Robin Willink, Our people, University of Otago, Wellington

BSc (Hons) TTC PhD
Senior Research Fellow & Biostatistician

I joined the University of Otago, Wellington as a Consulting Biostatistician in 2019.

After studying physics and mathematics at Victoria University of Wellington, I obtained my PhD while a member of the Medical Physics department at the Leicester Royal Infirmary (UK). I found myself particularly drawn to the probabilistic and statistical aspects of my subject, which was "Estimation of blood-flow using Doppler ultrasound with a narrow beam".

From 1996–2010, I worked as a statistician in the Applied Mathematics team at Industrial Research Ltd, where I specialised in the analysis of measurement uncertainty and carried out research in applied statistics, including work in medical fields.

From 2013–2018, I worked in the machine-learning area with "big data" at Immigration NZ within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

My interests are in the principles, theory and methods of statistical inference, especially in relation to experimental data. I have written over 50 articles in measurement and statistical journals and am the author of the book Measurement Uncertainty and Probability, Cambridge, 2013.

Contact details

University of Otago, Wellington
PO Box 7343 Wellington South
Email robin.willink@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 4 918 6125

Publications

Ramsay, D. P., Quinn, P., Jenkins, K., Te Moke, T., & Willink, R. (2024). The day surgery sleep survey (DURESS): Effect of day surgery on sleep quantity and quality. British Journal of Anaesthesia. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2024.06.038 Journal - Research Other

Willink, R. (2024). Paradox? What paradox? Accreditation & Quality Assurance. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s00769-024-01577-y Journal - Research Other

Chambers, T., Willink, R., Reynolds, A., Anglemyer, A., Royal, H., Rentta, N., … Picetti, R. (2024). Exposure to nitrate and nitrite in drinking water and cancers (Protocol). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 3, CD015822. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD015822 Journal - Research Other

Tweed, M., Willink, R., & Wilkinson, T. (2024). Tracking self-monitoring of medical students as insightfulness, safety and efficiency using certainty in assessment responses. Proceedings of the Ottawa Conference. 262. Retrieved from https://ottawa2024.au/ Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Kanagasabai, P., Ormandy, J., Filoche, S., Henry, C., Te Whaiti, S., Willink, R., Gladman, T., & Grainger, R. (2024). Can storytelling of women's lived experience enhance empathy in medical students? A pilot intervention study. Medical Teacher, 46(2), 219-224. doi: 10.1080/0142159x.2023.2243023 Journal - Research Article

2024

Journal - Research Article

Journal - Research Other

Willink, R. (2024). Paradox? What paradox? Accreditation & Quality Assurance. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s00769-024-01577-y

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

2023

Journal - Research Article

Tweed, M., Willink, R., & Wilkinson, T. J. (2023). Using MCQ response certainty to determine how aspects of self-monitoring develop through a medical course. Medical Education. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/medu.15253

Halley, C., Honeywill, C., Kang, J., Pierse, N., Robertson, O., Rawlinson, W., … Willink, R., & Crane, J. (2023). Preventing upper respiratory tract infections with prophylactic nasal carrageenan: A feasibility study. Future Microbiology, 18(18), 1319-1328. doi: 10.2217/fmb-2021-0122

Taylor, W. J., Willink, R., O'Connor, D. A., Patel, V., Bourne, A., Harris, I. A., … Buchbinder, R. (2023). Which clinical research questions are the most important? Development and preliminary validation of the Australia & New Zealand Musculoskeletal (ANZMUSC) Clinical Trials Network Research Question Importance Tool (ANZMUSC-RQIT). PLoS ONE, 18(3), e0281308. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281308

Journal - Research Other

Willink, R. (2023). One-tailed hypothesis tests in dental research: More bite. New Zealand Dental Journal, 119(1), 2-6. [Editorial].

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Willink, R. (2023). A simple non-parametric test more powerful than Mann-Whitney. Proceedings of the New Zealand Biostatistics Conference. Retrieved from https://events.otago.ac.nz/2023-biostatistics-conference

Willink, R. (2023). Confidence limits for a proportion: A method for improving symmetry of coverage. Proceedings of the New Zealand Biostatistics Conference. Retrieved from https://events.otago.ac.nz/2023-biostatistics-conference

Other Research Output

Willink, R., & Gray, A. (2023, September). One-sided versus two-sided hypothesis tests and confidence intervals: A dialogue. Biostatistics Centre Forum, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. [Department Seminar].

2022

Journal - Research Article

Graham, D. O., Schuurman, N., Willink, R., & Erasmus, J. (2022). Draining infections and draining resources: The nature and cost of acute odontogenic infection referrals to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Service at Christchurch Hospital. New Zealand Dental Journal, 118(4), 137-146.

Willink, R. (2022). On revision of the Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement: Proofs of fundamental errors in Bayesian approaches. Measurement: Sensors, 24, 100416. doi: 10.1016/j.measen.2022.100416

Ross, J., Ramsay, D. P., Sutton-Smith, L., Willink, R. D., & Moore, J. E. (2022). Residual neuromuscular blockade in the ICU: A prospective observational study and national survey. Anaesthesia, 77, 991-998. doi: 10.1111/anae.15789

Willink, R. (2022). An enhanced method for the evaluation of measurement uncertainty. Measurement: Sensors, 24, 100373. doi: 10.1016/j.measen.2022.100373

2021

Journal - Research Article

Anderson, R., Stitely, M. L., & Willink, R. (2021). Rates of Māori women receiving surgical treatment for urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in Southern District Health Board. New Zealand Medical Journal, 134(1546), 38-46. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Willink, R. (2021). Ten types of measurements with repeated observations. Measurement, 18, 100324. doi: 10.1016/j.measen.2021.100324

Searle, L., McDowell, S., Willink, R., & Krebs, J. (2021). A cannulated prolactin series reduces the need for further investigations in women with infertility and lowers the number of false positive screening prolactin measurements. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 61, 949-954. doi: 10.1111/ajo.13416

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Willink, R. (2021, November). The gain in resource with single-sided inference. Verbal presentation at the University of Otago Biostatistics Symposium, Dunedin, New Zealand.

2016

Journal - Research Article

Willink, R. (2016). What can we learn from the GUM of 1995? Measurement, 91, 692-698. doi: 10.1016/j.measurement.2016.02.020

2015

Journal - Research Article

Willink, R. (2015). Type A evaluation of measurement uncertainty when the sample size is not predetermined. Acta IMEKO, 4(4), 30-37. doi: 10.21014/acta_imeko.v4i4.273

2013

Authored Book - Research

Willink, R. (2013). Measurement uncertainty and probability. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 276p. doi: 10.1017/CBO9781139135085

Journal - Research Article

Willink, R. (2013). An improved procedure for combining Type A and Type B components of measurement uncertainty. International Journal of Metrology & Quality Engineering, 4(1), 55-62. doi: 10.1051/ijmqe/2012038

2012

Chapter in Book - Research

Willink, R. (2012). Measurement uncertainty and procedures of conformity assessment. In F. Pavese, M. Bär, J.-R. Filtz, A. B. Forbes, L. Pendrill & K. Shirono (Eds.), Series on advances in mathematics for applied science (Vol. 84): Advanced mathematics and computational tools in metrology and testing IX. (pp. 426-433). Singapore: World Scientific.

Journal - Research Article

Willink, R. (2012). Confidence intervals and other statistical intervals in metrology. International Journal of Metrology & Quality Engineering, 3(3), 169-178. doi: 10.1051/ijmqe/2012029

2010

Journal - Research Article

Willink, R. (2010). On the validity of methods of uncertainty evaluation. Metrologia, 47(1), 80-89. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/47/1/009

Willink, R. (2010). On dead-time corrections for estimating rates. Measurement Science & Technology, 21(1). doi: 10.1088/0957-0233/21/1/015101

Willink, R. (2010). Difficulties arising from the representation of the measurand by a probability distribution. Measurement Science & Technology, 21(1). doi: 10.1088/0957-0233/21/1/015110

Willink, R. (2010). Uncertainty in repeated measurement of a small non-negative quantity: Explanation and discussion of Bayesian methodology. Accreditation & Quality Assurance, 15(3), 181-188. doi: 10.1007/s00769-009-0595-7

Willink, R. (2010). Measurement of small quantities: Further observations on Bayesian methodology. Accreditation & Quality Assurance, 15(9), 521-527. doi: 10.1007/s00769-010-0664-y

Willink, R. (2010). A single form for t-distributions and symmetric beta distributions. Communications in Statistics: Theory & Methods, 39(1), 170-176. doi: 10.1080/03610920802650346

Journal - Research Other

Willink, R. (2010). Probability, belief and success rate: Comments on 'On the meaning of coverage probabilities'. Metrologia, 47(3), 343-346. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/47/3/N03

2009

Chapter in Book - Research

Willink, R. (2009). Mathematical entropy and a criticism of a usage of the principle of maximum entropy. In F. Pavese, M. Bär, A. B. Forbes, J. M. Linares, C. Perruchet & N. F. Zhang (Eds.), Series on advances in mathematics for applied science (Vol. 78): Advanced mathematics and computational tools in metrology and testing VIII. (pp. 357-360). Singapore: World Scientific.

Willink, R. (2009). Transferring Monte Carlo distributions in the evaluation of uncertainty. In F. Pavese, M. Bär, A. B. Forbes, J. M. Linares, C. Perruchet & N. F. Zhang (Eds.), Series on advances in mathematics for applied science (Vol. 78): Advanced mathematics and computational tools in metrology and testing VIII. (pp. 351-356). Singapore: World Scientific.

Journal - Research Article

Willink, R. (2009). A formulation of the law of propagation of uncertainty to facilitate the treatment of shared influences. Metrologia, 46(3), 145-153. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/46/3/001

Willink, R. (2009). Representing Monte Carlo output distributions for transferability in uncertainty analysis: Modelling with quantile functions. Metrologia, 46(3), 154-166. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/46/3/002

Willink, R. (2009). The role of the sample standard deviation in the analysis of measurement data. Accreditation & Quality Assurance, 14(7), 353-358. doi: 10.1007/s00769-009-0526-7

Journal - Research Other

Willink, R. (2009). Comments on "Lectures for chemists on statistics II. The normal distribution: A briefer on the univariate case". Accreditation & Quality Assurance, 14(12), 693-700. doi: 10.1007/s00769-009-0575-y

2008

Journal - Research Article

Willink, R. (2008). An inconsistency in uncertainty analysis relating to effective degrees of freedom. Metrologia, 45(1), 63-67. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/45/1/009

Willink, R. (2008). Estimation and uncertainty in fitting straight lines to data: Different techniques. Metrologia, 45(3), 290-298. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/45/3/005

Willink, R. (2008). What is robustness in data analysis? Metrologia, 45(4), 442-447. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/45/4/010

Willink, R. (2008). A closed-form expression for the pearson type IV distribution function. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Statistics, 50(2), 199-205. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-842X.2008.00508.x

Willink, R. (2008). A unique property of the normal distribution associated with perturbing a general random variable. American Statistician, 62(2), 144-146. doi: 10.1198/000313008X300255

Willink, R. (2008). Shrinkage confidence intervals for the normal mean: Using a guess for greater efficiency. Canadian Journal of Statistics / La revue canadienne de statistique, 36(4), 623-637. doi: 10.1002/cjs.5550360409

Willink, R. (2008). A sequential algorithm for recognition of a developing pattern with application in orthotic engineering. Pattern Recognition, 41(2), 627-636. doi: 10.1016/j.patcog.2007.06.013

Journal - Research Other

Willink, R., & Hall, B. D. (2008). A comment on: "A forgotten fact about the standard deviation". Accreditation & Quality Assurance, 13(1), 57-58. doi: 10.1007/s00769-007-0328-8

2007

Journal - Research Article

Willink, R. (2007). What can be said about the remainder in a divergent series? Mathematical Scientist, 32, 83-87.

Willink, R. (2007). On the uncertainty of the mean of digitized measurements. Metrologia, 44(1), 73-81. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/44/1/011

Willink, R. (2007). On the L_p estimation of a quantity from a set of observations. Metrologia, 44(2), 105-110. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/44/2/001

Willink, R. (2007). Uncertainty of functionals of calibration curves. Metrologia, 44(3), 182-186. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/44/3/004

Willink, R. (2007). Uncertainty and data-fitting procedures. Metrologia, 44(3), L33-L35. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/44/3/N04

Willink, R. (2007). A generalization of the Welch-Satterthwaite formula for use with correlated uncertainty components. Metrologia, 44(5), 340-349. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/44/5/010

Journal - Research Other

Willink, R. (2007). Comments on 'Bayesian estimate of the Newtonian constant of gravitation' with an alternative analysis. Measurement Science & Technology, 18(7), 2275-2280. doi: 10.1088/0957-0233/18/7/063

Willink, R. (2007). On a confidence interval for the mean of an asymmetric distribution [Inference]. Communications in Statistics: Theory & Methods, 36(12), 2235-2236. doi: 10.1080/03610920701215498

2006

Chapter in Book - Research

Willink, R. (2006). An approach to uncertainty analysis emphasizing a natural expectation of a client. In P. Ciarlini, E. Filipe, A. B. Forbes, F. Pavese, C. Perruchet & B. R. L. Siebert (Eds.), Series on advances in mathematics for applied science (Vol. 72): Advanced mathematics and computational tools in metrology VII. (pp. 344-349). Singapore: World Scientific. doi: 10.1142/9789812774187_0046

Journal - Research Article

Willink, R. (2006). Forming a comparison reference value from different distributions of belief. Metrologia, 43(1), 12-20. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/43/1/002

Willink, R. (2006). Principles of probability and statistics for metrology. Metrologia, 43(4), S211-S219. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/43/4/S07

Willink, R. (2006). Meaning and models in key comparisons, with measures of operability and interoperability. Metrologia, 43(4), S220-S230. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/43/4/S08

Willink, R. (2006). Uncertainty analysis by moments for asymmetric variables. Metrologia, 43(6), 522-530. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/43/6/007

Journal - Research Other

Willink, R. (2006). On using the Monte Carlo method to calculate uncertainty intervals [Short communication]. Metrologia, 43(6), L39-L42. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/43/6/N02

2005

Journal - Research Article

Willink, R., & Lira, I. (2005). A united interpretation of different uncertainty intervals. Measurement, 38(1), 61-66. doi: 10.1016/j.measurement.2005.01.001

Willink, R. (2005). Normal moments and Hermite polynomials. Statistics & Probability Letters, 73(3), 271-275. doi: 10.1016/j.spl.2005.03.015

Willink, R. (2005). A procedure for the evaluation of measurement uncertainty based on moments. Metrologia, 42(5), 329-343. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/42/5/001

Journal - Research Other

Willink, R. (2005). A confidence interval and test for the mean of an asymmetric distribution [Inference]. Communications in Statistics: Theory & Methods, 34(4), 753-766. doi: 10.1081/STA-200054419

2004

Chapter in Book - Research

Willink, R. D., & Hall, B. D. (2004). Fast computational alternaive to Monte Carlo simulation of an output distribution. In P. Ciarlini, M. G. Cox, F. Pavese & G. B. Rossi (Eds.), Series on advances in mathematics for applied science (Vol. 66): Advanced mathematics and computational tools in metrology VI. (pp. 337-341). Singapore: World Scientific. doi: 10.1142/9789812702647_0038

Journal - Research Article

Willink, R. (2004). Approximating the difference of two t-variables for all degrees of freedom using truncated variables. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Statistics, 46(3), 495-504. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-842X.2004.00346.x

Willink, R. (2004). Bounds on the bivariate normal distribution function. Communications in Statistics: Theory & Methods, 33(10), 2281-2297. doi: 10.1081/STA-200031505

Journal - Research Other

Willink, R. (2004). Coverage intervals and statistical coverage intervals [Short communication]. Metrologia, 41(3), L5-L6. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/41/3/L01

2003

Journal - Research Article

Willink, R. (2003). Relationships between central moments and cumulants, with formulae for the central moments of gamma distributions. Communications in Statistics: Theory & Methods, 32(4), 701-704. doi: 10.1081/STA-120018823

Willink, R. (2003). On the interpretation and analysis of a degree-of-equivalence. Metrologia, 40(2), 9-17. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/40/2/302

2002

Journal - Research Article

Willink, R. (2002). An integral inequality bounding the autocorrelation of a pulse or sequence at a known lag. Journal of Inequalities in Pure & Applied Mathematics, 3(1), 15.

Willink, R. (2002). Statistical determination of a comparison reference value using hidden errors. Metrologia, 39(4), 343-354. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/39/4/3

Willink, R. (2002). Effect on probabilities and quantiles of adding a quantity with small variance. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Statistics, 44(2), 213-220. doi: 10.1111/1467-842X.00223

Willink, R. (2002). A classical method for uncertainty analysis with multidimensional data. Metrologia, 39(4), 361-369. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/39/4/5

2001

Journal - Research Article

Hall, B. D., & Willink, R. (2001). Does "Welch-Satterthwaite" make a good uncertainty estimate? Metrologia, 38(1), 9-15. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/38/1/2

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Full paper

Hall, B. D., & Willink, R. (2001). Automatic uncertainty calculation for smart measurement systems. Proceedings of the 1st ISA/IEEE Sensors for Industry Conference. (pp. 290-295). IEEE. doi: 10.1109/SFICON.2001.968546

1999

Journal - Research Other

Willink, R. (1999). Mean blood velocity measurement with a narrow ultrasound beam and an asymmetric velocity profile [Short communication]. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 46(3), 362-364. doi: 10.1109/10.748989

1998

Journal - Research Article

Willink, R., & White, D. R. (1998). Detection of corruption in Gaussian processes with application to noise thermometry. Metrologia, 35(6), 787-798. doi: 10.1088/0026-1394/35/6/1

1996

Journal - Research Article

Willink, R., & Evans, D. H. (1996). The effect of noise and high-pass filtering on the estimation of mean blood velocity using wide and narrow ultrasound beams. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 43(3), 229-237. doi: 10.1109/10.486280

Willink, R., & Evans, D. H. (1996). The effect of geometrical spectral broadening on the estimation of mean blood velocity using wide and narrow ultrasound beams. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 43(3), 238-248. doi: 10.1109/10.486281

1995

Journal - Research Article

Willink, R., & Evans, D. H. (1995). Volumetric blood flow measurement by simultaneous Doppler signal and B-mode image processing: A feasibility study. Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology, 21(4), 481-492. doi: 10.1016/0301-5629(94)00142-Z

Willink, R., & Evans, D. H. (1995). Statistical bias and variance in blood flow estimation by spectral analysis of Doppler signals. Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology, 21(7), 919-935. doi: 10.1016/0301-5629(95)00033-N

Willink, R., & Evans, D. H. (1995). Volumetric blood flow calculation using a narrow ultrasound beam. Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology, 21(2), 203-216. doi: 10.1016/S0301-5629(94)00107-3

1994

Journal - Research Article

Willink, R., & Evans, D. H. (1994). A mean blood velocity statistic for the Doppler signal from a narrow ultrasound beam. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 41(4), 322-331. doi: 10.1109/10.284960

1991

Journal - Research Article

Rook, A. J., Gill, M., Willink, R. D., & Lister, S. J. (1991). Prediction of voluntary intake of grass silage by lactating cows offered concentrates at a flat rate. Animal Production, 52(3), 407-420. doi: 10.1017/S0003356100012988