Staff Research Rounds - Prof Ashley Akbari & Dr Pete Arnold

Date:

Wed, 19 July 2023

Time:

11am-12pm [Singapore [GMT +8]

Location:

Seminar Room 2, Level 8
Tahir Foundation Building (MD1)
National University of Singapore
12 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117549

Details:

You are cordially invited to the ON-SITE SSHSPH Staff Research Round. We look forward to your attendance and we hope for an interesting discussion.

Refreshments will be provided at 10.30am, do drop by to hang out for a bit before the session starts.

We will also be having a Lucky Draw at the end of the session, register yourself and stand a chance to win a special prize!

*Only Attendees will be included in the Lucky draw*

Abstract:

Following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, a multi-disciplinary team utilising population-scale data in Wales, UK, using the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank (SAIL Databank) – a Trusted Research Environment (TRE)*, responded to emerging priorities and challenges facing the public and services as part of a national response to the COVID-19 pandemic, forming the One Wales collaboration.

This talk will share some of the experiences from the ‘One Wales’ collaboration, the changes that were implemented as a result of responding to the requirements, and some of the research delivered from the collaboration.

*TRE provide approved researchers with a single location to access valuable datasets with the data and analytical tools all in one place that helps make research efficient, collaborative and cost effective, providing rich data that enables deep insights which will go on to improve healthcare and save lives. Making data available through a TRE means that people can be confident that their personal health data is or will be accessed securely and their privacy is always protected.

Speakers:

Prof Ashley Akbari
Associate Professor, Population Data Science Research & Innovation Institute (PDSRI), Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science, Swansea University

Ashley is Associate Professor of Population Data Science Research at Population Data Science Research & Innovation Institute, Swansea University. Based at Swansea University since 2008, Ashley plays a substantive role in major research programmes & projects utilising population-scale data, predominantly using the SAIL Databank. Championing Team Science, Ashley leads and collaborates with multi-disciplinary, multi-organisational groups developing and delivering research promoting the translation of research outcomes into policy across academia, and government, in order to improve services and people’s lives. Ashley is particularly interested in promoting Team Science and the development of the next generation of data scientists

Abstract:

Building on the proven track record of SAIL Databank and the Swansea University MSc in Health Data Science, and leveraging the latest remote and blended learning opportunities, the Administrative Data Research UK (ADR UK) Training and Capacity Building programme, funded by the UK Research and Innovation (UKR&I) Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), aims to facilitate the expansion of high-quality research being undertaken on large, linked administrative datasets in the social sciences.

The aim is to provide bitesize trainings (rather than academic courses) that are highly flexible and easily personalised by aligning components of varying level, depth and complexity with a data science skills framework. Such a framework allows both social scientists and data analysts from other domains to acquire missing skills to undertake novel and innovative social science research. The work will initially focus on the UK but with a clear eye to building in flexibility so that it will be applicable globally and in different cultures and data science capability maturities.

This talk will discuss the importance not only of providing training for research professionals to enable them to make use of the enormous linked data resources that are becoming available but also the structured professional development that follows from the availability of an accredited skills framework which supports staff recruitment, development and retention.

The third important aspect of the work is the promotion of the exciting research potential of these linked data resources to both data analysts from other domains and researchers more familiar with small, ad-hoc datasets, through events such as datathons.

Speakers:

Dr Pete Arnold
Senior Lecturer & Programme Director, Health Data Science, Population Data Science Research & Innovation Institute (PDSRI), Swansea University

Pete is the Senior Lecturer and Programme Director for the Taught Master’s programme in Health Data Science at Population Data Science Research & Innovation Institute, Swansea University. Pete is also the Co-Director and Academic Lead for of the Training and Capacity Building programme responsible for his academic team’s successful delivery of full-spectrum training courses for data-intensive scientists. Pete is also a SAIL Databank Senior Data Scientist and Analyst and Lead Software Engineer. Pete’s research interests include multi-scale, agent-based modelling, high-performance computing, and health data research.