Meet the team

• Dan Lawson, Interim Director of Jean Golding Institute
  Dr Dan Lawson is interim Director of the Jean Golding Institute. As well as the interim Director role, he will assume the role of Academic Liaison for The Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national institute for Data Science and AI, on behalf of the University of Bristol. Dr Lawson is Associate Professor in Data Science in the School of Mathematics, University of Bristol. He works on many interdisciplinary interfaces, with contributions in methods for statistics at scale, networks and machine learning applied to problems including genetics, conservation, public health and the NHS, as well as data-driven appraoches in human geography and history. Dr Lawson co-directs Compass, the EPSRC centre for Computational Statistics and Data science, and sits of the strategic board of several interdisciplinary initiatives including as methodology lead for Oceanic and Southeast Asian Navigators.
• Patricia Holley, Institute Manager
  Patty is the Institute Manager. She oversees the day-to-day operations of the Institute. She coordinates the networking and partnership initiatives, manages resources and fosters collaborations. She also has worked as the Academic Engagement Manager at the Alan Turing Institute, supporting the Turing Interest Groups and an initiative to create new methods in data science and AI (TMCF). Patty has worked in research administration and project management for over 14 years. She grew up in Ecuador and worked in the Galapagos Islands studying Nazca Boobies and Waved albatrosses. She completed a Master’s degree in Biological Sciences at Wake Forest University, North Caroline, USA, where she studied the feeding trajectories of Hawaiian albatrosses during the nesting season.
• Isabelle Halton, Turing Liaison Manager
  Isabelle manages and enhances the partnership between the Alan Turing Institute and the University of Bristol. She works closely with two Turing Academic Liaisons to bridge the gap between the Turing Institute’s goals and highlight research and activity at Bristol which reflect these goals. She is responsible for disseminating relevant information to internal and external networks and supporting staff and students who want to be more involved with Turing activity. The Turing Liaison team run events and networking opportunities for data science and AI communities. Isabelle has worked for the University of Bristol for over 8 years and has predominantly worked in partnerships and project and event management. She previously worked in the Professional Liaison Network in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law and has extensive experience in building relationships and networks, and streamlining activities connecting academics and external organisations.
• Chiara Singh, Institute Development Associate (on career break)
  Chiara became a member of the Jean Golding Institute team in January 2021. As Development Associate, she develops and promotes the Institute’s interdisciplinary research portfolio providing project management support. Chiara joined the University of Bristol in 2018 managing operations in the School of Computer Science, Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Engineering Maths. She has a degree in biology from Cardiff University where she studied the effect of climate change on parasites and a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education, Management and Leadership facilitated by the Association of University Administrators. As a creative collaborator she brings an understanding of equity, diversity, and inclusion through reflective practice.
• Kerry Turcsi, Research Coordinator
  Kerry is the Research Coordinator at the Jean Golding Institute. She helps promote the events hosted by the JGI and assists with the JGI's communication activities. Kerry has a degree in Biology from the University of Bristol and has previously worked in student administration within the University.
• Madlen Williams, Senior Executive Assistant
  Madlen is a Senior Executive Assistant at the Jean Golding Institute. She provides research and administrative support to projects within the institute, as well as working to deliver the JGI’s key services and strategic priorities. She comes from a background in Digital Anthropology with specific interests in socio-technical Worlds, completing Masters research into human-LLM relationships at the University of Bristol in December 2024.
• Elaine Young, Senior Executive Assistant
  Elaine is responsible for reporting, mapping and promoting the impact activities generated by the Jean Golding Institute and data science research groups across the University of Bristol. Elaine has a background in Administration within the University of Bristol and has a degree in Psychology from the University of Cardiff.
• James Thomas, Senior Data Scientist
  James is a Senior Data Scientist at the JGI, leading our team of data scientists. He is interested in Urban Analytics, including electric micromobility, air quality and the vulnerability of people and infrastructure to the effects of climate change. He is also interested in data science education and training, co-organising the JGI Bristol DataViz Group and co-designing the DataFace training programme for schools as part of the Cheltenham Science Festival. He joined the Jean Golding Institute in December 2020, bringing over ten years of experience working in industry on low-carbon energy and net zero projects for Government and organisations in the energy sector, investigating the future decarbonisation of the UK energy supply and project-managing field trials to measure the real world performance of low-carbon heating technologies.
• Will Chapman, Data Scientist
  Will is a Data Scientist at the JGI. His interests are in applying machine learning to medical datasets and stochastic modelling. He has worked on computer vision pipelines to support clinicians in the early detection of rare types of stroke, collaborating with NHS health trusts to ensure patient privacy is safeguarded. He has a PhD in Experimental Psychology and joined the Jean Golding Institute in 2023.
• Huw Day, Data Scientist
  Huw is a Data Scientist at the JGI. His interests are in finding ways to make data science work for non-data specialists across disciplines and demystifying AI for the general public. He has experience working in interdisciplinary projects, using tools such as: natural language processing, computer vision and various data visualisation methods. He acts a as co-organiser of the Data Ethics Club and the lead for the Ask-JGI helpdesk. He joined the Jean Golding Institute in October 2023, having completed a PhD in Mathematics at the University of Bristol, looking at Stochastic Models of Eukaryotic DNA Replication
• Pau Erola, Research Software Engineer
  Pau is a Research Software Engineer at the JGI. He currently leads the software engineering training, sharing his knowledge and fostering best practices in data science. With a diverse background in both Computer Engineering and Biomedical Science, he combines technical skills with a deep understanding of scientific principles. He joined the Institute in August 2024 after 8 years of postdoctoral research experience in genetics and cancer epidemiology.
• Léo Gorman, Data Scientist
  Léo is a Data Scientist at the JGI. He is interested in developing sustainable software for data management and analysis. He also has a keen interest in Bayesian analysis methods and multi-level modelling. Léo has experience applying data science in the field of international development. In collaboration with the International Livestock Research Institute, he has developed software and analytical procedures to help researchers better understand the issues facing smallholder farmers in Lower- and Middle-Income Countries. With a background in physics and international development, he joined the Jean Golding Institute in October 2023, after finishing his PhD at the Alan Turing Institute and the University of Bristol.
• Conor Houghton, Turing Academic Liaison
  Conor is a Reader in the School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology, interested in linguistics and the brain. Conor is a Turing Fellow and a member of the TReX, the Turing ethics committee.
• Richard Lane, Data Scientist
  Richard is a Data Scientist at the JGI. His interests are software development and processes for data science, delivering and designing training courses, and reproducible research. He has worked on computer vision of forensic and medical CT scans and data analysis from smart wearables. He manages the Ask-JGI helpdesk PhD data scientists, having worked on the team himself during his time as a PhD student in the School of Physics, before joining the Jean Golding Institute in 2023.
• Emmanouil Tranos - Turing Academic Liasion
  Emmanouil is currently a Turing Fellow and a Professor of Quantitative Human Geography, specialising primarily on the spatial dimensions of the digital economy.