Role and Project:

Dave is an EPSRC funded  Ph.D. student  working on the i-sense programme led by Professor Rachael Mckendry and he is supervised by Dr Ed Manley at CASA. i-sense aims to identify outbreaks of infectious disease much earlier than ever before using technology to develop early warning systems, helping patients gain faster access to care and protecting populations. 

How would you summarise your personal research?

In my research, I use research from data visualisation literature to develop new data visualisation to aid decision making for the delivery of HIV care. I focus primarily on developing solutions for people who are need to use data make decisions in their job but may not have a high level of data literacy, working with them and using data visualisations that responds to the way our brains perceive the visual environment rather then learned knowledge.

Tell us a little about the research you’re doing at the moment: 

At the moment, I am working on a paper measuring the impact of a data dashboard that we to monitor incoming trial data developed in partnership with the Africa Health Research Institute in Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa. I have just got back from South Africa and am currently analysing the results of a task evaluation to determine the usability of the dashboard as a data visualisation tool. We are looking at the differences between key user groups such as community members, nurses, scientists to get an idea of how their “data education” background effects the understanding they can gleam from the dashboard and I will use the results to inform my future data literacy research.

What is your favourite thing about CASA?

What I love about working in CASA is the diversity of research that takes place here. When I did my masters at CASA in 2014 I did not think I would be living in South Africa 12 months down the line. Working in data science can provide so many difference opportunities and interesting fields to work in. It is always interesting taking to others about their work

Where can people find about more about your work?

Project Websites:

https://www.i-sense.org.uk/

http://ahri.org/