The National University of Singapore Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health – guest talks from Prof Ashley Akbari and Dr Pete Arnold, Population Data Science Research & Innovation Institute, Swansea University.
When: Wednesday 19th July 2023
Time: 11 am-12 pm [Singapore [GMT +8]
Talk: How can population data science be used by a multi-disciplinary team to improve services and people’s outcomes? By Prof Ashley Akbari
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.
Ashly’s 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 will be accessed securely and that their privacy is always protected.
BIOGRAPHY
Ashley is an Associate Professor in Population Data Science Research at Population Data Science Research & Innovation Institute, Swansea University. Based at Swansea University since 2008, Ashley has played 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 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.
Talk: Building linked-data research capacity with flexibly structured training. By Dr Pete Arnold
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 training (rather than academic courses) that are highly flexible and easily personalised by aligning components of varying levels, depths and complexity with a data science skills framework. Such a framework allows 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 flexibility to apply globally and in different cultures and data science capability maturities.
Pete’s 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 promoting the exciting research potential of these linked data resources to data analysts from other domains and researchers more familiar with small, ad-hoc datasets through events such as datathons.
BIOGRAPHY
Pete is the Senior Lecturer and Programme Director for the Taught Master’s programme in Health Data Science at the Population Data Science Research & Innovation Institute, Swansea University. Pete is the Co-Director and Academic Lead for 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, Analyst and Lead Software Engineer. Pete’s research interests include multi-scale, agent-based modelling, high-performance computing, and health data research.