Data Champions Search

Jonathan Birchall, PhD

Research Associate

Department of Radiology

Areas Of Expertise:

Git, Matlab, Data visualisation, Big data, Statistical analysis, Data collection, Data architecture, Version control, Experimental design, Data storage, Code sharing, Writing/publishing data papers, Surveys, Imaging, Textual data, Digital illustration

Contact Information

jb2455@cam.ac.uk

ORCiD:

0000-0003-3920-4038

Biography

I am currently a Research Associate in the Gallagher Group, where my goals are to develop novel screening techniques for cancer using pre-clinical hyperpolarised 13C-MRI, with an aim towards evaluation, documentation and eventual translation of these techniques into human imaging. This work is jointly funded by the University and The National Cancer Imaging Translational Accelerator (NCITA), where I am a member of the QA/QC Unit responsible for developing Standard Operating Procedures and performing data analysis on NCITA exemplar studies towards the creation of an MRI Core Lab.

I received my PhD from the University of Nottingham in 2017, researching experimental methods for improving 129Xe hyperpolarisation with an application to clinical functional lung imaging. I continued in a postdoctoral role for one year, performing QA/QC duties for the clinical Hyperpolarised Imaging Lung Facility (HILF), before moving to Wayne State University, Detroit, USA to take up a 2.5 year postdoctoral role developing pre-clinical hyperpolariser technologies for 13C, 15N and 129Xe.

I have always had a passion for statistics and communication, and as a Data Champion in the Department of Radiology, I hope that I can collaborate with my peers across a diverse range of projects, advocating for good record-keeping, analysis, dissemination and other facets of research data management.

Abdulwahab Alshallal

PhD Student

Areas Of Expertise:

Python, R language, Data visualisation, Big data, Statistical analysis, Research data ethics, Writing/publishing data papers

Contact Information

ORCiD:

Biography

Abdulwahab is a PhD student in Physical Activity Epidemiology, advised by Dr. Soren Brage at the MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge. He is a recipient of the Kuwaiti High Science Achiever PhD Scholarship by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences and the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry and was previously awarded a full Bachelor's and Master's Scholarship from the Kuwait Ministry of Higher Education. His interests lie in the analysis of accelerometer-measured physical activity data in different populations and related disease endpoints. He previously studied adolescent physical activity behavior in relation to mental well-being. His current research interest is in the analysis of physical activity behavior in the Arabian Gulf in relation to metabolic disease incidence.

Alfredo Cortell-Nicolau, PhD

Marie Curie European Research Fellow

McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research

Areas Of Expertise:

R language, SQL, Visual Basic, Data visualisation, Data mining, Statistical analysis, Database design, Open data, Geospatial data, Video editing

Contact Information

ac2320@cam.ac.uk

@cortellnicolau

ORCiD:

0000-0003-1982-6403

Biography

I am an archaeologist focused in Culture Evolution, Computational Archaeology and mathematical and spatial analysis applied to Archaeology and Prehistory. I also advocate for collaborative science, open research and scientific reproducibility, as one of the best ways to improve scientific outcomes

Ali Abbas, PhD

Senior Data Scientist, MRC Epidemiology Unit

Areas Of Expertise:

Python, R language, Git, SQL, C/C++/C# language, Java, Data visualisation, Big data, Data mining, Machine learning, Statistical analysis, Version control, Data sharing, Code sharing, Open data, FAIR Data, Writing/publishing data papers, Geospatial data

Contact Information

aa797@cam.ac.uk

Biography

Ali is Senior Data Scientist and public-health/transport modeller in the Public Health Modelling (PHM) group at the MRC-Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge. He is interested in active travel, specifically cycling research.

Coming from a Computer Science background, with a focus on modelling in his PhD, for over a decade, he has been doing data-driven research and development. This includes Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA), Statistical Modelling (or Machine Learning), Interactive Visualization, all with a focus on collaborative, transparent and reproducible research. In addition, he leads in project management and managing, training, guiding, and teaching of junior staff in his Unit. His work can be seen on GitHub at https://github.com/usr110.

Andrew Thwaites, PhD

Visiting Scientist

Department of Psychology

Areas Of Expertise:

Bioinformatics, Data sharing, Big data, Coding, Python, R language, SQL, Git, Matlab, Java, Data visualisation, Machine learning, Statistical analysis, Data Management Plans, Data policies, Data archiving, Code sharing, Open data, Imaging, Illustration, Website development

Contact Information

acgt2@cam.ac.uk

ORCiD:

0000-0002-6237-7140

Biography

Additional areas of expertise:

Neuroscience data

Andrzej Harris, PhD

Research Associate

Department of Biochemistry

Areas Of Expertise:

Python, Matlab, Data visualisation, Data collection, Experimental design, Data sharing, Data archiving, Bioinformatics

Contact Information

ORCiD:

Biography

I am a Research Associate in the Department of Biochemistry, where I specialise in electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM). I use cryo-EM data for the reconstruction and computational modelling of antibiotic transport by bacterial tripartite efflux pumps and related membrane proteins.

Borja Blanco, PhD

Research Associate

Department of Psychology

Areas Of Expertise:

Python, R language, Git, Matlab, Big data, Statistical analysis, Code sharing, Imaging, Workshop delivery

Contact Information

bb579@cam.ac.uk

@borja_blanco4

ORCiD:

0000-0001-5533-2086

Biography

I received my PhD in cognitive neuroscience from Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL). I am currently a Research Associate at the Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge. My interests include data processing and analysis methods for neuroimaging techniques employed in developmental research (fNIRS & EEG). I am interested in the application of these methods for investigating functional connectivity and cognitive processes such as social cognition and language acquisition in infant populations.

Christos Nikolaou

PhD Student

Areas Of Expertise:

R language, Data visualisation, Statistical analysis, Data Management Plans, Data collection, Database design, Data architecture, Data archiving, Writing/publishing data papers, Geospatial data

Contact Information

cn399@cam.ac.uk

ORCiD:

0009-0007-1638-9283

Biography

PhD Student in Archaeology, working with mapping distributions of religious artefacts in Hellenistic sites in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Darran Clements

Imaging Assistant

Wellcome–MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute

Areas Of Expertise:

Python, Data visualisation, Machine learning, Version control, Copyright, Discipline-specific repositories, Data sharing, Data archiving, Data preservation, Surveys, Imaging, Social media & digital communications, Website development

Contact Information

dkc25@cam.ac.uk

@darranclem

My LinkedIn Profile

Dequn Teng

PhD Candidate, Department of Engineering

Areas Of Expertise:

Python, SQL, Matlab, Machine learning, Statistical analysis, Data collection, Database design, Copyright, Data sharing, Code sharing, Open data, Imagin

Contact Information

dt517@cam.ac.uk

Website

My LinkedIn Profile

Biography

Dequn Teng (he/him) is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Engineering at the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), Centre for Technology Management. His doctoral research examines human–algorithm interactions' effects on analytical creativity in algorithmic trading, funded by Cambridge Trust. His long-term research identity focuses on emerging algorithmic innovations' effects on strategic value creation, bridging insights from computer engineering, technology management, and organizational strategy. He also serves as a Research Assistant in the International Business and Strategy Group at the CJBS, where he contributes to research on regenerative innovations and strategies.

Prior to his Ph.D., Dequn completed an MPhil in Engineering (IfM, University of Cambridge) under Prof. Veronica Martinez, focusing on supply chain risk modeling with machine learning–enabled blockchain systems. He earned a first-class honors degree in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from the University of Liverpool (2+2 routine) and further enriched his expertise as a visiting student at Stanford University.

Beyond academia, Dequn has gained industry experience through roles at Deutsche Bank and Unilever, as well as through venture creation activities at the Entrepreneurship Centre at CJBS. He is also the Vice President of the Cambridge Algorithmic Trading Society (CUATS), fostering interdisciplinary collaboration in algorithmic trading research and practice.

As an educator, Dequn supervise industrial engineering, strategic management, and marketing, and leads coding and analytics sessions—including Brainteaser and LeetCode sessions—within the CUATS, cultivating interactive learning experiences at the intersection of technology, strategy, and innovation.

Publications

Jonathan Birchall, PhD

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Biography

Abdulwahab Alshallal

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Biography

Alfredo Cortell-Nicolau, PhD

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Biography

Ali Abbas, PhD

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Biography

Andrew Thwaites, PhD

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Biography

Andrzej Harris, PhD

Contact Information

Biography

Borja Blanco, PhD

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Biography

Christos Nikolaou

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Biography

Darran Clements

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Dequn Teng

Contact Information

Biography

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