Speakers

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 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.

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 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 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 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 is a Principal Architect at Scott Logic, a growing UK software consultancy that serves financial services and public sector clients. Prior to Scott Logic, he was founder and CTO of a machine learning start-up providing behaviour analysis solutions to the pharmaceutical industry for pre-clinical drug discovery. He is interested in helping organisations of all sizes leverage AI to drive real value in their business.

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.

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. 

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.

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 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.

Louise Braithewaite's technical background is in exploratory data analysis and data visualisation, and she is likewise looked to as something of a data visualisation expert within the team. She has also led on conceptualising explainer animations for various parts of the National Innovation Centre for Data’s offer.

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 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. 

Matt Edwards is a Senior Data Scientist at the National Innovation Centre for Data, specialising in the development of statistical and machine learning models. He has a particular interest in understanding what it means for these models to be trustworthy and how that can be achieved. Matt’s broad expertise means he can support organisations of all kinds and all sizes with various data problems.

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.

Antonia Kontaratou’s technical background combines computer science and statistics, and in her role here at the National Innovation Centre for Data she leverages her experience in these areas to support a wide variety of organisations from small start-ups to large public sector bodies.

Fergus McClean studied at Newcastle University’s School of Engineering and has a background in environmental modelling. Here at the National Innovation Centre for Data, he has helped scores of organisations to improve their efficiency around data through automating reports, building dashboards, and streamlining processes.

Peter Michalák is our Edge Solution Specialist here at the National Innovation Centre for Data, and he possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience in edge computing and IoT. His specific expertise has been instrumental in being able to support everything from charities to university spinouts with cutting-edge tools and techniques.

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...