Tell us a bit about yourself and your background.

I studied at Durham University, obtaining a BA in Modern Languages (German, French and Russian) in 2016. My interest in languages resulted in some incredible opportunities to work and live in abroad, for example, working at a teaching university in Vienna and continuing my Russian language studies in Moscow.

After university, I was keen to put my language skills to use and undertook a number of roles at one of the largest food retailers in Europe, before joining Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) in 2020. I am now a Senior Technical Programme Manager within HDR UK’s technology team.

You were a Business Process Management Consultant in the retail sector – who was that for and why did you then move into health data?

My first role after university was as an International Trainee Graduate at Lidl GB. The graduate scheme allowed me to work in several departments, including the GB Head Office. After the scheme, I took on the role of Business Process Management (BPM) Consultant and was responsible for the national rollout of Lidl’s BPM methodology and systems, which documented operational processes across 16 UK departments.

My move into health data was inspired by my mum, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in 2004. There is neither a known cure nor a one-size fits all approach for controlling symptoms of Crohn’s, which resulted in her undergoing nearly 20 years of different treatments and surgeries. Access to data generated from patients like my mum can provide key insights into what does and doesn’t work for individuals, as well as allowing the development of more effective treatments that could vastly improve the quality of life for those with long-term health conditions.

This is why I resonate with HDR UK’s mission to enable faster and safer access to health data to enable discoveries that benefit patients and the public.

"I hugely enjoy working on projects where the outputs have the potential to help others. It’s also incredibly exciting to be part of an innovative and fast-paced industry, where the safe use of health data can make demonstrable impact."

Tell us about your role with HDR UK and the Gateway and the sort of projects you have undertaken?

I have contributed to a number of projects at HDR UK, including the Digital Innovation Hub Programme, which facilitated the development of the Gateway alongside the Health Data Research Hubs and UK Health Data Research Alliance.

The Gateway was launched in 2020 as a common entry point for the discovery of health data resources, such as dataset descriptions, tools and publications. As a Programme Manager, I oversee projects that involve working closely with UK data providers to make these resources easily findable for researchers. For example, we are currently working with the NHS Research Secure Data Environments in evolving the Gateway as the ‘single front door’ for users of NHS data.

I am also the Scrum Master for the technology team, co-ordinating activities within development sprints to ensure milestones are met. Our current priority is the development of an enhanced version of the Gateway, making improvements to the platform’s underpinning technology to provide better value to the health data community.

Women are under-represented in technical careers and health data science– why did you choose this career path?

I hugely enjoy working on projects where the outputs have the potential to help others. It’s also incredibly exciting to be part of an innovative and fast-paced industry, where the safe use of health data can make demonstrable impact. For example, using data to inform policy decisions and the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I assumed that because I didn’t know how to code, nor had any experience in software development, that this would negatively impact my ability to lead technical projects. Since taking on my latest role at HDR UK, I have found this to be the opposite."

Do women face additional challenges in these areas?

There will always be challenges in places without a representative workforce. Embracing diverse approaches and perspectives will result in solutions that benefit everyone. It’s fantastic to see a rise in educational initiatives to encourage young people to pursue careers in tech, as well as training programmes within organisations that support upskilling. There is still some way to go, but I am proud to be part of an institute which aims to foster an environment where people with diverse backgrounds, insights and experiences can work together openly and with respect.

What would attract more talented women into your line of work?

A lack of understanding of the variety of roles that exist within the industry may be preventing women taking on opportunities in tech. I assumed that because I didn’t know how to code, nor had any experience in software development, that this would negatively impact my ability to lead technical projects. Since taking on my latest role at HDR UK, I have found this to be the opposite.

The team I work with have a diverse range of skills, meaning that we each bring something to the table. A large-scale project, such as the development of the Gateway, requires many areas of expertise, some technical, some organisational. Similarly, as project and programme management experience is highly transferrable, I would encourage anyone looking to move industry to explore roles with similar skill sets.