Dr Mhairi Aitken
Dr Mhairi Aitken is an Ethics Fellow in the Public Policy Programme at The Alan Turing Institute, a Visiting Senior Lecturer at the Digital Environment Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London and an Honorary Senior Fellow at the University of Wollongong, Australia. At the Alan Turing Institute Mhairi leads research on AI and children’s rights, as well as working across a range of topics including data justice, ethics of Generative AI and emerging AI policy and regulation. Mhairi was included in the 2023 international list of “100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics” and is a frequent contributor to media discussions around AI and data.
Hannah Underwood
Hannah Underwood is a self confessed charity data geek. Hannah benefits from oodles of experience in purpose-driven and impactful organisations, having spent 16 years as the CEO of North East charity The Key, as well as serving as a Trustee and Non-Executive Director for various fab organisations including DataKind UK and Newcastle University. She has also begun experimenting with a data startup. Her big hairy audacious goal is to revolutionise the use of data within the social sector, so they can inform decisions, spark innovation, build 'equal' cross-sector partnerships and ultimately turbo charge social impact across the North East. When she hasn't got her head in the clouds you can find Hannah chasing her three small (and often grubby) children, round various parts of Northumberland or being utterly terrified on stage as an amature stand-up comedian.
Nick Lamb
Nick Lamb is Service Design Lead at Gateshead Council. His focus is on how data can be used to create better services focused on the needs of Gateshead residents. Having had 10 years’ experience with digital, data and technology in local government he has recently completed his master-level apprenticeship in data analytics at Newcastle University.
Simon Priestley
Simon Priestley is a Solicitor and business owner of two major law firms in the North East. In addition to this, he is also the CEO and Co-founder of Home Sale Pack which is an innovative platform to simplify and streamline the process of buying and selling property. Home Sale Pack are working closely with NICD to digitise the conveyancing process with in large language models, and machine learning of key phrases within Land Registry documents.
Roxana Montazerian
Roxana Montazerian is the CEO and founder of a research-driven technology startup located in Newcastle. As a Chartered Architect, she is engaged in research on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for creating digital twins and Heritage Building Information Models (HBIM). She is also developing big data and AI tools to enhance ROXID's application performance.
David Baillie
David Baillie founded Wildcat Films in 1989. The company initially specialised in news reporting from war zones and remote locations. It further developed in environmental documentary production, and in 2005 he pioneered aerial filming in the Antarctic for various David Attenborough series. In 2008 he set up HiDef Aerial Surveying to adapt this technology for marine wildlife surveying for the offshore renewable industry. He exited HiDef in 2016 and returned to filming natural history, for which he has received several Emmy & Bafta awards. In 2023 he set up Seascape Surveillance to return to the offshore renewable sector, and develop a new biodiversity survey technology using AI and advanced remote sensing.
Liz Maxwell
Liz Maxwell is a Co-Founder and Director of Partnerships for the recently launched Teacher Success Platform (TSP). TSP provides online solutions to recruit and nurture teachers, school mentors and leaders. Liz began her career as a primary teacher and has worked in higher education across the globe including Australia, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and most recently the United Kingdom.
Dr Paul Hands
Dr Paul Hands is the Chief Technical Officer of Parallel-51, a cutting edge technology product manufacturer based in Newcastle. Using coding experience gained through his PhD, Paul has been writing software for 12 years in various languages at different companies in the North East of England. In his spare time he's a dad of 2, and loves to tell a dad joke.
Janine Craig
Janine Craig is founder of Shop by Shape, a business born from her passion for empowering women to feel confident in clothes that truly fit and flatter. She has combined her skills and many years of experience in finance, marketing and machine learning with an amazing team of specialists in fashion and AI technology to create innovative products that helps women shop with ease and confidence.
At Shop by Shape, we’re pioneering the future of fashion with a personalised shopping experience. Our technology offers tailored style recommendations based on individual body shapes, helping retailers boost sales and reduce returns, while making women feel fabulous. Our mission is to reduce the need to over purchase and create a culture of Only Ordering One outfit, as that is usually all we want to buy.
Simon Welsh
Simon Welsh Joined the Marine, Protective and Yacht coatings business at International Paint, AkzoNobel in 2007. He was recruited to replace a retiring NMR specialist in the Analytical Chemistry Team. Simon was born, raised and schooled in Orkney off the north coast of Scotland, before leaving the islands to study at the University of St Andrews where he gained a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry (1999). Following his undergraduate degree he undertook a PhD. working with Prof. David Parker at Durham University, graduating in 2003. Simon’s PhD. had a mainly synthetic organic focus and he gained hands on experience using NMR spectrometers and interpreting NMR data throughout his postgraduate studies. After a brief dalliance with biochemistry, transitioned into an analytical chemistry role which included chromatography, mass spectroscopy as well as NMR, before joining AkzoNobel as a dedicated NMR specialist. His role within the AkzoNobel links closely with R&D teams, as well as production and technical/customer support and now encompasses wider aspects of analytical chemistry test method development as well as NMR.
Jennifer Longyear
Jennifer Longyear joined the Marine, Protective and Yacht coatings business at International Paint, AkzoNobel as an R&D scientist 2010, supporting the development of new marine fouling control technologies. Jennifer received a BSc in Biology from Cornell University, USA, an MSc in Oceanography from Dalhousie University, Canada, and completed her PhD at the University of Southampton’s School of Engineering in 2020, supported by and Industrial Fellowship from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. Her work focuses on characterisation methods that provide diagnostic insights into coating performance in lab and in service, particularly with respect to marine biofilm fouling on ship hulls.
Dr Rebecca Casey
Dr Rebecca Casey is an accomplished academic and researcher specialising in digital innovation and the realisation of digital value. Currently a Lecturer in Information Systems Management at Newcastle University Business School, Dr Casey has a background in both teaching and research. She holds degrees from Northumbria University, Newcastle University and Trinity College Dublin. Her research focuses on the sociotechnical aspects of digital transformation, particularly within health and care. Dr Casey has published widely and has been recognised for her innovative approaches to teaching and research.
Colin Eberhardt
Colin Eberhardt is Chief Technology Officer at Scott Logic, a growing UK software consultancy that serves financial services and public sector clients. He is a prolific technical author, blogger and speaker on a wide range of technologies. He has a keen interest in open-source, specifically how we address the associated sustainability and security challenges, and how to keep innovation at the heart of everything.
Dr Paul Goodman
Dr Paul Goodman joined us from Newcastle University's School of Engineering, where he was a lecturer in Intelligent Transport Systems. Here, his work consists predominantly of general data analysis, geospatial data analysis, and data visualisation. When he's not at work, Paul spends his time looking after a small clowder of feral cats that adopted him several years ago.
Matthew Wilson
Matthew Wilson is the Statistical Publication Lead at the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). He has a passion for democratising data and driving open working methods in the public sector so that we can all benefit from innovation.
James Heward
Louise Braithwaite, MSC
Dr Peter Michalak
Tom Shanks
Tom Shanks is Director of Blueline Group, a North East business responsible for transporting over 10 million passengers annually - facilitating over £48 million of transactions within the local economy each year. Tom also holds a degree from Durham University and a PhD from Newcastle University. His interdisciplinary experience has equipped him with a unique perspective on the intersection of digital transformation and strategic management in the transport sector. His insights into leveraging data for strategic advantage have positioned him as a leading voice in the industry regarding the application of data for innovation, contributing to sustainable regional connectivity and driving economic growth.
Richie Ramsden
Richie Ramsden is Technical Director here at the National Innovation Centre for Data and is hugely interested in innovation and leadership and, above all, how the two intersect. He loves nothing more than asking how? and why? in order to identify real business need.
Adnan Shroufi
Adnan Shroufi is a Senior Data Scientist working for the Data Science Team at the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). The mission of the Data Science Team is to deliver new insights from data through innovation, experimentation and collaboration. The key data assets of the NHSBSA—which include NHS prescriptions, dental and jobs data—provide great potential and scope to work toward this goal.
Craig Webb
Craig Webb is an accomplished leader in the field of data and analytics, bringing over a decade of experience in tech and data roles to his current position as Senior Director of Data and Analytics Transformation. Throughout his career, Craig has demonstrated a profound expertise in supporting enterprise teams with actionable analytics insights and the strategic implementation of AI technologies.
Craig's core competencies include Problem Solving, Business Insights, Data Analysis, and Data Strategies, which he skilfully combines to drive data-driven decision-making across organisations. His proficiency in Data Analytics, Performance Metrics, and Statistical Data Analysis allows him to identify trends, optimise processes, and enhance overall business performance.
Under Craig's leadership, teams benefit from his deep understanding of Performance Analysis and Analytics, empowering them to harness the power of data to achieve their strategic objectives. His ability to translate complex data sets into meaningful insights has made him a trusted advisor and a pivotal figure in transforming businesses through innovative data solutions.
Roland Jones
Roland Jones is a Solution Specialist at Altair, a global technology company specialising in simulation, artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), and data analytics solutions. He is a big believer in the power of data and AI in driving innovation and productivity enhancements across organisations, and has worked with some of the biggest engineering firms in the UK on pilot projects and rollouts of data science solutions. Roland has a background in mechanical engineering and machine learning, having completed a Masters in Aeronautical Engineering at Durham University with a project in the area of reinforcement learning. He is always eager to inspire the next generation of engineers and data scientists, having delivered numerous university lectures, regularly contributes to the RapidMiner community, and serves as a mentor at the Durham University Leadership Academy.
Dr Georgia Atkinson
Dr Georgia Atkinson started her PhD looking at the application of deep learning to dolphin images, however this progressed to dolphin acoustics. Ever since her undergraduate, she has been interested in applying mathematics to acoustic data and she has always been interested in nature and animals since she was young. Her PhD was a perfect time to explore both of these interests! It opened her eyes (and ears) to the world of bioacoustics and deep learning and also the larger field of how machine learning is applied within conservation.
Dr Jacek Cala
Jacek (yat-sek)'s background is in scalable computing, and he has broad knowledge of workflows, application deployment, recomputation, and programming. He combines his role as a Senior Data Scientist here at the National Innovation Centre for Data with academic research at Newcastle University.
Kira Clark
Kira Clark has worked as a Test Engineer at Scott Logic for 4 years. Born, raised and based in Edinburgh. she was part of the Spylogic project team. She now tinkers with trying to break AI in her spare time. Outside of work, she is a gym goer, book reader and knitter extraordinaire.
Doro Hinrichs
Doro Hinrichs is an Associate Developer at Scott Logic. Originally from Germany, she found a home in Glasgow while studying Psychology. She pursued a career in mental health before changing careers into software development where she enjoys bringing a people-focused approach to code.
Dr Antonia Kontaratou
Dr Fergus Mcclean
Dr Myles Mitchell
Dr Myles Mitchell holds a PhD in Astrophysics and works as a Data Scientist at Jumping Rivers. With over a decade of experience in Python programming, he likes to apply himself to projects ranging from predictive analytics in public health to software development. Keen to share his expertise, he enjoys teaching courses in beginner programming, database management, machine learning and more. When he's not thinking about code, you'll probably find him on a mountain in some far-flung place...
Dr Matt Edwards
