After achieving an MSc in Big Data from Queen Mary University of London, Jake Barrett was selected for a one-year internship with HDR UK.

Jake Barrett

It was not the direction he originally anticipated that life would take him. After a BSc in Maths at Keele University Jake went to work for a TV production company facilities department. He then realised that he wanted to be doing something more purposeful and which engaged his love of problem solving.

After being accepted for an MSc in Big Data at Queen Mary University of London, Jake discovered he had a fascination for dealing with datasets and a growing interest in health. His dissertation project embraced both – creating an AI to help with the detection of signet cell cancer.

The internship has seen him join the team which oversees the HDR UK Innovation Gateway, which allows researchers to explore datasets, tools, papers and other resources.

He has found the idea of using data to promote healthcare highly motivating. The internship is providing him with a multitude of new skills and opportunities to develop a network of contacts and get to know more about the opportunities offered by health data science.

Looking to the future he hopes that his academic background, technical skills and practical experience will position him for a permanent job in the sector, possibly as part of a data engineering team.

Jake’s career path:

  • A Levels in German, Maths, Physics and further Mathematics
  • BSc in Maths, Keele University
  • Worked in facilities for a TV production company
  • MSC in Big Data, Queen Mary University of London
  • HDR UK internship