HDR UK Wales News. Published 13/11/2025
Vincent Opatola completed his HDR UK Black Internship in 2024, gaining hands-on experience in health data research. Since then, he has worked as a research assistant and recently started his PhD.
We caught up with him to hear about his journey, current research, and advice for students interested in health data science.
- What was your HDR UK internship about, and when did you complete it?
The aim of my HDR UK internship was to strengthen my data science skills and gain experience working with real-world data. I had the opportunity to work with the Centre for Population Health (CPH) where I met with professionals who provided a nurturing environment for growth.
My project focused on assessing the association between child weight and adverse outcomes following oral antibiotic prescriptions from GP practices in Wales. This involved extracting, cleaning, and linking health and administrative data from the SAIL Databank, followed by conducting regression analyses to explore potential associations. The analytical phase of the project was completed in December 2023, with subsequent writing, revisions, and dissemination continuing until November 2024.
- What did you work on after the internship?
After my internship, I continued working with CPH as a Research Assistant. In this role, I contributed to several multinational projects, including MuM-PreDiCT (Work Packages 3 and 4), where I examined the association between multimorbidity and pregnancy outcomes and investigated medication use among pregnant women. Additionally, I worked on the external validation of the Kidney Failure Risk Equation (KFRE) and the Rheumatoid Arthritis PredIction and Development (RAPID) models, using large-scale administrative data from the SAIL Databank.
- Why did you decide to pursue a PhD?
I’m passionate about research that drives policy and improves health outcomes. Pursuing a PhD allows me to develop the skills and independence needed to lead such impactful research and contribute more meaningfully to evidence-based policy.
- What is your current research focus, and what do you find most interesting about it?
Right now, my research looks at the risk factors linked to domestic violence perpetration using data from SAIL and the MOJ Data First project. I’m really interested in this area because it combines public health and justice data to help us understand the problem from different angles. My work involves describing the families of victims, identifying early predictors of violent behaviourin school-age children, and using the Data First linkageto trace how perpetrators move through the criminal justice system. I find it exciting because of the potential of the project to evidence that informs policy in prevention of Intimate Partner Violence from very early.
- What advice would you give students considering an internship or a career in health data science?
I still see myself as being at the early stages of my career, but one thing I’ve learned is that health data science offers endless opportunities — whether in academia, public health, or policy. I was lucky to find my passion for health research quite early, thanks to the HDRUK Black Internship Programme, which really shaped my path. My advice would be to stay open-minded.
Vincent’s journey shows how an HDR UK internship can be a stepping stone to exciting opportunities in health data research. For more information on the HDR UK Black Internship Programme, visit here.