About me

I am a professor of data science and public policy at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin. At the Hertie School I am the director of the Data Science Lab - a new initiative to advance data science teaching and research at the School, and work with outside organisations to develop data science and artificial intelligence (AI) for common good.

I received a PhD in Political Science from Trinity College Dublin and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Belarus State Economic University. I have previously worked at University of Essex, University College London, and London School of Economics. My most recent CV is available to download here.

At Essex my work focused on embedding artificial intelligence and data science in public service delivery. As Chief Scientific Adviser to Essex County Council I was the University lead on the Essex Innovates programme. This is a partnership project between University of Essex, Essex County Council, and Essex Police to make Essex national leaders in using the power of data science and AI to tackle public policy challenges. The aims are to make Essex a place that is an exemplar for the integration of data across public bodies; to have the skill, capability and technology to undertake predictive analytics based on high ethical standards; to have a sustainable data infrastructure; and to have the best data science / analytical capabilities in the UK to benefit our people and communities.

An outcome of the Essex Innovates is the creation of an office for data analytics - Essex Centre for Data Analytics (ECDA) - an institutionalised, long-term collaborative effort by the three partners (County Council, Police, University) to tackle public policy issues in Essex. ECDA will deliver on its aims through a data sharing platform, research and development platform, and an analytical hub pooling the capability across the partnership. From the University, ECDA is supported by the Institute for Analytics and Data Science, a £2.7m second phase of the ESRC Business and Local Government Data Research Centre, and the £2.2m Catalyst Project. Further information on ECDA is available in a recent Nesta report.