Find a Data Champion

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.

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

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

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.

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

Gregory Serapio-García

PhD Student

Department of Psychology

Areas Of Expertise:

File sharing systems, Big data, Code sharing, Data analysis, Coding, Python, R language, SQL, Git, Data mining, Machine learning, Statistical analysis, Data storage, Surveys, Textual data, Geospatial data

Contact Information

gs639@cam.ac.uk

@gregserapio

ORCiD:

0000-0002-1890-2331

Biography

I'm a PhD student and Gates Cambridge Scholar studying psychology at St John's College. Broadly, I examine the psychometric properties of Internet big data; my current research explores how social media data predict personality traits and dimensions of mental illness. In general, I'm interested in social data science, the overlap of clinical disorders with everyday personality traits, and personality differences across cultures.

Hugo P. Bastos, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Haematology/Cambridge Stem Cell Institute

Areas Of Expertise:

Python, R language, SQL, Data visualisation, Machine learning, Statistical analysis, Database design, Data storage, Bioinformatics

Contact Information

hpb29@cam.ac.uk

ORCiD:

0000-0002-8072-4070

Biography

I provide Bioinformatic support for a few research groups in the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute. For the most part I deal with the analysis of single cell sequencing data, storage management of such data and the deployment of data processing pipelines into HPC environments.

Jonathan Birchall, PhD

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Biography

Abdulwahab Alshallal

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Biography

Ali Abbas, PhD

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Andrew Thwaites, PhD

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Biography

Borja Blanco, PhD

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Christos Nikolaou

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Biography

Dace Apšvalka

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Biography

Dequn Teng

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Biography

Gregory Serapio-García

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Biography

Hugo P. Bastos, PhD

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