and opportunity) is to find the industry that inspires you and apply your skills to make a meaningful impact there.
The AMSI Year 12 report card mentions that enrolments in elementary level mathematics (Essential and General Mathematics) are declining. In 2022, less than half of the year 12 graduating cohort (45.8%) studied an elementary level mathematics subject. What are some words of advice you would give high school students to encourage them to continue mathematics study?
Mathematics is a fundamental part of everyday life, even if we don’t always notice it. Whether you’re building something and calculating how much material you need, adjusting the quantities in a recipe, or playing games that rely on logic and strategy—math is involved. The devices you use daily—your smartphone, microwave, or car—all rely on principles of mathematics to function.
Even a basic understanding of maths can help you navigate everyday decisions more effectively. And if you pursue further studies or a career in almost any field—health, technology, business, design, or the trades—you’ll find that maths plays a key role. The more math you know, the better equipped you’ll be to understand and explain the world around you.
So keep going with it—maths isn’t just about numbers on a page; it’s a tool for solving real problems and shaping the future.
What do you hope for the future of mathematics in Australia?
My interest in mathematics has grown from my primary career as a paramedic, where I’ve spent over 25 years responding to emergencies. Few paramedic clinicians have a strong foundation in data science—yet those who do are uniquely positioned to apply their clinical knowledge and mathematical skills to extract meaningful insights from the vast amounts of operational and clinical data we collect. I hope to see more professionals with this dual expertise collaborating to drive data-informed improvements across health services, ultimately enhancing patient care and outcomes.
What are your hobbies or interests outside of work?
I am a Venturer Leader in my local scout group, and once I have more time, I will spend more time in my shed where I have a part-build ride-on steam train I’m wanting to finish – see here for the group that I’m involved in from that perspective. I also scuba dive and enjoy a fitness lifestyle. If that’s not enough, I spend time at home with my wife and two adult sons, one of which is training to be a primary school teacher and the other is interested in getting into the space industry as a robotics/software engineer.
