Find a Data Champion

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.

Dace Apšvalka

Research Associate

MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit

Areas Of Expertise:

Python, Data visualisation, Big data, Machine learning, Statistical analysis, Data collection, R language, Version control, Experimental design, Data storage, Git, Data sharing, Code sharing, Open data, FAIR Data, Writing/publishing data papers, SQL, Imaging, Video editing, Digital illustration, Matlab, Workshop delivery, Website development, Other programming languages

Contact Information

ORCiD:

Biography

I work in cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging, with a strong focus on research data management, reproducible analysis, and open science practices. Before training in cognitive neuroscience, I was educated in computer science and trained as a systems analyst, which continues to shape how I approach research data, workflows, and computational methods. In my current work, I focus on brain imaging data, including data organisation in BIDS (Brain Imaging Data Structure), preprocessing and analysis pipelines, and the development of practical training materials to support researchers in using modern computational tools and adopting good data practices.

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

Máté Aller, PhD

Research Associate

MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit

Areas Of Expertise:

Python, Git, Matlab, Data visualisation, Data mining, Machine learning, Statistical analysis, Data collection, Version control, Experimental design, Data storage, Data sharing, Code sharing, Open data, Imaging

Contact Information

mate.aller@mrc-cbu.ac.uk

Website

My LinkedIn Profile

ORCiD:

0000-0001-7096-5180

Biography

I am a neuroscientist studying human speech perception with the aim of advancing assistive speech (neuro)technologies and AI speech recognition systems. My background is in cognitive neuroscience and medicine.

I am an expert in human neurophysiology methods (electro- and magnetoencephalography, EEG/MEG) combined with machine learning and artificial neural network modelling (deep learning).

Since the beginning of my PhD, I’ve been passionate about reproducible and open science practices such as data and code sharing, and good coding practices including version control. In my department I am leading the adoption of the standardised Brain Imaging Data Structure (BIDS) for storing and sharing human neurophysiology (MEG/EEG) data.

Matthew Evans

Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry

Areas Of Expertise:

Python, Data visualisation, Machine learning, Electronic Lab Notebooks, Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), Data collection, Database design, Data architecture, Version control, Licensing Copyright, Git, Institutional repositories, Discipline-specific repositories, General repositories, Data sharing, Code sharing, Open data, FAIR Data, Data archiving, Writing/publishing data papers, Cheminformatics, Digitisation, Workshop delivery, Website development, Other programming languages

Contact Information

me388@cam.ac.uk

My LinkedIn Profile

ORCiD:

0000-0002-1182-9098

Biography

I'm a research fellow working to improve data management practices broadly across the materials and chemical sciences, with the aim to accelerate discovery and enable new data-driven approaches in the physical sciences. I lead the development of the decentralised open source RDM platform, datalab, used by several labs in Cambridge and beyond to track sample provenance, ingest raw characterisation data from instruments and easily disseminate data within and between labs. datalab has been designed primarily with materials chemistry and battery groups in mind, but has been extended to work for polymer research, direct air capture and autonomous labs. I also work extensively on API standardisation for crystal structure databases, via my involvement in OPTIMADE. I am very happy to discuss how people can engage with this work if they are in this domain, or how the approach could be adopted by other domains.

Before starting my current role, I completed my undergraduate studies in Theoretical Physics at the University of Manchester, after which I joined the University of Cambridge for an MPhil in Scientific Computing and subsequent PhD in Physics where I worked on crystal structure prediction for battery materials. I then joined UCLouvain in Belgium for a postdoc and research fellowship, before making my way back to Cambridge in 2025 as a Leverhulme Trust Early Career Research Fellow.

Raquel Manzano

Bioinformatician

Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute

Areas Of Expertise:

Big data, Sensitive data, Code sharing, Data analysis, Bioinformatics, Coding, Python, R language, Git, Data visualisation, Data mining, Machine learning, Statistical analysis, Electronic Lab Notebooks, Data collection, Version control, Data storage, Institutional repositories, Discipline-specific repositories, Data sharing, Data archiving, Workshop delivery

Contact Information

raquel.manzanogarcia@cruk.cam.ac.uk

My LinkedIn Profile

ORCiD:

0000-0002-5124-8992

Biography

I am bioinformatician who has been working in Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute since 2017. I have a background in biology and have experience with HPC, version control, R and python, and confidential data. I work with big volumes of cancer patient data on a daily basis.

Additional areas of expertise:

High Performance Computing (HPC) - cluster.

Tim Hearn

Principal Investigator

Department of Genomic Medicine

Areas Of Expertise:

Python, Data visualisation, Big data, Data mining, Machine learning, Statistical analysis, Data Management Plans, Electronic Lab Notebooks, Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), Data collection, Database design, R language, Data architecture, Version control, Experimental design, Sensitive data, Git, Discipline-specific repositories, Data sharing, Code sharing, Open data, FAIR Data, Data archiving, Data preservation, Writing/publishing data papers, SQL, Imaging, Bioinformatics, Textual data, Matlab, Digitisation, Workshop delivery, Website development Visual Basic

Contact Information

tjh70@cam.ac.uk

ORCiD:

0000-0001-6827-4196

Biography

Tim Hearn is a PI in the Department of Genomic Medicine where he runs the Chronomic Medicine group. He teaches extensively in bioinformatics, data science and reproducibility. Tim is passionate about teaching researchers about reproducibility principles.

Ali Abbas, PhD

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Dace Apšvalka

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Biography

Darran Clements

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Máté Aller, PhD

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Biography

Matthew Evans

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Biography

Raquel Manzano

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Biography

Tim Hearn

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Biography

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