Seven Questions with... Lena Yagafarova

What are you studying, why are you interested in this subject and what do you plan to do in the future?

I recently completed my MSc in Data Science at UCL, following undergraduate studies in Economics and Finance.

As simple as it may sound, I am interested in data science because I want to learn effective ways to solve real-world problems. Looking forward, I plan to apply statistical analysis and computational skills in areas such as quantitative equity research.

At UCL, a significant revelation for me was the possibility of an academic career, a path I had not previously considered. Professor Codina Cotar suggested the idea of an academic career to me after we worked together on my MSc thesis. I deeply appreciate this suggestion and see it as a great honor.

What is the most interesting thing you’ve done, seen or gotten involved with while at UCL?

It might sound surprising, but MSc thesis was truly the highlight of my UCL experience. Studying at UCL offered me a new outlook on financial data, an area I already had some familiarity with before.

The principal aim of my thesis was to assess the profit-generating potential of the reinforcement learning (a machine learning branch) trading system in high-frequency foreign exchange trading. Furthermore, I aimed to explore whether the inclusion of true and detrended forecasted asset return volatility estimates could lead to improvements in the trading system’s performance. The latter marks the unique value of this research in the domain. The study focused on the five-minute Euro/British Pound exchange rate from the real market. Building on the existing research, I designed a trading system for real-time financial market interaction that produces optimal trading decisions, such as "buy" or "sell". The trading system was implemented in Python with PyTorch. When benchmarked against random trading and a conservative buy-and-hold strategy, the trading system showed superior performance.

Receiving the MSc Best Thesis Prize from UCL's Department of Statistical Science was a profound honor for me.

Have you discovered any hidden gems during your time at UCL?

At UCL, I got to see an amazing performance of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream by the UCL Drama Society. Led by students, this show was a lively mix of comedy and drama, and felt almost dreamlike.

Give us your top three things to do/see/go to in London:

• La Crêperie de Hampstead: queue up for French crêpes that are worth every minute of the wait.
• BFI Southbank: catch a flick, classic or new. One of my greatest experiences there was hearing Scorsese himself muse about his cinematic journey during the London Film Festival.
• Kew Gardens: wander around the scenic grounds, where even early winter blooms with beauty.

If you could study a different subject, what would it be and why?

If I had the opportunity to study a different subject, I would choose criminology. Through studying criminology, I would aim to explore the underlying motivations of criminal behavior, assess its impact on victims and society and analyze the effectiveness of different justice systems.

Who inspires you and why?

At UCL, Professor Codina Cotar, my academic supervisor, was a significant inspiration. Her varied academic path has been incredibly motivating. She offered immense support during my thesis work, making the experience both enjoyable and insightful. Over the months of working on my thesis, I came to know Professor Cotar not only as a distinguished academic but also as a genuinely warm-hearted and unique individual. Her high regard for my research and encouragement towards pursuing an academic career has been a great blessing.

What would it surprise people to know about you?

Last year, my friend and I snuck into Russian and Post-Soviet Politics classes at UCL's School of Slavonic and East European Studies. We quickly found ourselves becoming regular attendees.