The University of Bristol's central hub for data science and data-intensive research, connecting a multidisciplinary community of experts across the University and beyond.
Interact with exciting exhibitions from virtual reality to robotics and discover how communities use data to tackle key issues. Data is all around us, from our smartphones to our supermarkets, but how can we use data for good? How can data from the past shape our future and create a fairer society? Explore these questions and more at the JGI Bristol Data & AI Showcase 2022
Hear from Kate Robson Brown, Director of the Jean Golding Institute, in a short video about the event.
Kate notes that the aim of the Showcase is “to start a dialogue around data science and AI, within which we can move together for a better future”. She notes that during the event, we will be “showcasing application areas that are close to people’s hearts” in which we aim to showcase the very best in “data science communication”.
There will be many opportunities to network, socialise and interact with the Jean Golding Institute and our community and as Kate notes, it will be a “whole day of activities, based at the M Shed, in the Harbourside, in Bristol” and we hope to “welcome as many people as we can, of all ages”. The Showcase is open to the public, so come and explore the positive impacts of working together to do good with data!
Ever wondered whether machines understand emotion? Join us at the Bristol Data & AI Showcase on Tuesday 7 June 2022, to play the emotion machine game. Match human faces to emotions and watch the machine learn.
Hear from the creators, Dr Oliver Davis, Reader in Statistical Genetics, Bristol Medical School and Dr Valerio Maggio, Senior Research Associate, Bristol Medical School, in a short video about the project.
Oliver notes that the hope is to “get people working together with machines”, in order to “understand how they work”, “to trust them more”, and to avoid “biases”.
Valerio notes that the aim of the project is “to understand” what it means “for a face to express a specific emotion”.
Data can do so much good, but it can also reinforce existing bias if it’s not used properly. Join us at the Bristol Data & AI Showcase on Tuesday 7 June 2022, for a free Data Hazards workshop at our to explore the ethical issues of #data and #AI.
Hear from the creators, Natalie Zelenka, Data Science Specialist, Jean Golding Institute, and Nina Di Cara, PhD student, Population Health Sciences, in a short video about the project.
Nina notes that “Data science is something that affects all of our lives in ways that we might not even realise”
Natalie notes that “one of the hazards that can happen in data science is reinforcing existing bias”. She goes on to mention that an example of this reinforced bias is when “soap dispensers don’t work if you have dark skin”. Natalie hopes that the Data Hazards workshop taking place during the Showcase will help to “change the culture of data science so that thinking about ethics is a core part of being a data scientist”.
“I am very excited to be taking over the reigns from Patty Holley as the Institute Manager over the next two years while she is seconded to The Alan Turing Institute. I have inherited a very dedicated team who have built a great foundation for me to build upon.
“I am hoping to reengage everyone working and associated with the JGI after the last two years of lockdowns building a sense of community with the JGI Team, the Turing Enrichment students, and the Turing Fellows, which will hopefully foster more cross collaboration.
“Growing up in a deprived area, I am also very keen on increasing our Widening Participation provision, working with local schools, communities, charities and small businesses, as well as focusing on projects for societal and environmental good.”
John has previously worked as a Project Development Officer at the Sunderland New Deal for Communities (NDC). This was a £2 billion government project to improve the social and physical regeneration of deprived areas within the UK. The NDC was an area-based initiative focusing on the Hendon and East End areas of Sunderland, which is where John grew up, and still resided at the time, along with many generations of his family. John found it very fulfilling to give something back to the community he grew up in.
Before the JGI, John joined the University of Bristol in 2011, after moving from the University of Sunderland, where he worked as a Research Associate, (ironically) focusing on the ‘Demographic Change on the North East of England’, which found that students would leave the region upon graduation due to lack of job opportunities. This was a cross-collaboration project, working with other North East universities, local authorities, North East Polish Community Organisation, and Age UK. Whilst working as a Research Associate at the University of Sunderland, John was also studying a PhD focusing on the ‘Socioeconomic effects of the London 2012 Olympics on the North East of England’ as well as lecturing on the newly created Sports Tourism module.
John’s education includes a BSc Computing for Business, an MSc in Urban Policy and Regeneration, a PRINCE2 Project Management (Foundation), and a PRINCE2 Project Management (Practitioner). Unfortunately John did not complete his PhD due to moving to Bristol after his Research Associate role ending at the University of Sunderland, and with it his PhD funding ending also. John would still like to complete a PhD at some point in his career.
During lockdown, John jumped on the lockdown puppy bandwagon and got Holly, a Red Fox Labrador. A friend of John’s has Holly’s sister Poppy, and they get to see each other every week. Holly is a lucky dog, being born on St. Patrick’s Day. She is keen to gate crash meetings (which everyone enjoys!)
Left to right: Christmas 2021; Holly at 6 months old; Holly and Poppy on their 1st birthday; Holly and John at Llanberis Lake Railway, National Slate Museum
In his spare time, John loves to travel and experience local culture and food, (mostly food!), and cannot wait until he can travel again properly.
Left to right: Valencia, Spain; Franz Kafka Museum, Prague, Czech Republic; Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany
John is an avid Sunderland football supporter. However, (as John says) they are rubbish now, so his love for them is waning a little. John suggests watching the Netflix documentary, Sunderland ‘Til I Die, for the reasons why.
Left to right: At Wembley Stadium (Sunderland v Portsmouth in the Checkatrade Trophy final; 1-1 full time, 2-2 extra time, Portsmouth won 5-4 on penalties ☹); At Cardiff Millennium Stadium for the London 2012 Olympic Games, Great Britain v South Korea; 1-1 full time, 1-1 extra time, South Korea won 5-4 on penalties ☹); In Cardiff, with a giant Champions League trophy
John is a keen photographer and has shared some of his photos (below). John also organises the University of Bristol Photomarathon’s (a photography competition with a challenge! Taking photos on several themes, in the correct order and over a dedicated time period), as well as organising lots of clubs and events over the years, such as the Investment club, Film club, and the Christmas craft fairs. Look out for the return of the Photomarathon in July 2022 and the Christmas craft fair in November and/or December 2022.
Left to right: Page of a book (photomarathon entry for entry number theme: 170); Name tags (photomarathon entry for messages theme); Castle Combe, England; Souter Lighthouse, South Shields, England (John’s Grandmother (Nanna) used to tell him it was his lighthouse when he was a child. It was only when he was about 14 years old and she said the same to his 2 younger brothers, he realised it was all a lie!); Red Arrows, over Bristol, August 2013
John is hoping the skills and experience he has gained at the University of Bristol over the last ten years, coupled with a great team will help build on the great work the JGI has already achieved over the years taking them to new levels of success.
Strathmore Data Week is a grassroots training initative that provides an avenue for Data Science training, exposure, and mentorship to Data Science students, professionals, and researchers. This year’s Data Week theme was on cultivating Data Science research in Africa. The event provided a platform for PhD students and early career researchers in Data Science to interact and exchange ideas. The week also provided a spotlight for women academics, experts, researchers, and leaders in Data Science to present their research, share ideas and map a way forward for building Data Science research in Africa.
The Data Week provided the participants access to accessible training on advancements in data analytics through the research showcase, research, and grant writing sessions. The participants also benefited from networking opportunities with guests working in Data Science and potentially establishing future collaborations more specifically with organisations such as One Acre Fund, Microsoft Africa Research Institute, Development Initiatives, and the ONS Data Science Campus. The project PI who was in charge of the planning and organisation of the Data Week directly benefited from the award through gaining leadership and management skills, planning and preparing training workshops, and mentoring interns and junior members of the Data Science team.
Key outcomes from the funding include:
Women in Data Science
Almost half (40%) of the participants were women, showing uptake of Data Science interest among women researchers. The week provided a spotlight for women researchers to showcase their work and was one of our more successful events of the week. Hence, provides more evidence for the need for more women data science forums, which will bring together the participants and their networks to build on the discussion from the panel event and provide more opportunities to further skills and research in data science.
Data Science Content
Data Week generated needed Data Science content, stemming from the recorded panels, workshops, and data science research showcase sessions. This content will augment the existing @iLabAfrica Data Science online training and promote participation in future training events. We also developed an Ask for Analytics, a free service to support Strathmore University post-doctorates, researchers and staff with their analytics questions and training needs.
Data Science Collaborations
Various organisations come together to make the week successful. This opportunity further developed more collaboration opportunities between the organisations and @iLabAfrica. More specifically, Development Initiatives is seeking to engage us in more capacity building around Data Science skills and democratising data for evidence-based decision making, One Acre fund is hoping to partner to look at how data analytics can track farm inputs to every individual small-scale farmer, ONS Data Science Campus is hoping to have more collaboration around capacity building at the university level through organising datathon competitions for social good. The week also strengthened the collaborative ties between Strathmore and the University of Bristol’s Jean Golding Institute through the planning of the JGI International Women’s Day event, that took place during the week. Through these partnerships, we hope to apply for funding to work on various partner-led projects and hence create a hub where a number of postdocs will work on the projects and have the JGI team visit and support face-to-face programs.
The JGI and Strathmore University will continue to work on developing ideas for project funding, we are especially interested in applying for funding to support our work on developing digital technologies to support small farm practices. We have jointly applied for the AEDIB|NET Project for African Digital Innovation Hubs where we propose the development of responsible artificial intelligence in agriculture and food systems in Africa. We also aim to explore potential avenues to progress impact projects arising from this collaboration such as the Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Agriculture and Food Systems (AFS) Innovation Research Network in Africa project.
The One Acre Fund representative who showcased their work on using data analytics to support small holder farmers were happy to take part and meet researchers who are using data science to provide innovations around climate smart agriculture.
“I am very excited to be taking over the reigns from Patty Holley as the Institute Manager over the next two years while she is seconded to The Alan Turing Institute. I have inherited a very dedicated team who have built a great foundation for me to build upon.
