ASK-JGI – Jean Golding Institute News

Meet the Ask-JGI team – Adrianna, Fahd, Yujie & Huw

Posted on 17 February 202517 February 2025 by kerry.turcsi

The new Ask-JGI helpdesk cohort started in September 2024 and have been busy answering queries from researchers across the university! We introduced half of the team in our January blog. Meet the other half of the team below:

Adrianna Jezierska (she/her) – Ask-JGI PhD Student

Adrianna Jezierska, PhD candidate in in the School of Business

I’m a PhD student at the University of Bristol Business School. My project focuses on social media influencers and their vegan content on YouTube. Using language derived from video transcripts, I analyse to what extent they legitimise veganism so that it becomes popular and desirable in society. Whilst most organisation and management scholars have developed theories based on qualitative data, resulting in small datasets and case study approaches, in my work, I highlight the role of computational social sciences and big data in helping social scientists answer their research questions.

Coming from a social science background, I was initially hesitant about joining the Ask-JGI team. However, this decision has turned out to be the most rewarding and challenging experience. Being part of the team is a continuous learning journey. The questions we receive span various disciplines, often pushing us out of our comfort zones. The most exciting part of the job is the opportunity to communicate with other researchers and receive their positive feedback. On the other hand, we constantly collaborate with other team members and learn from each other, which makes it a very supportive environment. I’m pleased to see more queries from social scientists and humanities researchers. The growing popularity of computational approaches and the shift towards interdisciplinary research is a trend that I find inspiring and exciting

Fahd Abdelazim (he/him) – Ask-JGI PhD Student

Fahd Abdelazim, PhD student on the Interactive AI CDT in the School of Computer Science

I am a PhD student in the Interactive Artificial Intelligence CDT, specializing in model understanding for Vision-Language models. My research focuses on introducing improvements to Vision-Language models that allow for better linking of specific ideas or attributes to physical items, in order to help models recognize and understand the properties of objects in images.

I first heard of the Ask-JGI team through fellow PhD students, and it was recommended to me as a way to apply data science skills to real-world applications. Joining the Ask-JGI helpdesk has been a unique experience where I’ve been able to delve into various domains and learn about topics that I would otherwise not have had the chance to learn about. The team truly values cross-functional collaboration and encourages tackling new challenges and learning on the job.

Working at Ask JGI is incredibly rewarding. I enjoy the diversity of challenges presented by each query which gives me the chance to improve as a data scientist and gain a better understanding of how data science can help improve academic research. I really enjoy the collaborative spirit within the team. The Ask-JGI team are from many different disciplines and interacting with them allows for interesting exchanges of ideas and problem-solving approaches. This allows me to grow not just as a data scientist but as a researcher as well.

Yujie Dai (she/her) – Ask-JGI PhD Student

Yujie Dai, PhD student in the Digital Health and Care CDT

I am a PhD student in the Digital Health and Care CDT, specializing in population health data science. My research focuses on leveraging large-scale real-world health data to address critical challenges in infectious diseases. Specifically, I utilize explainable AI (XAI) techniques to characterize and diagnose diseases, aiming to bridge the gap between data science and public health.

My journey with Ask-JGI began with a recommendation from a friend who was previously part of the team. They spoke highly of the collaborative and dynamic environment, and I was intrigued by the opportunity to apply my skills in real-world research settings. Joining Ask-JGI is an extension of my academic and research pursuits. I was drawn to the idea of supporting researchers across diverse disciplines, helping them navigate technical challenges in their projects, and learning from their different perspectives. The chance to engage with cutting-edge problems and contribute to solutions beyond the scope of my own research was exciting.

There’s so much to love about being part of Ask JGI. I love the variety of work. Each question I encounter presents a new challenge, whether it’s developing a data analysis pipeline, troubleshooting code, or brainstorming creative solutions for a computational problem. The variety keeps me constantly learning and growing as a data scientist. I also love the collaborative atmosphere. Working closely with researchers from different fields gives me diverse ways of thinking and problem-solving. It’s an opportunity to not only apply my skills but also to know more about the scientific community.

Huw Day (he/him) – Ask-JGI Lead

Huw Day, JGI Data Scientist

I am a JGI Data Scientist with a background in mathematics, working on a variety of data science projects with researchers across the university using a variety of data science methodologies and techniques. I also help run the Data Ethics Club.

As Ask-JGI Lead, I am responsible for recruiting, training and the general managing of the Ask-JGI team. They’re a fantastic group and I consider myself really lucky to be able to work with them. I support some of the general queries and I’m also responsible for talking with researchers interested in costing out data science support in grant applications.

To me, the Ask-JGI helpdesk is based on the idea that any researcher who wants to do data science should be empowered to do so. Whilst we often do the data science for people, I think the most rewarding outputs from our helpdesk is when we empower researchers to do data science themselves, guiding and validating their work. It’s also a wonderful opportunity for myself and the rest of the helpdesk to learn about research across the university.

All University of Bristol researchers (including PhDs) are entitled to a day of free data science support from the Ask-JGI helpdesk. Just email ask-jgi@bristol.ac.uk with your query and one of our team will get back to you to see how we can support you.

If you’re a PhD student interested in joining the Ask-JGI team, we will do recruiting for the next academic year in summer of 2025 so keep an eye on the JGI mailing list for when we have our recruiting call. We recruit a new cohort every year but do not accept speculative applications outside of the recruiting call.

Ask JGI Student Experience Profiles: Rachael Laidlaw

Posted on 14 August 202414 August 2024 by kerry.turcsi

Rachael Laidlaw (Ask-JGI Data Science Support 2023-24)

I first came into contact with the Jean Golding Institute last year at The Alan Turing Institute’s annual AI UK conference in London, and then again in the early stages of the DataFace project in collaboration with Cheltenham Science Festival. This meant that before I officially joined the team back in October, I already knew what a lovely group of people I’d be getting involved with! Having nice colleagues, however, was not my only motivation for applying to be an Ask-JGI student. On top of that, I’d decided that whilst starting out in my ecological computer-vision PhD niche, I didn’t want to forget all of the statistical skills that I’d developed back in my MSc degree. Plus, it sounded really fun to keep myself on my toes by exercising my mind tackling a variety of data-oriented requests from across the university’s many departments.

Rachael Laidlaw in centre with two JGI staff members to the left and one JGI staff member to the right pointing towards a Data pin board at the JGI stall — *Rachael Laidlaw (centre)*, second-year PhD student in Interactive Artificial Intelligence, and other JGI staff members at the JGI stall

During the course of my academic life, I’ve taken the plunge of changing disciplines twice, moving from pure mathematics to applied statistics and then again to computer science, and I liked the idea of supporting others to potentially do the same thing as they looked to enhance their work by delving into data. Through Ask-JGI, I kept my weeks interesting by having something other than my own research to sometimes switch my focus to, and it felt very fulfilling to be able to offer useful technical advice to those who were in the same position that I myself had been in not so long ago too! I therefore got stuck in with anything and everything, from training CNNs for rainfall forecasting or performing statistical tests to compare the antibiotic resistance of different bacteria, to modelling the outcomes of university spinouts or advising on the ethical considerations and potential bias present when designing and deploying a questionnaire-based study. And, of course, by exposing myself to these problems (alongside additional outreach initiatives and showcase events), I also learned a lot along the way, both from my own exploration and from the rest of the team’s insights.

One especially exciting query revolved around automating the process of identifying from images which particular underground printing presses had been used to produce various historical political pamphlets, based on imperfections in the script. This piqued my interest immediately as it drew parallels with my PhD project, highlighting the copious amount of uses of computer vision and how it can save us time by speeding up traditionally manual processes: from the monitoring of animal biodiversity to carrying out detective work on old written records.

All in all, this year has broadened my horizons by giving me great consultancy-style work experience through the opportunity to share my expertise and help a wide range of researchers. I would absolutely encourage other curious PhD students to apply and see what they can both give to and gain from the role!

Ask JGI Student Experience Profiles: Mike Nsubuga

Posted on 5 August 20247 August 2024 by kerry.turcsi

Mike Nsubuga (Ask-JGI Data Science Support 2023-24)

Embarking on a New Path

In the early days at Bristol, even before I began my PhD, I stumbled upon something extraordinary. AskJGI, a university initiative that provides data science support to researchers from all disciplines, caught my attention through a recruitment advert circulated by my PhD supervisor for support data scientists.

My journey started with hesitation. As a brand-new PhD student, who had just relocated to the UK, I questioned whether I was ready or suitable for such a role. Despite my reservations, my supervisor saw potential in me and encouraged me to seize this opportunity. Yielding to their encouragement, I applied, not fully realizing then how this decision would profoundly shape both my academic and professional paths.

A World of Opportunities

Joining AskJGI opened a door to a dynamic world brimming with ideas and innovations. My background in bioinformatics and computational biology meant that working on biomedical queries was particularly rewarding. These projects varied from analyzing protein expression data to studying infectious diseases, allowing me to use data science in meaningful ways.

Among the initiatives I was involved in was developing models to predict protein production efficiency in cells from their genetic sequences. Our goal was clear yet impactful: to identify patterns in genetic sequences that indicate protein production efficiency. We employed advanced data analysis and machine learning techniques to achieve effective predictions.

Additionally, I contributed to a project analyzing the severity of dengue infections by using statistical models to identify key biological markers. We pinpointed certain markers as critical for distinguishing between mild and severe cases of the infection.

These projects showcased the transformative power of data science in understanding and potentially managing diseases, directly impacting public health strategies.

Making Science Accessible: Community Engagement at City Hall

A highlight of my tenure with AskJGI was participating in Data Science Week at bustling Bristol City Hall. The event was not merely a showcase of data science but an opportunity to demystify complex concepts for the public. Engaging in lively discussions and simplifying intricate algorithms for curious visitors was incredibly fulfilling, especially seeing their excitement as they understood the concepts that are often discussed in our professional circles.

Audience sitting in City Hall. Some audience members are raising there hand. There is a projector and a speaker at the front of the hall — AI and the Future of Society event as part of Bristol Data Week 2024

Fostering Connections and Gaining Insights

AskJGI enhanced my technical skills and broadened my understanding of the academic landscape at the University of Bristol. The connections I forged were invaluable, sparking collaborations that would have been unthinkable in the more isolated environment of my earlier academic career. Reflecting on my transformative journey with AskJGI, I am convinced more than ever of the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and the critical role of data science in tackling complex challenges. I encourage any researcher at the University of Bristol who is uncertain about their next step to explore what AskJGI has to offer. For PhD students looking to get involved, it represents not just a learning opportunity but a chance to make a significant societal impact.

24/25 Ask-JGI Application

Ask JGI Student Experience Profiles: Emma Hazelwood

Posted on 29 July 202429 July 2024 by kerry.turcsi

Emma Hazelwood (Ask-JGI Data Science Support 2023-24)

I am a final year PhD student in Population Health Sciences. I found out about the opportunity to support the JGI’s data science helpdesk through a friend who had done this job previously. I thought it sounded like a great way to do something a bit different, especially on those days when you need a bit of a break from your PhD topic.

I’ve learnt so many new skills from working within the JGI. The team are very friendly, and everyone is learning from each other. It’s also been very beneficial for me to learn some new skills, for instance Python, when considering what I want to do after my PhD. I’ve been able to see how the statistical methods that I know from my biomedical background be used in completely different contexts, which has really changed the way I think about data.

I’ve worked on a range of topics through JGI, which have all been as interesting as they have been different. I’ve helped people with coding issues, thought about new ways to visualise data, and discussed what statistical methods would be most suitable for answering research questions. In particular, I’ve loved getting involved with a project in the Latin American studies department, where I’ve been mapping key locations from conferences throughout the early 20^th century onto satellite images, bringing to life the routes that the conference attendees would have taken.

This has been a great opportunity working with a very welcoming team, and one I’d recommend to anyone considering it!

Ask JGI Student Experience Profiles: Emilio Romero

Posted on 22 July 2024 by kerry.turcsi

Emilio Romero (Ask-JGI Data Science Support 2023-24)

Over the past year, my experience helping with the Ask-JGI service has been really rewarding. I was keen to apply as I wanted to get more exposure to the research world in Bristol, meet different researchers and explore with them different ways of working and approaching data.

From a technical perspective, I had the opportunity to work on projects related to psychometric data, biological matrices, proteins, chemometrics and mapping. I also worked mainly with R and in some cases SPSS, which offered different alternatives for data analysis and presentation.

One of the most challenging projects was working with chemometric concentrations of different residues of chemical compounds extracted from vessels used in human settlements in the past. This challenge allowed me to talk to specialists in the field and to work in a multidisciplinary way in developing data matrices, extracting coordinates and creating maps in R. The most rewarding part was being able to use a colour scale to represent the variation in concentration of specific compounds across settlements. This was undoubtedly a great experience and a technique that I had never had the opportunity to practice.

ASK-JGI also promoted many events, especially Bristol Data Week, which allowed many interested people to attend courses at different levels specialising in the use of data analysis software such as Python and R.

The Ask-JGI team have made this year an enjoyable experience. As a cohort, we have come together to provide interdisciplinary advice to support various projects. I would highly recommend anyone with an interest in data science and statistics to apply. It is an incredible opportunity for development and networking and allows you to immerse yourself in the wider Bristol community, as well as learning new techniques that you can use during your time at the University of Bristol.