HDR UK Wales is thrilled to introduce you to the talented interns participating in this year’s HDR UK Black Internship Programme. This initiative aims to transform opportunities for young black professionals in the UK and help them thrive in health data science careers.
Through this blog, you will get to know the interns, hear about their experiences, and discover the exciting projects they are working on. Whether you are a student, a young professional, or just curious about the world of health data science, we hope their stories inspire you.
Joy Amobi
Project title: Exploring the pain associated with MS.
Supervisor: Elaine Craig, UK MS Register, Population Data Science at Swansea University.
Tell us about yourself and why you are interested in health data science.
I’ve always been fascinated by the intersection of science and numbers and how integrating these two can create useful discoveries. I’ve seen how data can provide health information and practical insights for improving lives, and I wanted to join a team that carried out this type of work.
What project are you working on, and how is it going?
Right now, I’m working on pain associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). I’m looking into the experiences of people living with MS and what they’re saying about different symptoms that could be analytically themed as pain. It’s been going really well as I’m learning to apply useful data science tools to create solutions.
What has been the highlight of your internship so far?
The people—the team—have all been welcoming and supportive. The support I receive on a daily basis has pushed me to learn faster and better. Another highlight for me is learning how to use some great tools to work on projects.
Have you faced any challenges? And how have you overcome them?
No big challenges so far. Although working with some of the tools can be challenging, there’s always someone to guide me along with doing some research and studies. Nonetheless, this is a useful challenge because it improves my analytical, problem-solving, and research skills.
How would you describe your team’s support and dynamics?
Amazing! Everyone on the team is always ready to help out and make you better. I also appreciate how you’re supported and, at the same time, allowed to explore your creativity. Everything has been put in place to assist your learning and growth.
What key insights have you gained about health data science during your internship?
I’ve gained a better knowledge of data and the many useful insights that can be derived from a dataset. I’ve also learned about the importance of data quality and how much effort is devoted to cleaning data to ensure accurate conclusions are drawn.
What are your career aspirations, and how has this internship influenced them?
The goal is to continually improve patient and business outcomes through data-driven insights. I aspire to pursue a career path that incorporates data and scientific research to provide useful and sustainable health and business information. This internship has solidified my passion and enhanced the necessary skills for this path.
Clement Appeadu
Project title: Patterns and trends of asthma inequalities in Wales.
Supervisor: Dr Mohammad Alsallakh and Prof Gwyneth Davies, Inflammation and Immunity Driver Programme HDR UK Wales, Population Data Science at Swansea University.
Tell us about yourself and why you are interested in health data science.
I am currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Data Science at the University of South Wales. The intersection of data analytics and health fascinates me, and I am drawn to providing insights and contributing to the advancement of medical research.
What project are you working on, and how is it going?
Asthma Inequalities in Wales. I have developed research questions about the patterns and trends of these inequalities. I will focus on exploring the clinical profiles of people with the asthma from different socioeconomic backgrounds. It has been a great learning experience so far, and there is still more to learn. I love it!
What has been the highlight of your internship so far?
I have been developing cluster analysis methods using synthetic clinical and socioeconomic data. I have generated these synthetic health records using data science tools guided by my line manager. This is the first time I have been able to generate synthetic data.
Have you faced any challenges? And how have you overcome them?
Coming from a banking and finance background, it was a bit difficult to get up to speed with asthma health terms. However, constant help from my line manager and personal research have aided me in overcoming most of these challenges.
How would you describe your team’s support and dynamics?
The team’s support has been superb. They constantly make sure you have what you need to excel. Absolutely fantastic.
What key insights have you gained about health data science during your internship?
I have gained good knowledge about the structure and record linkage of key demographic and health related datasets. Although my project is still ongoing, key insights I have learned from other projects include asthma patients in the most deprived areas in Wales having more emergency hospital admissions and a higher risk of death.
What are your career aspirations, and how has this internship influenced them?
The internship is a step in the right direction for me because my aspiration of being a data scientist in the health sector is shaping up very well, considering the type of analysis, techniques, and problem-solving skills I am currently exposed to.
Chiamaka Dibigbo
Project title: Helping to develop training courses aimed at researchers around the best use of routine healthcare data in clinical trials (TOP-CAT Project).
Supervisor: Robert Trubey, Centre for Trials Research, Cardiff University.
Tell us about yourself and why you are interested in health data science.
I’m passionate about leveraging data to improve healthcare outcomes. With a background in health data science and founding the organisation Communect, I focus on connecting underserved communities with researchers. My interest lies in using routine data to address health disparities and enhance equitable healthcare delivery.
What project are you working on, and how is it going?
During my internship working on TOPCAT, I gained valuable insights into using routine data and engaging hard-to-reach communities. This experience enriched my understanding of health data science. I’m now developing a resource to help researchers engage underserved communities using routine data for more inclusive and effective research.
What has been the highlight of your internship so far?
So far, this experience has been so great in aligning with my interests and the work I’m already doing ahead of my future career.
Have you faced any challenges? And how have you overcome them?
Not yet, but if I do, I will be in very good hands to overcome them.
How would you describe your team’s support and dynamics?
The team has been very helpful and accommodating. Everyone is always so happy to lend a helping hand and answer any questions about the research that goes on here and how I can best use my skills to aid the work.
What key insights have you gained about health data science during your internship?
I learned about the diversity of routine health data, from EHRs to surveys, and the importance of data quality and cleaning. I also gained insights into engaging hard-to-reach communities, identifying barriers, and addressing disparities in underserved populations to enable targeted interventions and more equitable research delivery.
What are your career aspirations, and how has this internship influenced them?
I founded Communect, a community engagement agency connecting underserved communities with researchers and health stakeholders. This internship aligns with my goals by offering networking opportunities with potential partners and insights into the barriers and facilitators they face, helping me streamline and enhance my approach for more effective community engagement.
Laura Khaukha
Project title: Exploring whether a patient’s dietary intake and dysbiosis has an impact on the disease progression and/or disease manifestation of MS.
Supervisor: Sarah Knowles, UK MS Register, Population Data Science at Swansea University.
Tell us about yourself and why you are interested in health data science.
I recently completed a BSc in Biochemistry at the University of Exeter and will shortly be undertaking an MSc in Health Data Science at UCL. Alpha Fold, a protein structure prediction instrument, initially sparked my interest in health data science by illuminating the impact of intersecting biochemistry and data science.
What project are you working on, and how is it going?
After reading articles on MS immunity, I decided to explore the impact of dietary intake on microbiome diversity and disease progression. I am still in the early stages of executing this project; however, the data availability seems promising.
What has been the highlight of your internship so far?
During this internship, one of my highlights has been getting to know and learning from perceptive colleagues from diverse academic backgrounds. Another highlight was investigating the impact of MS, either through exploring literature reviews or by analysing the data available at the UK MS Register.
Have you faced any challenges? And how have you overcome them?
Thus far, challenges I have faced during this internship have mainly surrounded recognising the root cause of Syntax errors when coding in R. To mitigate this, I leveraged the large-scale, online coding community and used available resources to solve and pinpoint errors in coding.
How would you describe your team’s support and dynamics?
The teams’ support is very prompt, organised, and diligent. Participating in the regular meetings showed me that the teams’ dynamic generally seems friendly and respectful yet goal-oriented.
What key insights have you gained about health data science during your internship?
Key insights I have gained during this internship include the coding resources provided to me, which are handy for my future career in health data science. I have also learnt some intricacies surrounding MS’s pathogenesis.
What are your career aspirations, and how has this internship influenced them?
In the future, I hope to work in health data science within a pharmaceutical company. This internship, in combination with my upcoming MSc in Health Data Science at UCL, will strengthen my coding and analytical skills and equally prepare me for my future endeavours.
If you are interested in applying for the 2025 cohort or finding out more about the programme, visit the HDR UK Health Data Science Black Internship Programme page. HDR UK Health Data Science Black Internship Programme page.