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.

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.

Fiona Love

Research Associate

Cambridge Institute for Medical Research

Areas Of Expertise:

Electronic Laboratory Notebooks, Code sharing, Data analysis, Version control, R language, Git, Data visualisation

Contact Information

ORCiD:

Izzy Newsham

PhD student

MRC Biostatistics Unit

Areas Of Expertise:

Python, R language, Git, Data visualisation, Big data, Machine learning, Bioinformatics

Contact Information

in268@cam.ac.uk

ORCiD:

0000-0003-0816-4045

Biography

I am a PhD student at the MRC Biostatistics Unit, interested in applying machine learning techniques to biological data. I have worked on classification of cancer (sub)types using XGBoost models. I am currently working on trying to uncover biological details about the immune system using graph data and graph machine learning.

Mark Fernandes

Bioinformatics Training Developer

Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute

Areas Of Expertise:

File sharing systems, Big data, Discipline-specific repositories, Repositories (general), Licensing, Copyright, Sensitive data, Code sharing, Bioinformatics, RDM training, Coding, Python, R language, SQL, Git, Database design, Data storage, Workshop delivery, Social media and digital communications, Video editing, Website development

Contact Information

mark.fernandes@cruk.cam.ac.uk

@MAFatCRUK

My LinkedIn Profile

Biography

I have over 30 years experience of Scientific Computing. I have worked on Image analysis of Light Microscopy images, Scientific IT Support (13 years), Data-driven web applications of mathematical models and Bioinformatics Training at the Institute of Food Research (Now the Quadram Institute). I have been involved in an EU Framework Database Workshop. I strive to include good data-handling and reproducibility practices into all training materials.

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.

Postdoctoral Researcher in Human Genetics

Areas Of Expertise:

Python, Data visualisation, Data Management Plans, Electronic Lab Notebooks, Data collection, R language, Version control, Experimental design, Research data ethics, Data policies, Data storage, Git, General repositories, Data sharing, Code sharing, Open data, FAIR Data, Data archiving, Data preservation, Bioinformatics Website development

Contact Information

ts31@sanger.ac.uk

Biography

I am a postdoctoral researcher working on data and wet lab projects at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. I combine hands-on laboratory work with computational analysis, helping to generate, process, and interpret biological data. My work sits at the interface of experimental biology and data science.

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.

Jonathan Birchall, PhD

Contact Information

Biography

Ali Abbas, PhD

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Biography

Dace Apšvalka

Contact Information

Biography

Fiona Love

Contact Information

Izzy Newsham

Contact Information

Biography

Mark Fernandes

Contact Information

Biography

Máté Aller, PhD

Contact Information

Biography

Postdoctoral Researcher in Human Genetics

Contact Information

Biography

Raquel Manzano

Contact Information

Biography

Tim Hearn

Contact Information

Biography

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