Join the HDR UK Alumni Network
HDR UK’s online Alumni Network brings together the amazing people who have been part of our training and education programmes.
About us
Our Alumni Network is a lively forum to meet your peers, find collaborators, get advice and learn about career opportunities.
The LinkedIn-based group provides a free, member-led single network where they can share ideas, opportunities and information. Anyone who has been part of one of HDR UK’s internships, post-graduate degrees, or fellowships is eligible to join – along with early career health data scientists who are part of our research community.
We have an active LinkedIn group as well as regular careers webinars and activities.
“The Alumni Network is a chance to bring people together to talk and exchange ideas and to get advice. We can achieve a great deal if we create a pool of health data scientists who want to work together.” Phinehas Arkorful, Alumni Network Advisory Group member.
Futures online training – connecting people and data for brighter careers and better healthcare
Choose from more than 500 courses and join a learning community of more than 25,000 across 177 countries. Learners rate Futures at 8+ out of 10 and four out of five say it has given them something they can use right away in their current roles. Learn at your pace, in your time. Plus, there’s CPD accreditation on all new courses.
News and Events
HDR UK Alumni Network – Health Data Science Careers in Biotech
Join us for a tailored, interactive session designed to help you understand and conquer the career landscape across biotech, pharma, and health data.
Brought to you by the Unfiltered Recruiter and the HDR UK Alumni Network, Natasha Robbins will draw on her extensive experience of biotech recruitment.
You will gain:
Clarity on Emerging Roles: Insight into high-growth areas like...
HDR UK Black Internship Programme: Five Years of Impact and Building Momentum
Join us to celebrate the HDR UK Black Internship Programme's first five years.
Alumni Network: Health Data Science PhD Programmes
Are you considering a PhD in health data science? This free event for the HDR UK Alumni Network and HDR UK community demystifies the journey and helps you determine if a doctorate is right for you.
It provides a comprehensive overview of what a PhD entails, highlighting the key differences between a doctorate and other academic degrees. You’ll gain a clear understanding of the...
Sensitive Data Curation Focus Groups
Make your voice heard - members are being sought for focus groups to explore transforming sensitive data curation. This is another step forward in a two-phase project to gather information on the skills and best practices needed for sensitive and effective data curation in TREs or sensitive data environments (SDEs).
Understanding essential health data science skills and challenges for global health researchers
A new review highlights data science skills required for global health researchers and the barriers to accessing capacity building initiatives for Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Exclusive benefits of membership
- Networking events across the country
- Mentor-mentee matching scheme
- Career fairs and connections with start-ups and SMEs
- Hands-on training events (including hackathons)
- Presentation and feedback opportunities for current students
- Career development opportunities
- Regular updates from HDRUK regarding training, job and networking opportunities
Meet some of our amazing alumni
Our alumni are achieving remarkable things – often with established or emerging careers that are pushing back the frontiers of healthcare. We are profiling profiling some of their inspirational stories. The first alumnus we’d like to introduce is HDR UK Fellow Dr Rona Strawbridge – a geneticist who is revealing the connections between physical and psychiatric illness. Read about her here.
We also have Augustina Ugwu, a former healthcare assistant who lost her mother to cervical cancer aged just 45, and is dedicating herself to developing her skills to help in the drive for better early diagnosis and treatment of serious diseases. Find out about her here.
Then there’s Ben Pitter-Fagan, a former maths teacher who joined our Black Internships programme and has now launched an exciting new career.
Another Black Internships Programme alumnus is Fewa Laleye, who is now undertaking PhD research using clinical data and biological information for research aimed at helping predict which women are at risk of pre-term births.
Kluivert Boakye Duah wanted to work in data science but it was only when he was introduced to the HDR UK Black Internship Programme, he realised that by focusing on healthcare he could make a real contribution to building a better world. He is now taking a PhD.
Kazeem Bello is now an active member of the network after it supported him when he applied for the Black Internship Programme – something he describes as a “turning point” in his life.
And there are our current learners, who are also eligible to join the network, such as Claire Coffey who is part of the HDRUK-Turing Wellcome PhD programme. She is among the emerging generation of health data scientists who are already helping transform healthcare for the better.
“The opportunity to build networks and develop collaborations across the UK and internationally is invaluable for the future of health data science. The Alumni Network has a vital role to play in making that happen,” Sarah Cadman, HDR UK Programme Director – Capacity Building.
The objectives of the network are:
- To recognise alumni achievements and contributions to HDR UK
- To successfully employ the expertise and contributions of alumni to further HDR UK’s work
- To support both academic and career advancement of its members
- To serve as the coordinating and communications link between alumni and HDR UK
- To foster an enduring interest in and loyalty to HDR UK
- To support HDR UK in its efforts to improve the institution
Over 450 alumni have already joined our network
Connect and collaborate with other alumni in our LinkedIn group.
About Our Advisory Group
The HDR UK Alumni Network connects former programme participants, fostering professional growth, collaboration, and networking within the health data research field. Our advisory group members play a crucial role for the alumni network by:
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Shaping Strategic Direction: Providing vital input on network priorities, programme development, and new initiatives.
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Evaluating Impact: Reviewing and analysing feedback to ensure our activities, from webinars to mentoring, are effective.
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Championing Alumni: Advocating for the network’s value to HDR UK leadership and external partners.
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Ambassadorial Role: Represent and promote the network’s opportunities online and in person.
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Programme Involvement: Contributing directly to HDR UK’s training and capacity building programmes.
