daniel issing

all models are wrong, but some are fun to play with.

about me

Daniel Issing

Hi there and thanks for dropping by! I'm Daniel, a researcher in global health and development. My trajectory has been anything but linear, and over the last decade I have been doing research on obscure mathematical objects called quantum algebras, ran a leadership seminar out of an old leprosy ward in Nepal, and developed machine learning algorithms to catch insurance fraudsters. Oh, and I almost ended up doing a PhD in neuroeconomics...but more on that below.

I'm a generalist at heart; I enjoy coding and math problems just as much as reading several books at once and writing about anything that captures my imagination. Such a temperament often gets in the way of becoming a subject matter expert in any domain, but I like to imagine that it lets me spot patterns and connections that specialists overlook. If there's a thread connecting all of the above, it's probably just a stubborn commitment to understanding how things actually work, whether that's AI, quantum computing or programs to alleviate global poverty.

And why limit my curiosity to intellectual pursuits? As an avid trail runner & cyclist, I'm always keen to find new ways to explore my limits, some of which I've highlighted below. And I love connecting these exploits with traveling to new places. Scroll on to learn more!

experience & education

GiveWell

Senior Research Associate

GiveWell

As a researcher at GiveWell, I explore new areas of grantmaking to expand the organization's footprint and enable them to unlock new funding opportunities. GiveWell focuses on identifying the most cost-effective programs to ensure that donations have the highest impact on global well-being. This work includes assessing the evidence behind programs, modeling disease burden, understanding the relative strengths of different actors in the field and diving into M&E data, among other things.

Shift Technology

Data Science Team Lead

Shift Technology

At Shift, I helped develop and customize an AI-powered fraud detection software for insurance companies. I managed a team that worked with major insurers in the UK and Germany, with the goal of allowing them to identify suspicious cases quickly and reliably. You can find a couple of interesting showcases at this link.

Students For Liberty

Asia Program Manager

Students For Liberty

After volunteering with them for many years (during which I organized numerous conferences, talks and seminars and launched a student magazine), I joined SFL's staff full-time to expand their chapters and activities across Asia. I coordinated with student groups from Afghanistan to Indonesia, helped to establish new chapters, trained local organizers, and adapted programming for diverse cultural contexts. I'm very grateful for the many inspiring individuals I met during that time, who went above and beyond to promote a message of freedom, peaceful coexistence and open dialogue in very challenging environments.

LMU Munich

MSc in Theoretical & Mathematical Physics

Ludwig Maximilian University Munich & LAPTh

I was accepted into an elite master course on theoretical and mathematical physics for my graduate studies. My thesis (which you can find here) was written under the supervision of Luc Frappat and Eric Ragoucy at the Labortoire d'Annecy-le-Vieux de Physique Théorique (LAPTh). This collaboration resulted in a paper in which we showed how to construct the center of an elliptic algebra that's relevant to the study of quantum integrable systems. If all of this sounds like mumbo jumbo to you, here's my attempt to provide a non-technical, high-level overview of that work.

Heidelberg University

BSc in Physics

Ruprecht Karls University Heidelberg & Carleton University, Ottawa

I went into physics for its promise to offer a glimpse into the fabric of reality at its most fundamental level. My specialization was quantum mechanics, or, more precisely, lattice models for which the Schrödinger equation could be solved analytically. My thesis, written under the supervision of Tilman Enss, dealt with non-equilibrium dynamics (quantum quenches) of precisely such systems. As part of my undergrad degree, I also spent a year in Canada, which was a formative experience for me and something I can't recommend enough.

coding

A selection of personal projects I've been working on. You can find more examples on my GitHub page.

LLM Mathematical Reasoning Benchmark

Euler Project

How good are state-of-the-art AI models at solving coding challenges that require the clever application of mathematical insights to reduce computational complexity and avoid stack overflows?

For this project, I pitted three LLMs against each other and challenged them to generate scripts for Project Euler problems of ever-increasing complexity. The results were surprising in many ways.

View on GitHub →

Personal Race Time Predictor

A Monte Carlo model that predicts race times based on past performance and course elevation profiles for each leg of the race.

The app provides automatic integration with the Strava API to provide personalized pacing strategies. It also lets users visualize each segment and provides valuable input for your crew.

View on GitHub →

traveling

The earth is just one small planet in our solar system, and this solar system occupies just tiny part of one of the trillions of galaxies that form our universe. And yet, I've seen precious little of it. I'm using this map to remind myself that there are still many places left to be explored, just as there are many things I don't know. A couple highlights from the ones I did get to see are pictured further down.

0 countries - 0% of the world

running & cycling

There are many ways to test one's limits, but for me, nothing beats endurance sports. Especially when you can combine it with breathtaking views! Ever since I ran my first half marathon at age 16, I've been hooked, and have finshed over 35 ultramarathons since. Below is a small selection of the most daunting, beautiful, and at times soul-crushing exploits I foolishly signed up for.

click to read more

gr 20

gr 20

The GR20 is one of the most famous long-distance hikes in France, traversing Corsica from north to south. It's also famously rocky and technical, especially the northern section. People usually hike it in two weeks, but a friend and I decided we were going to try to finish it in four days, carrying everything on our backs. It was rough.

click to read more

ultra trail du mont blanc

ultra trail du mont blanc

The atmosphere during the first 40km is absolutely bonkers, and the arrival after 170km is pure goosebumps. Say what you will about the UTMB group, but there's a reason why everyone wants to run it. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of time, money and luck to get into, so I doubt I'll be able to come back for a second lap. Strava link.

click to read more

eiger ultra trail

eiger ultra trail

This remains my longest race to date. The route wraps around the famous Eiger massif and features lots of glaciers. With 260km and around 18,000m of vertical gain, this one is no joke, and we slept very little during those three days and two nights we were out on the trails. Race report.

click to read more

via alpina by bike

via alpina by bike

The Via Alpina is a long-distance trek that follows the Alps from Monaco to Muggia near Trieste, traversing 8 different countries. For our honeymoon, my wife and I created a bike-friendly version of this trip and spent a month climbing pass after pass. Travel log.

writing

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book recommendations

I love getting book recommendations from other people, so it's only fair I share mine. Of course, such a list is never static, not only because it - hopefully - keeps growing. Tastes change, insights that once seemed groundbreaking start feeling trivial, and memory isn't always as reliable as we'd like to think. But while the selection below is necessarily a snapshot of a particular moment in time, I don't think you'd regret picking up any of these. Click on them for a brief review!

fiction

non-fiction

get in touch

Have a question, got feedback or simply want to get in touch? I'd love to hear from you!