There's a machine learning path that fits this: study math/stats/algorithms, get a graduate degree, work on research in industry or academia.
Your question is somewhat vague, though. Do you want to spend the majority of your time working on math? Even machine learning researchers only spend a majority of their time on annoying data cleanup issues, model coding, or data infrastructure. Further, as you become more successful you worry about grant-writing, lab management, or stressing about tenure (or, if industry, department cuts). What's your motivation for entering a "slow" field? Regression is going nowhere but ML's research frontiers are expanding rapidly right now.
Note also that you won't land this work with just an undergrad degree, so you should add another 2-5 years of schooling if considering ML.
Comments
There's a machine learning path that fits this: study math/stats/algorithms, get a graduate degree, work on research in industry or academia.
Your question is somewhat vague, though. Do you want to spend the majority of your time working on math? Even machine learning researchers only spend a majority of their time on annoying data cleanup issues, model coding, or data infrastructure. Further, as you become more successful you worry about grant-writing, lab management, or stressing about tenure (or, if industry, department cuts). What's your motivation for entering a "slow" field? Regression is going nowhere but ML's research frontiers are expanding rapidly right now.
Note also that you won't land this work with just an undergrad degree, so you should add another 2-5 years of schooling if considering ML.