Intro
I have over 25 years of experience (since June, 1999) in developing scientific software and engineered systems on mathematical modeling and multivariate statistical analysis of “big” datasets, last 13 years of which were spent in utilising Numerical Ecology and Machine Learning principles in the field of OMICS technologies focusing on developing quantitative methods for genomics data.In 2012, I joined University of Glasgow as a Research Fellow (Infrastructure and Environment; 2012-2014) funded by an Innovate UK project (Project No. 100969 "Development of instrumental and bioinformatic pipelines to accelerate commercial applications of metagenomics approaches", £2.3M) with Unilever, and later by a CICRA charity "Characterisation of Gut Microbial Taxonomy and Functionality using Next Generation Sequencing in Children with Crohn's Disease during Exclusive Enteral Nutrition". Soon after, I held a NERC Independent Research Fellowship (NERC NE/L011956/1 "Understanding microbial communities through in situ environmental 'omic data synthesis"; 2014-2019; published >130 papers), a Lord Kelvin Adam Smith Leadership Fellowship (2014-2019). In 2017, I was promoted to Lecturer in Information Engineering, and upon the conclusion of my fellowships, I have been working as a Reader in Information Engineering (2019-) in the James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow. I am currently: a Fellow of Royal Society for Public Health; a Fellow of Royal Statistical Society; a Fellow of British Computing Society; a Fellow of Royal Society for Arts, Manufacture and Commerce; an Honorary Visiting Professor (Research Track) (Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool); and a Visiting Lecturer (College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Ireland). I am also member of several International Advisory Committees for higher education institutes in Pakistan: Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University, Islamabad; KAM-School of Life Sciences, Forman Christian College (A Chartered University), Lahore; and Poultry Diagnostic and Population Dynamics Advisory Committee, Poultry Research Institute, Government of Pakistan.
I am involved in ~£22M funding as a PI/Co-I/International Participant, with over 240+ publications in my portfolio (80 publications in a leading role as first/corresponding author(s) [highlighted with asterisk * below]). These have received >11K citations (h-index 48) as per my Google Scholar record (ranked 3rd in the world in Information Engineering; and 5th in the world in Numerical Ecology). My long-term vision is to enable a transformative programme in microbial ecology by focusing on how microorganisms and their communities interact with the environment (host-specific environments as well as general environments), but also to address informatics challenges unprecedented in environmental and medical microbiology. All of these rely on high throughput DNA sequencing which is now fundamental to the microbiology of everything from environmental engineering through medicine to agriculture. With technical advances in instrumentation and OMICS technologies, and with the sheer volume of data generated by multiple OMICS modalities (whether metagenome, transcriptome, metabolome, etc.), there is a need to address challenges for data storage, data analysis, and indeed optimization of data analytics. At the same time, important new opportunities for innovation in addressing critical problems (where microbiome is implicated) in translational (experimental medicine), clinical, environmental, and applied health research can arise from the effective advancement of bioinformatics and statistical tools (particularly, in data integration). To facilitate delivery on this vision, I have focused on four aspects:
- Establishing the right technology/protocols: Prior to my research comparing different sequencing technologies, starting in 2012, no one knew which technology was the most accurate or what were the optimal strategies for sample processing, bioinformatics, and statistical analyses. In a series of, now highly cited papers (e.g., DOI: 10.1093/nar/gku1341 and DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-2194-9*) I helped to establish the Illumina platforms as the leaders in the field. My recommendations on next generation sequencing technology and protocols for microbial community profiling were adopted by many sequencing centres including Centre for Genome Research, Liverpool.
- Development of a software infrastructure facilitating microbial community surveys: I have focused on the development of bioinformatics and statistical tools that can be applied in a wide range of microbial ecology applications. Thus, for example, with EU Cost 1103 funding, I contributed to the development of the CONCOCT software, which was one of first international efforts to recover microbial genomes from mixed communities. This package was instrumental in the discovery of a new and very important group of microbes; Commamox (DOI: 10.1126/science.aad9839). CONCOCT is mere one of many bioinformatic software packages that I have contributed to. Other software include: RVLAB, an online statistical processing environment for multivariate analysis of microbial communities (DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.4.e8357); NMGS, a software for fitting unified theory of neutral models to microbial communities (DOI: 10.1109/JPROC.2015.2428213); SEQENV & SEQENV-EXT, software for text mining environmental ontology terms, habitat identification from online text sources associated with genomic sequences (DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2690*; DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3827); microbiomeSEQ, an R package for microbial community analysis in an environmental context (DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.17108.71047*); NanoAmpli-Seq, a workflow for amplicon sequencing from mixed microbial communities (DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giy140*); PyTag, a software facilitating systematic reviews using prevalent ontologies (DOI: 10.7287/10.7717/peerj.5047*); and CViewer, a software for multivariate statistical analysis of shotgun metagenomics datasets with other OMICS modalities (DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.07.544017*). An SME (Eagle Genomics), subsequently implemented my algorithms in Unilever’ R&D Centre’s systems to facilitate them in their search of next generation personal care products involving microbiology.
- Development of an HPC facility solely dedicated to microbial informatics: The intended purpose was to develop a common platform, that allowed standardization of workflows (including the software developed in my lab), provide a harmonised resource for both retrospective (meta-analyses studies) and prospective studies. Also, I wanted to improve research capacity by utilising the facility for training activities. As a result, I have been building Orion cluster for over 10 years, which is now the second biggest HPC in the James Watt School of Engineering facilitating “big data” projects on microbiome. Orion cluster has enabled me to design BIOL5172: Metagenomics course as part of MSc Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, and several tutorials that equipped students with skills in Linux, R, Python, and Perl programming. During COVID-19, when research activities came to a halt due to lab closures, Orion cluster was instrumental in salvaging wet-lab centric projects by shifting their focus to meta-analyses where existing sequencing datasets deposited in online repositories such as NCBI and SRA from several studies were collated together to give a global perspective. The activity also led to publications in the prestigious academic journals (e.g., DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118106*; DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162420*; DOI: 10.1038/s41522-022-00337-5*). In recognition of my efforts, I was given an Exceptional Contribution Award 2020/2021, James Watt School of Engineering. The availability of Orion cluster and the software tools also led to an influx of visiting PhD students and PDRAs (>70 since 2014) on several mobility schemes (anywhere from 2 months to a year). To date, I have supervised/trained >210 students/PDRAs and there is a successful completion of 44 PhD theses.
- Development and organization of activities for training of PhD students/staff: My core competencies have always been Collegiality, Communication, and Collaboration around which I have built my research career. I am part of several multi-centre research groups (locally and internationally) and spend considerable amount of time teaching students/PDRAs through hackathons/workshops. The curricula and software tools are well documented (on my Dropbox/web repository) with accompanying SOPs and video lectures available on my MS Teams page (116 current lab members), to facilitate smooth transition of research students/staff towards achieving their research objectives. Since COVID-19, there is an increased K&E activities with international collaborators (in terms of microbial informatics), through Zoom/MS Teams meeting where I take part in co-creation and co-development activities utilising my documented resources. In recognition of my support for ECRs, I was recently nominated for People Make Research 2023 – recognising those who make a positive difference to our research culture, with anonymous testimonials for impact given here: Collaboration and Career.
- How a microbial ecosystem behaves in the presence of environmental perturbations? And how quickly it reverts back?
- Can we come up with easy-to-use numerical metrics that can assess taxonomic and functional robustness?
- Can we assess the influence of environment in shaping microbiome assemblage?
- Can we assess the mediating roles of microbes by marrying confounders, treatments, microbes, and outcomes in a unifying statistical framework?
- Can we develop proxies for stability and complexity of microbial communities?
- How do you assess what is “healthiness” within the context of microbiome? High diversity leading to functional redundancy? Metrics similar to Firmicutes/Bacteroides ratios? Anna Karenina principle (healthy microbiome less variable than diseased ones)?
- What is the utility of rare biosphere?
In the past few years, in microbial studies, the trend is increasingly geared toward collecting more and more metadata, such as the incorporation of metabolomics for metabolites, metatranscriptomics for gene transcripts, and metaproteomics for proteins. There are also commercial research services available such as Resistomap, which facilitates environmental monitoring of antibiotic resistance genes by offering a customizable target gene table using SmartChip qPCR. In host associated microbiome studies, to unravel host-microbiome interactions, flow cytometry-based immunophenotyping is typically incorporated. In clinical research, services such as Olink offer target platforms for protein biomarker analysis. To consolidate different datasets, to find discriminants, as well as correlations between these datasets, my focus is on developing "data integration" strategies and in advancing "latent modeling" techniques (e.g., DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2021.1930871*; DOI: 10.1039/C9FD00020H). A recent opinion piece of me (DOI: 10.3389/fsysb.2024.1432791*) as Chief Editor for Frontier in Systems Biology - Integrative Systems Microbiology highlight the challenges associated with the current approaches.
With my engineering background, there is also an increased focus in developing engineering systems and innovative technologies that harness the power of microbiome: e.g., I have been involved developing novel water treatment technologies (EPSRC EP/P029329/1; DOI: 10.3390/w11122660) now being commercialized by partners in Thailand; a new patented full-scale hybrid earth granular sludge bioreactor (DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125786*; Youtube Video) already commercialized with a spin-off company, NVP Energy Ltd, which can operate at low temperatures and is a game changer for next generation of wastewater treatment; a simulator for Atlantic Salmon gut (BBSRC BB/P001203/1; DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01134-6) which led to Silicon Valley startup by securing its first commercial contract with California-based Calysta, and offers a novel way of testing aqua products; and a Smart Raman activated cell sorting (sRACS) system (NERC NE/P003826/1) where I have designed a classification algorithm based a probabilistic LDA.
Recent Research Interests
Work on improving food security and crop health: A major challenge in developing sustainable approaches to agriculture is a lack of fundamental understanding about what allows some plants to adapt better than others to pressures arising from changes in both the biotic and abiotic environments. In the face of the current climate emergency, it will become critical to design crops that will be resilient to the environmental variability resulting from the increasing unpredictability and extremes of local weather during the growing season. However, if we are to achieve long-term sustainable solutions to food security, we also need to move beyond management of single crop species and consider impacts on overall ecosystem health and biodiversity. This is not only important for conservation but will in turn help to simultaneously improve yields of multiple crop species. Moreover, such changes in management practices will only translate into increased food security if they are economically viable: if consumers, supermarkets and growers are willing to engage with a change to more sustainable food sources. My significant contributions in the leading role are as follows: (a) With James Hutton Institute: Centre for Sustainable Cropping (CSC), I am integrating existing data (13 years, to-date the most extensive and long-standing trial in the UK) to quantify fluctuations across space and time in both the abiotic and biotic environments in relation to sustainable vs traditional conventional cropping of different potato varieties. This work builds on the main outcome of a £2M BBSRC UKRI Strategic Priorities Fund - Bacterial Plant Diseases BB/T010657/1, Building a Decision Support Tool for Potato Blackleg Disease (DeS-BL) grant (DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.19.545554*); (b) With Forman Christian College, Lahore Pakistan, we have successfully demonstrated how to suppress Cotton Leaf Curl Disease (CLCuD) by application of Salicylic Acid producing bacteria (DOI: 10.1007/s00284-024-03827-1*; DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1381883*; DOI: 10.1038/s41522-023-00470-9*), and through interspecies microbiome transplantation (DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3621901/v1*). CLCuD is transmitted by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, and has devastated Pakistan’s cotton crop for the past three decades with economic losses reaching approximately 2 billion USD per annum in Pakistan. We are currently undertaking on-field trials in Pakistan.Work on oil spill remediation: Biosurfactants are naturally derived products that play a similar role to synthetic dispersants in oil spill response but are easily biodegradable and less toxic. With Herriot-Watt University, I jointly directed a study that investigated the microbial community dynamics, ecological drivers, functional diversity and robustness, and oil biodegradation potential of a northeast Atlantic marine microbial community to crude oil when exposed to Rhamnolipid (a biosurfactant) and Finasol OSR52 (a chemical dispersant). Collectively, our results (DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01143-5*]; DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8091*) advance the understanding of how Rhamnolipid biosurfactants and synthetic dispersant Finasol affect the natural marine microbial community, supporting the use of environmental friendly Rhamnolipid for its potential application in oil spills. The biosurfactant did not suppress the oil-eating bacteria, so more of the aromatic hydrocarbons were degraded when it was used. This is summarised in a video abstract associated with our project and entitled, "Rhamnolipid, a naturally produced oil dispersant, may improve oil spill remediation". The study has environmental impact as ascertained by a press release by Heriot-Watt University, entitled "Oil industry should invest in bio solutions for oil spills".
Work on aquaculture: The global demand for food and protein continues to rise as the world’s population is set to hit 9.7 Billion by 2050. Reducing demands on meat protein and increasing fish consumption is good for our health and potentially more environmentally sustainable. Fish consumption has already eclipsed beef consumption globally. Aquaculture production of fish is a booming industry that could eventually satisfy global fish food demands and reduce our reliance on wild resources. However, for some fish species, such as the Atlantic cod, capture fishing remains the dominant means of production (>97%). As a result, many cod stocks are in decline. Consequently, the farming of cod could offer a sustainable and reliable means to meet consumer demand for seafood. In a series of papers directed by me (DOI: 10.1038/s41522-022-00296-x*; DOI: 10.1186/s42523-020-00065-1*), we have demonstrated the impact of diet supplementation of juvenile Atlantic cod with seaweeds (macroalgae; egg wrack [Ascophyllum nodosum] or sea lettuce [Ulva rigida]) in a typical farming setting. Our work sheds valuable insights into what ecological processes drive the hindgut microbiome in juvenile Atlantic cod. With the advent of novel functional feed supplements from the biotech industries we will need to explore how these additives can benefit farmed fish species like salmon, trout and marine species such as seabass and bream with a view towards producing robust healthy fish for the consumer. Our approach opens the door to a better understanding of these possibilities. As an outreach exercise, we were invited to write a blogpost on Nature Communities, "How do microbial communities assemble in the gut of Atlantic cod in response to diet and novel ingredients?".
Work on global health problems addressing UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those relevant to Lower Middle Income Countries (LMICs): Scotland has a large population of residents with a South Asian background. It is imperative that public health professionals and academics in the UK work closely with the very best of their peers in South Asia to understand current and emerging public health threats. COMSATS University Islamabad, Pakistan is at the forefront of public health research in Pakistan and therefore makes an ideal strategic partner for the University of Glasgow. In a series of publications directed by me (DOI: 10.1186/s13099-024-00596-x*; DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32491-x*; DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11020279*), we have explored the emerging threats in Pakistan, particularly those that address the SDGs of 3(Targets 3.3,3.8,3.9), 5(Targets 5.5,5.b,5.c), 6(Targets 6.1,6.2,6.3,6.b), 14(Target 14.1) and 17(Target 17.16). These also include timely understanding and curtailing the spread of Anti Microbial Resistance (AMR) bacteria, determining the load of AMR pathogens and associated resistance patterns not only within clinical setups but also environment and companion/livestock animals since majority rural households are engaged in agriculture. Our study has highlighted water and sanitation as major factors contributing factor to AMR in gut microbes in Pakistani individuals.
Work on nutrition, health equality, well-being, and aging: I have directed several interdisciplinary research projects (in some cases involving NHS) where the focus is on the mechanistic basis of how the exposome [e.g. socioeconomic position (SEP), nutrition, the microbiome, lifestyle and environment] dysregulate ageing and cause ill health (including those diseases where microbial dysbiosis is implicated) (DOI: 10.1186/s13099-024-00627-7*; DOI 10.1042/CS20230779*; DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92042-0*; DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.18.23289979*; DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.18.23289979*; DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2021.1930871*).
Work on water and waste-water harnessing microbes: I have a significant portfolio in leading and directing research on water and waste-water treatment. Majority of the work is in collaboration with University of Galway, Ireland where I have held a visiting lectureship and where I supervise students and postdocs. My most impactful work has been on understanding anaerobic digestion (AD) processes. In the natural environment, organic matter is degraded by diverse communities of microorganisms through AD which can be harnessed for engineered wastewater treatment. Compared to conventional treatment processes, AD is less energy-intensive, reduces land-use requirements, and produces biogas as a renewable energy source. AD is a biological process, reliant on the livelihood and activity of the microbial communities ‘eating’ the organic pollutants. If the bacteria are unable to survive, the system fails. Generally, microorganisms thrive at warm temperatures (around 37°C), but heating wastewater requires significant energy expenditure, especially in temperate climates. In a series of paper below we have shown that we could train or adapt the microbial community to operate at low temperatures with such adaptations would avoid the costs and energy consumption associated with heating, creating meaningful change for the way wastewater is treated in colder climates. My recent work includes: first evidence for temperature influencing the enrichment, assembly and activity of polyhydroxyalkanoate-synthesizing mixed microbial communities (DOI: 10.3389/fsysb.2024.1375472*); intI gene abundance as a proxy for antimicrobial resistance (DOI: 10.1128/aem.01071-23*); understanding microbial ecology in drinking water treatment and distribution systems (DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118106); low temperature AD applications (DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162420*; DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126098*); understanding sulfur-driven denitrification performance and microbial community dynamics (DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131975*); understanding microbial electrosynthesis (DOI: 10.1038/s41522-022-00337-5*); understanding granules microbiology and why granules float in AD reactors (DOI: 10.1128/Spectrum.00784-21*; DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.666584*; DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112229*; DOI: 10.1128/mSystems.00323-20*; DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01126*); and improving protocols for microbial community detection (DOI: 10.1186/s40168-018-0449-9*).
Work on improving poultry performance: The factors affecting host-pathogen ecology in terms of the microbiome remain poorly studied. Chickens are a key source of protein with gut health heavily dependent on the complex microbiome which has key roles in nutrient assimilation and vitamin and amino acid biosynthesis. The chicken gut microbiome may be influenced by extrinsic production system parameters such as Placement Birds/m2 (stocking density), feed type and additives. With MoyPark (UK’s largest producer of organic and free range chicken, and one of the the UK’s top 15 food companies), three papers on chicken microbiomes (DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02452*; DOI: 10.1186/s40168-020-00908-8*; DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1197838*) have led to exploring the diet and their industrial parameters to help control the pathogen Campylobacter, resulting in a press release by Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute, UK Government ("High impact research paper published in Journal of Microbiome"). My current work with MoyPark is towards alternatives to antibiotics (ATAs) that can be utilised in animal production for maintenance of gut health, reduction of pathogen load, and improved feed efficiencies (DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.02.606333*). Similarly, with National Veterinary Laboratory (NVL), Pakistan (Ministry of National Food Security & Research, Pakistan), I am taking a leading role in understanding the microbial ecology of local/indigenous breeds, improving commercial and backyard farming setups in Pakistan, and reducing antimicrobial resistance (DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2024.110552*; DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2024.110487*; DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1197838*).
1996-2012 (prior experience)
I obtained a BS (2000; final year project: Virtual Shopping Intelligent Agent, a web based solution for online customer help services for E-Commerce, developed for a software firm based in California) and MPhil (2003; CGPA 4.0/4.0; Certificate of Excellence for obtaining 1st position – Dean FCSE, GIKI) in Computer Systems Engineering from GIK Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, Pakistan. Between 2001 and 2002, I worked in a software house in Pakistan and developed maintenance component of a Web-based Fastscout Business Portal (similar to modern day google). Soon after, I moved to South Korea, and finished my Ph.D. (2008; Excellence in Research Award – Dean of Graduate Studies; Best Researcher of the Year Cash Prizes for 2007 & 2008 – Brain Korea 21(BK21) Project; Excellent Achievement Award, 2nd Prize – LG Electronics) in Electronics Engineering (thesis: dynamic phase boundary estimation using electrical impedance tomography [defense]) from the Inverse Problems in Engineering Research Group, Jeju National University (JNU).Work on inverse problems in engineering: During my PhD (published >40 papers), I focused primarily on the development of static and dynamic algorithms for Inverse Problems that arise in a wide range of engineering areas and worked mainly on Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT), Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT), Mobile Ad hoc Network (MANET), Global Positioning System (GPS), and Inverse Heat Conduction Problem. I have developed novel tomographic imaging methods (funded through: 2nd Phase BK21 Project; KOSEF Grant No. R01-2007-000-20155-0; Research Grant of CNU; KOSEF Grant No. KRF-2005-013-D00075; Hyocheon Research Fund of the CNU Development Foundation; and KOSEF Grant No. R01-2004-000-0040-0) using EIT and ECT to manipulate measurement data from electrodes attached to the surface of a pipeline in order to estimate the multidimensional distribution of physical parameters inside. As compared to the traditional EIT and ECT, I have considered the scenarios in which the object to be imaged is changing very rapidly during the data acquisition; necessitating a desire for reasonable spatio-temporal resolution. Rather than considering the inverse problem as a traditional tomography reconstruction problem, the problem was formulated as a state estimation problem utilising different kinematic evolution models for the physical parameters along with an observation model based on Finite Element Method (FEM). In particular, I have developed Kalman-type inverse algorithms for: estimation of the concentration distribution by the convection-diffusion equation that allowed for approximation of the velocity field (DOI: 10.1016/j.flowmeasinst.2006.12.005*); estimation of time-varying interfacial boundary in stratified flows of immiscible liquids (DOI: 10.1088/0957-0233/19/6/065501*; DOI: 10.1088/0957-0233/18/5/012; targeting liquid hydrocarbon transportation in pipelines that often contain free water); imaging of a stirrer vessel for detection of air distribution and detection of air bubbles (DOI: 10.1088/0957-0233/21/3/035501; DOI: 10.1016/j.jcp.2007.12.025*; DOI: 10.1088/0957-0233/18/1/008); estimation of settling curves and velocities in the sedimentation process for different layers under the influence of gravity (DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2009.0081; targeting industrial applications such as mining, waste water treatment, and the pulp and paper industry); and visualisation of two-phase flow through rod bundles in nuclear power plants (DOI: 10.1063/1.2747522*). From 2005 to 2006, I worked on a joint project with the Systems Biology Group at JNU (funded through MOCIE Grant No. S1005503) and developed a software, 2D electrophoresis Gel Image Processor for Matlab (DOI:10.1109/FBIT.2007.95*). This software is useful for the analysis of bio-markers by quantifying individual proteins, showing the separation between one or more protein "spots" on a scanned image of a 2D gel, and measuring running differences between several gel images.
Work on medical imaging (computer vision): Between 2008 and 2011, I worked as a Post-doc in the University of Cambridge (funded through EPSRC Grant No. EP/F016476/1 “Hybrid 3D Ultrasonic Imaging”) and developed a Hybrid 3D Ultrasound Imaging System. The project focused on: tracking the trajectory of a 3D ultrasound probe based on the image-based registration of acquired data and the output of an inertial position sensor (DOI: 10.1088/0957-0233/21/8/085803*; DOI: 10.1243/09544119JEIM586); calibration of the hybrid system; correction of artifacts in the data caused by variations of the pressure from the probe during the scan; differentiation of backscatter into diffuse and directional components using the overlap data from multiple scans (DOI: 10.7863/ultra.32.4.699*); and development and evaluation of software tools to enable the system to be used effectively in a hospital environment (DOI: 10.1259/bjr/46007369). The developed system was then shipped to Addenbrookes’ Hospital, Cambridge, where after successfully completing the review by the ethics committee, a clinician explored the range of applications in which such type of a 3D scanner could offer potential benefits. As a proof-of-concept, we carried out a feasibility study recruiting pregnant women attending for routine obstetric ultrasound scans and have obtained promising results (77% to 83% reliability of overlapping scans in clinical trials; DOI: 10.1259/bjr/46007369).
Work on network inference: Between 2011 and 2012, I worked as a Senior Post-Doc in the University of Oxford (funded through EPSRC and ESRC Grant No. EP/I005986/1 “Global view”). I scoped a form of dashboard that gives policy makers an integrated view of the state of the UK, both at the current time, and into the past. If we are equipped with a better view of the UK, we can ensure that it is more resilient to shocks. I investigated methods to infer time-varying networks from multiple time signals. The time signals pertain to Google trends, Twitter feeds, stock prices, exchange rates, commodity prices, weather statistics and transport statistics. This project resulted in GlobalView, a software tool for finding both directed and undirected relationships between time signals.
Thus, my research has strong societal and global relevance with myself at the center leading on informatics strategies and enabling transformational programs.
orcid.org/0000-0001-5780-8551
(similar to modern day Google). Launched back in 
