A group of students set for careers in population data science have been commended at a showcase event.
Fourteen students at various stages of undergraduate and postgraduate education took part in the Population Data Science Summer Internship programme, based at the Data Science Building, Swansea University.
The twelve-week paid internship welcomed students from courses including BSc & MSc Computer Science, BSc & MSc Mathematics, BSc Software Engineering, BSc Applied Medical Science, BSc Biochemistry & Genetics, and MSc Finance & Big Data Analytics.
The internship programme has been running for four years and is open to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. The placement offered the opportunity for students to work on real-world requirements as part of a multidisciplinary field, with roles including research, technical and development, methodological and other areas, which aim to complement and build upon their skills and experience gained while studying. At the end of the internship, students are invited to showcase their work at our Summer Showcase event.
The showcase event, held on the 30th August, included presentations which demonstrated the wide reach and cross-disciplinary nature of the intern programme. The projects presented a snapshot of the wide array of activities and work carried out, with prizes for the presentations awarded.
Winning presentations
1st place. If you want to live longer in a care home – be female: an exploration into life expectancy in Welsh care homes – presented by Iestyn Lloyd.
2nd place. Trends and patterns of disease measures in the Welsh population: a descriptive assessment of EHR code usage across different frameworks – presented by Michael Parker.
3rd place. Developing and improving in house software and procedures to deliver high-quality research support and outcomes – presented by Matthew Basitman.
Providing enhanced opportunities for our students
Speaking at the Summer Internship Showcase event Professor Keith Lloyd Head of Swansea University Medical School said: “We are delighted to support offering students across multiple disciplines the opportunity to take part in the Population Data Science Summer Internship. The programme is a great example of how the University is working to provide enhanced opportunities for greater vocational experience for our students.
“The skills and experience that they have gained by working as part of this highly skilled multi-disciplinary team and with the latest in data technology – no doubt will assist them in their path to further employment.”
Interning over the summer has been an amazing opportunity
One of the students taking part in the 2019 internship was Michael Parker, who is studying Applied Medical Sciences and will be heading into his third year. Michael was awarded 2nd place at Showcase Event for work alongside Health Data Research UK (HDR UK).
Speaking of the opportunity that the Health Data Science Summer Internship offered, Michael said: “Interning over the summer has been an amazing opportunity – I have found the work really satisfying and I have particularly enjoyed the challenge of working with the data and problem-solving.
I would encourage students thinking of an internship to apply – I have learnt so much. Population Data Science needs people with a diverse range of skills – not just statistics and data analysis.
“The Intern Showcase event a great way to end to the whole internship experience, as it gave us all an opportunity to share our project work, while also giving us the chance to gain an in-depth understanding of what all the other interns had been working on.”
Internship programme goes from strength to strength
Ashley Akbari, Senior Research Manager & Data Scientist who led the organisation of the showcase event and internship programme said:
“Every year the internship programme goes from strength to strength and this year was no exception. From the number of applications received, through to the number and quality of the interns taken on, the work they completed and presentations delivered; the quality has been exceptional.
Another great success is the impact of the work which has been completed, with all the intern projects being adopted or embedded within future research and technical/methodological developments.
“We hope to continue to expand and develop the programme next year, and welcome applications from anyone wishing to develop their expertise and experiences working as part of a world-renowned research centre with an interest in Population Data Science.”
Annual Programme
The Population Data Science Summer Internship is an annual event, funded by: SAIL Databank, Health Data Research UK (HDR UK), Administrative Data Research (ADR) Wales, Dementias Platform UK (DPUK) and Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (NFJO) Data Partnership.
Applications are welcomed from students from all disciplines with an interest in Population Data Science, learning new skills and gaining real-world experience. Applications for the 2020 internship will be open in early 2020, further information will be made available in the New Year.
Visit our Population Data Science blog to read more from our Summer Interns