e-science officers
e-science officers based at each of our regional offices (hubs) offer research teams specialist IT support and advice. They are experts on academic information systems, and systems used by NHS trusts throughout England, and can help study teams overcome potential difficulties. They can advise on information governance and electronic data capture, and help research teams set up websites to tell people about their projects, or to use for research purposes.
The e-science officers are all part of the MHRN IS (information systems) team, which is headed by the IS manager who is based at the University of Manchester (see Coordinating centre role and staff page). The IS team is charged with supporting and developing solutions to meet all the MHRN information needs and the e-science officers help maintain MHRN IT systems and provide training.
There are currently e-science officer vacancies at three of our hubs and we are recruiting to fill these posts.
Jos Costello, East Anglia Hub
Nigel Gilbert, East Midlands Hub plus South Yorkshire
Syed Shabbir Haider (PhD), Heart of England Hub
Amandeep Singh, North West Hub
Richard Munday, North London Hub
Keith Bryce, North East Hub
Stella Dansu, South London and South East Hub
Jos Costello, East Anglia Hub
Jos Costello has worked as an MHRN e-science officer since August 2007. She was previously a member of the Information Team for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, delivering training on patient information systems, troubleshooting, and managing and providing data. Jos is a Dutch national and she studied prehistoric archaeology at the University of Leiden. She has a particular interest in making sure that the user's experience of IT in research is as simple and pleasant as it can possibly be. One her responsibilities is to ensure that user manuals and other documentation produced by the MHRN information systems team is correct and written in plain English.
Josephine.Costello@cpft.nhs.uk
Nigel Gilbert, East Midlands Hub plus South Yorkshire
Nigel joined the MHRN in January 2012 as part of the East Midlands plus South Yorkshire hub. He gives technical support to the hub and is a welcome part of the team. Nigel.Gilbert@nottshc.nhs.uk
Syed Shabbir Haider (PhD), Heart of England Hub
Syed Shabbir Haider has worked for the MHRN since January 2008. He has previously worked as a software engineer and database developer, an IT support and network administrator, an IT systems trainer and held other positions in the field of IT. Since joining the MHRN, he has enhanced his knowledge in health informatics and information systems used in networked organisations. He has Bachelors and Masters Degrees in computer sciences and has specialised in software engineering. He has recently completed his PhD in Computer Sciences (Artificial Intelligence) from University of Manchester.
Syed.Haider@bsmhft.nhs.uk
Amandeep Singh, North West Hub
Amandeep Singh graduated in 2002 with a BSc Hons in multimedia design. His first job was with a company in Manchester, providing network and IT support and graphic/web design solutions to a large number of clients. He then moved to a local authority post, providing e-learning to local primary and secondary schools and then joined the MHRN in 2009. He is currently working on a national e-learning project.
Amandeep.A.Singh@lancashirecare.nhs.uk
Richard Munday, North London Hub
Before joining the MHRN, Richard Munday worked at Lloyds TSB in the business systems department within the Group property management division. He has a BTEC National Diploma in Computer Studies but says most of what he has learned is self-taught. ‘In the area of computing formal qualifications are not much use anyway as the information tends to be out of date before the course even finishes,’ he says. ‘There is a very fast turnover of computer hardware and programmes and you have to be very proactive in keeping up with developments.’
R.munday@imperial.ac.uk
Keith Bryce, North East Hub
Keith Bryce graduated in 2005 with a BSc Hons in computing with applications development from the University of Abertay, Dundee. For five years, he worked as an applications developer for the West of Scotland Cancer Network. Based within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, he was part of a team responsible for the development and support of a cancer audit database used throughout NHS Scotland. He particularly enjoyed his role supporting clinicians and audit staff whose IT knowledge was variable. He joined the MHRN in 2011 and looks forward to continuing to support his users and expanding his knowledge of IT in the field of research and health care.
Keith.bryce@durham.ac.uk
Stella Dansu, South London and South East Hub
Stella Dansu graduated in 2007 with a BSc Hons in computer science. She is ORACLE certified with OCA and OCP certifications. She has worked as a system and support programmer and an IT support officer. She has also worked as a workforce information analyst with the Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust where she was involved with a lot of staff training. She enjoys working with databases as it is an area she has focused on since graduating. She hopes to help support the Mental Health Research Network by enhancing the way the network uses IT.
Stella.dansu@kcl.ac.uk
page last updated 23 February 2012