1st PhyStat School of Statistics: Statistics in the era of ML

17 Nov 2025, 09:00 → 21 Nov 2025, 18:00 Europe/Zurich

Gerhard Raven (Nikhef National institute for subatomic physics (NL)), Ivo Van Vulpen (Nikhef National institute for subatomic physics (NL)), Louis Lyons (Imperial College (GB)), Lydia Brenner (Nikhef National institute for subatomic physics (NL)), Olaf Behnke (DESY), Roel Aaij (Nikhef National institute for subatomic physics (NL)), Wouter Verkerke (Nikhef National institute for subatomic physics (NL))

The 1st PhyStat School of Statistics titled "Statistics in the era of Machine Learning" will take place on November 17-21 in The Netherlands.

The goal of the school is to give participants a thorough understanding of the statistical concepts needed for data analysis in High Energy and Gravitational Wave physics, with a particular focus on the use of Machine Learning. Topics include:
    Basics of Statistics in High Energy Physics
    Basics of Machine Learning
    Simulation-Based Inference
    Anomaly Detection
    Treatment of Uncertainties

The program is split between lectures and comprehensive hands-on sessions, to allow participants to work with the topics addressed during the lectures in the context of concrete problems. Real-world applications of each topic will be presented by invited lectures. The invited Lecturers are: Bob Cousins, Tilman Plehn, Jay Sandesara, Gaia Grosso and Mikael Kuusela

This school is organized by PhyStat in collaboration with Nikhef and will take place at the Hof van Saksen in the village of Nooitgedacht in The Netherlands. The picture on the poster/banner is of their aquapark facilities. The school fee is 650 euro and includes accommodation, all meals and coffee/tea during breaks. 

The school is aimed at advanced PhD students and early postdocs. We welcome applications from all countries and nationalities.

Monday 17 November

10:00 → 11:00 Arrival

11:00 → 11:05 Introduction

Speaker: Lydia Brenner (Nikhef National institute for subatomic physics (NL))

PhyStatSchoolPrep.pdf

Plattergrond.png

WelcomePhyStatSchool (1).pdf

11:05 → 13:05 Basics of Statistics

Conveners: Robert Cousins Jr (University of California Los Angeles (US)), Robert Cousins Jr, Robert Dacey Cousins Jr (Univ. of California Los Angeles (UCLA))

cousins_stat_in_theory_netherlands_2025.pdf

11:05 Lecture

Speakers: Robert Cousins Jr, Robert Cousins Jr (University of California Los Angeles (US)), Robert Dacey Cousins Jr (Univ. of California Los Angeles (UCLA))

cousins_stat_in_theory_netherlands_2025_corrected.pdf

13:05 → 14:00 Lunch

14:00 → 16:00 Basics of Statistics

cousins_stat_in_theory_netherlands_2025.pdf

14:00 Lecture

Speakers: Robert Cousins Jr, Robert Cousins Jr (University of California Los Angeles (US)), Robert Dacey Cousins Jr (Univ. of California Los Angeles (UCLA))

16:00 → 18:00 Basics of Statistics: Hands-on session

cousins_stat_in_theory_netherlands_2025.pdf

16:00 Hands-on

18:00 → 19:00 Guest Lecture: What not to do

Speaker: Roger Barlow (University of Huddersfield (GB))

talk.pdf

19:00 → 20:00 Dinner

20:00 → 21:00 Welcome Reception

Tuesday 18 November

09:00 → 11:00 Fundamentals of Machine Learning

Convener: Tilman Plehn

ML Notes on Tilman's website

09:00 Lecture

Speakers: Tilman Plehn (Heidelberg University), Tilman Plehn, Tilman Plehn, Tilman Plehn

11:00 → 13:00 Fundamentals of Machine Learning: Hands-on session

ML Notes on Tilman's website

11:00 Hands-on

13:00 → 14:00 Lunch

14:00 → 15:00 Fundamentals of Machine Learning

ML Notes on Tilman's website

14:00 Lecture

Speakers: Tilman Plehn (Heidelberg University), Tilman Plehn, Tilman Plehn, Tilman Plehn

15:00 → 16:00 Fundamentals of Machine Learning: Hands-on session

ML Notes on Tilman's website

15:00 Hands-on

16:00 → 17:00 Simulation Based Inference

Convener: Jay Ajitbhai Sandesara (University of Wisconsin Madison (US))

16:00 Lecture

Speaker: Jay Ajitbhai Sandesara (University of Wisconsin Madison (US))

PhyStat-SBI-Lecture1.pdf

17:00 → 18:00 Simulation Based Inference: Hands-on session

17:00 Hands-on

18:00 → 19:00 Guest Lecture: What to do

Speaker: Wouter Verkerke (Nikhef National institute for subatomic physics (NL))

phystat_systematics_v5.pdf

19:00 → 20:30 Dinner

Wednesday 19 November

09:00 → 10:00 Simulation Based Inference

09:00 Lecture

Speaker: Jay Ajitbhai Sandesara (University of Wisconsin Madison (US))

PhyStat-SBI-Lecture2and3.pdf

10:00 → 12:00 Simulation Based Inference: Hands-on session

10:00 Hands-on

12:00 → 13:00 Guest lecture: SBI for Gravitational Waves

Speaker: Maximilian Dax

13:00 → 14:00 Lunch

14:00 → 15:00 Simulation Based Inference

14:00 Lecture

Speaker: Jay Ajitbhai Sandesara (University of Wisconsin Madison (US))

PhyStat-SBI-Lecture4.pdf

15:00 → 16:00 Simulation Based Inference: Hands-on session

15:00 Hands-on

19:00 → 20:30 Dinner

Thursday 20 November

08:55 → 09:00 Group photo

Speaker: Lydia Brenner (Nikhef National institute for subatomic physics (NL))

IMG_4923.jpeg

09:00 → 10:00 Guest Lecture: Vision of the future

Speakers: Gregor Kasieczka (Hamburg University (DE)), Gregor Kasieczka

Slides

10:00 → 12:00 Anomaly Detection

10:00 Lecture

Speaker: Gaia Grosso (IAIFI, MIT)

phystat-school.pdf

12:00 → 13:00 Anomaly Detection: Hands-on session

12:00 Hands-on

13:00 → 14:00 Lunch

14:00 → 15:00 Anomaly Detection

14:00 Lecture

Speaker: Gaia Grosso (IAIFI, MIT)

15:00 → 16:00 Anomaly Detection: Hands-on session

16:00 → 17:00 Guest lecture: Anomaly detection in cosmology

Speaker: Carolina Cuesta Lazaro

17:00 → 18:00 Advanced topics

Convener: Mikael Kuusela (Carnegie Mellon University (US))

17:00 Lecture

Speaker: Mikael Kuusela (Carnegie Mellon University (US))

Phystat_UQ.pdf

18:00 → 19:00 Guest lecture: Physics informed ML

Speaker: Dr Purvasha Chakravarti (University College London)

PhysicsInspiredML.pdf

19:00 → 20:30 Dinner

Friday 21 November

09:00 → 12:00 Advanced topics

09:00 Lecture

Speaker: Mikael Kuusela (Carnegie Mellon University (US))

PhyStat_unfolding.pdf

12:00 → 13:00 Advanced topics: Hands-on session

12:00 Hands-on

13:00 → 14:00 Lunch

14:00 → 15:00 Advanced topics: Hands-on session

14:00 Hands-on

15:00 → 16:00 Guest Lecture: Interpretability

Speakers: Rikab Gambhir (Rutgers State Univ. of New Jersey (US)), Rikab Gambhir (MIT)

Interpreting “Interpretability”.pdf

16:00 → 17:00 Wrap up