DATA-CAN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Manager and Data Scientist
Ashley Akbari is a Senior Research Manager and Data Scientist at Swansea University.
Ashley also has roles with Health Data Research UK (HDR-UK) Wales & Northern Ireland, Administrative Data Research Wales (ADRW) and Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (NFJO) Data Partnership.
He has experience working on a variety of data linkage and research projects. He has a background in computing and various research disciplines which have evolved over time with his experience of working with anonymised data within SAIL Databank since 2008, as well as other data from the UK nations, and as part of projects with collaborators including those in the FARR Institute, Prudent Healthcare Intelligence Hub, IPDLN and with the NHS.
Ashley works with analysts and researchers in both the development and pursuit of their projects and research, and supports their continued development and training.
Job Titles:
- Expert Project Delivery
- UK Representative
Cathy Arnold is the Data Service Lead for DATA-CAN
Cathy is the secure data environment lead for DATA-CAN and a member of the DATA-CAN Management Group. This includes managing the DATA-CAN data sharing agreement with NHS England and research access for projects within the NHS England secure data environment. Cathy programme managed the delivery of the DATA-CAN national cancer TRE for Health Data Research UK prior to taking up her current role as Head of Data Services at the University of Leeds, overseeing the delivery of the data strategy for the university. She has been a member of the DATA-CAN Management Group since 2022.
Cathy is an expert project delivery professional and graduate of the Civil Service/University of Oxford Major Projects Leadership Programme with experience in the fields of strategy, policy and delivery in the public sector, specifically focussing on property, accommodation and IT/data programmes. She has particular expertise in the programme management of complex projects and change programmes, procurement in the public and private sector, public policy and customer service.
Cathy has held senior roles in the Civil Service at the Office for National Statistics, the National Portrait Gallery and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) as director and head of profession for project delivery. Her experience includes operational delivery, portfolio and investment management and multi-million transformation programmes, including as Senior Responsible Owner for key projects in the FCO's £1.1 bn global technology transformation programme and £2bn estates rationalisation and ways of working programme.
As an architect and construction lawyer, Cathy is currently the UK representative on the Council of Europe Committee of Experts on Buildings, having held the role of President from 2016-2018 and Vice-President from 2019-2022.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Cancer Genomics at the University of Exeter
Chrissie Thirwell is the Mireille Gillings Professor of Cancer Genomics at the University of Exeter.
Chrissie joined the College of Medicine and Health and Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science at the University of Exeter in August 2019.
She graduated in Medicine from University College London Medical School, taking an intercalated BSc in Immunology. Her PhD in colorectal cancer genetics was funded by the Medical Research Council and undertaken at the Cancer Research UK London Research Institute. Whilst completing her Medical Oncology specialist training she held a National Institute of Health Research Clinical Lecturer post until her Consultant appointment in 2010.
Until moving to Exeter Chrissie was a Senior Lecturer and Consultant Medical Oncologist at the UCL Cancer Institute and Royal Free Hospital and lead Consultant in the multi-disciplinary neuroendocrine tumour and hepatocellular cancer teams. Chrissie has a national and international reputation for research into and the management of neuroendocrine tumours and integrated genomic analysis of cancer.
Chrissie leads the Neuroendocrine tumour 100,000 genomes GeCIP and is the Cancer arm representative on the 100,000 genomes GeCIP board.
She is also a member of a Genomics England working group working towards the delivery and impact of the next 5 million genomes.
Job Titles:
- Project Manager
- Member of the DATA - CAN Management
Dr Mahéva Vallet is a member of the DATA-CAN Management group and is our Project Manager. She is also the Senior Research Manager of the Edinburgh Cancer Informatics, who is the main data partner of DATA-CAN. She has a mixed background of Medical Engineering, Research, and Cancer Care at the Edinburgh Clincial trials unit in Breast Cancer. She has a strong experience in using and understanding clinical data, informational governance needs and supporting research proejcts.
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Fellow at the University of Exeter Medical School
Sarah Bailey is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Exeter Medical School.
Sarah Bailey is one of the University of Exeter's representatives on the DATA-CAN management group. She is a Senior Research Fellow in the Discovery Group, and part of the CanTest collaborative, at the University of Exeter Medical School.
Sarah's programme of research is focussed around the use of routine blood tests to identify patients at risk of cancer in primary care, the impact of multimorbidity on cancer diagnosis, the evaluation of new cancer detection strategies in primary care, including the faecal immunochemical test (FIT) for colorectal cancer. Her work is supported by grants totalling over £2million from sources such as the NIHR, Cancer Research UK, and the Department of Health's Policy Research Unit.
Upon moving to the Discovery Group led by Prof. Willie Hamilton in 2014, Sarah began her PhD on the association between thrombocytosis (raised platelet count) and cancer diagnosis. Her PhD found that thrombocytosis is an important risk marker of undiagnosed cancer in primary care, particularly in men aged over 40 years. This work has had a significant impact on clinical practice since its publication in 2017, and was the top-rated paper of the British Journal of General Practice in that year.
Job Titles:
- Member of the IDEAL4REAL Lab Group
Dr Sue Cheeseman is based at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. She has been leading the work locally as part of the cancer real world evidence team since 2017. This team works on studies across DATACAN, Digicore and as part of a commercial partnership with IQVIA. Prior to this, and intermittently since 2017, Sue worked as a Medical Oncology consultant in a busy teaching hospital in West Yorkshire, leading the service in Upper GI, Gynae, Lung cancer and Cancer of unknown primary site. She also has significant experience in managing Urological cancers.
Dr Cheeseman is also a member of the IDEAL4REAL lab group. This group provides training and guidance to the real world evidence researchers of the future. This group won a DATACAN award for their work in early 2024.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Patient and Public
Jacqui Gath is a member of the Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Group and is also a member of the DATA-CAN Management Group.
After a diagnosis of breast cancer in 2003 and recovery from successful surgery, Jacqui attended a conference held by Professor Ahmedzai's Sheffield-based Consumer Research Panel about research and how patients can not only participate in research but add the patient experience to help researchers design their studies. This was an excellent opportunity to add her voice to those of others who want to improve treatment outcomes.
A few years ago, it became apparent to Jacqui that the routine collection of patient data had given rise to a treasure trove that could unlock insights leading to faster diagnosis, better treatment, and even a reduction in the cost of healthcare. This in turn should lead to longer life and better quality of life for patients. Thanks to bodies like HDRUK, DATA-CAN, and IQVIA, Jacqui feels we are at the point where we are starting to use that data for the further benefit of patients by using it to create AI systems which, for example, can use scanned images to diagnose the presence of disease.
Jacqui's previous role in IT at a major financial institution provides a good background and understanding of the principles involved in this science, and importantly, the need to collect the right data and eliminate bias.
To date (2024), Jacqui is a past member of the Sheffield and Humberside Ethics Committee, sits on trial steering committees, is a past lay member of the Sheffield Cancer Clinical Trials Executive and Experimental Cancer Medicines Committee, and supports the work of local researchers in particular, including palliative care research. She also has experience of sitting on NIHR Funding Panels.
Jacqui has many other commitments in the field of patient advocacy nationally, and occasionally internationally. Current work includes several AI projects involving imaging, genomics, pathology, and documentation standards for datasets.
Job Titles:
- Programme Director
- Digital Health Leader
Julia is the Programme Director of DATA-CAN.
Julia is a Digital Health Leader with a proven track record in leading innovative programmes that benefit patients and care providers across the healthcare system. She has been recognised for her work leading exemplar data sharing initiatives at a local and regional level over the last 10 years. She is our Programme Director.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Chairman of the Patient and Public
- Chairman of the PPIE Group for Data - Can
- PPIE Chair
Libby Cooper is Chair of the PPIE group for Data-Can and sits on the Management Group and Steering Group. In 1998 Libby underwent treatment for ovarian cancer and in 2009 for breast cancer; during the 80s she supported her mother through chemotherapy and radiotherapy for breast cancer, and in 2011 she supported her husband through treatment for prostate cancer.
These experiences helped her serve effectively as a Research Insight Panel Member for CRUK and a PPI representative for CRICK which led to her desire to become involved with Data-Can. She is a Lay Panel member for the UCL/UCLH Biomedical Research Centre and acts as a Review Panel Member for their PPI Bursary Fund; she reviews proposals for the NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre; is a PPI representative for INSIGHT (HDR UK Hub), for KINGS TROOP PPI group regarding orthopaedic research; and for FOXTROT bowel cancer clinical trials. She is also a member of The CRICK Institute's Animal Welfare and Ethics Review Panel.
Libby's PPI experiences have convinced her that the voice of the patient is a priceless asset. She strongly believes that medical researchers benefit from seeing things through the eyes of patients to better understand what outcomes matter most to them and, having worked for more than 25 years in many countries, she has a particular interest in analysing patient data to make comparisons between countries. This view was heavily influenced by her roles as Director of The Community Research Advisory Centre at North London University; as the founder and Director of Charities Evaluation Services; and then as Director of Amber Analysis - each of the organisations were involved in using research as an important influencer of change.
Libby Cooper is Chair of the Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Group.
Monica Jones is the Chief Data Officer for DATA-CAN.
Monica is also the Executive Lead for Population Health Management for the Yorkshire and Humber Care Record (YHCR).
A highly motivated technical expert and leader with extensive Healthcare and Life Sciences knowledge and experience. Highly skilled ISEB qualified Enterprise and Solutions Architect with a proven track record of designing and delivering complex, high value solutions to exceptional standards. She has many years' experience defining and directing current and future information systems. As the Managing Director of Animo Consultancy Ltd she has provided consultancy services for CRUK, MRC, Genomics England, NHS England and the MOD.
Her NHS frontline experience most recently was as the Associate Director of Information Services at the Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust where she was responsible for the leadership, development and delivery of high quality Business Intelligence (BI) and analytics support, to inform the decision making ability of clinicians, staff and managers at all levels of the organisation (from ward to board). The Trust was rated "Outstanding" for Digital in 2019. An effective communicator used to working on major public and private sector initiatives, who is able to integrate teams to achieve their maximum potential. International clinical terminology and data standards (SNOMED CT, ICD-10, HL7 FHIR) expert promoting safe and effective health information for better patient outcomes. She is the Deputy Chair of the NHS Digital Data Design Authority (DDA) and Chair of the YHCR Data Architecture Design Authority (DADA).
Professor Peter Hall is an academic Medical Oncologist with a research interest in Health Economics, Data Science and Health Technology Assessment in Cancer. He treats patients with breast cancer within the NHS at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre. He is the Clinical lead of the Edinburgh Cancer Informatics, who is the main data partner of DATA-CAN. The focus of his research is on the development of improved methods for efficient research design, cost-effectiveness analysis and the measurement of clinical and socioeconomic outcomes using data obtained from clinical trials and routinely collected within health systems. He has contributed to the design of a series of pragmatic clinical trials in the UK that aim to address questions that are important to real-world patients with cancer treated by the NHS. He leads the Edinburgh Cancer Informatics Programme which provides healthcare data analytical capabilities for NHS Cancer Services in South East Scotland and the CRUK Scotland Centre's research. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh Medical School in 2003, undertaking general medical training in Fife and Dundee. He commenced specialist training in Medical Oncology with the Yorkshire Deanery in 2006. He undertook a NICE scholarship in 2007. He completed a PhD in Health Economics and Clinical Trial design at the University of Leeds in 2012. In 2014 he took up his current position in Edinburgh.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Digital Health
Geoff Hall is Clinical Lead for DATA-CAN.
Geoff is also Professor of Digital Health and Cancer Medicine at the University of Leeds and an honorary consultant in medical oncology at the Leeds Cancer Centre. He qualified (MB, ChB) from the University of Sheffield in 1990 and a fellow of the college (FRCP) in 2003. As a medical oncologist, he treats women with gynaecological cancer and leads an active portfolio of research trials in the area.
As the Chief Clinical Information Officer for Leeds Teaching Hospitals, he provides clinical leadership to the wider informatics strategy at the trust including the development and delivery of PPM+, the trust wide electronic patient record and the Leeds Care Record, the integrated digital care record for all health and social care providers for all Leeds patients.
As the Professor of Digital Health at the University of Leeds, he leads a programme of research in cancer informatics and data analytics with research funding from the MRC, NIHR, Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support. He is a co-applicant on the Leeds Digital Pathology programme (NPIC) and a clinical lead for the Centre for Doctoral Training in AI for Healthcare.