Speakers

Smart data for public good: UK as a world-leader 

Joe Cuddeford: Director of Smart Data Research UK

Joe Cuddeford is the Director of Smart Data Research UK, a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) data infrastructure programme.  He has a background in social research, policy analysis and data strategy and has spent much of his career working across government to realise the potential of data to inform policy.     

In his plenary session, Joe will introduce you to Smart Data Research UK and its new network of specialised data services, each offering unique insights into how we live, work and interact in the digital age. Once established, these services will provide researchers with secure access to rich, real-world data while maintaining robust privacy protections.   

Joe will also discuss building public trust and share insights from SDR UK’s foundational public dialogue, ahead of their workshop in session 2.  

Find out more about SDR UK’s plenary and workshop sessions. 

 

Mobile Phone App Data for the Social Good: Potential, Challenges, and Bias in Research Applications

Michael Sinclair: University of Glasgow | Urban Big Data Centre | Urban Studies | School of Social and Political Sciences

Over the past decade, data from mobile phone apps has become an increasingly valuable resource for studying human behaviour at scale, with applications spanning mobility, urban planning, and environmental and cultural engagement. This data holds significant promise for research and social good, offering new ways to understand and improve access to public spaces and services. However, its potential is shaped by critical challenges—unstructured and fluctuating data collection, biases that may exclude certain populations, and limitations in its reliability for research.

This talk explores these opportunities and challenges through two ongoing projects with local councils, charities, and government partners, where mobile phone app data is used to estimate visitor numbers and analyse engagement with natural and cultural spaces at scale. A key focus is on uncovering and quantifying biases in these datasets, comparing mobile phone app data with official statistics, and developing weighting methods to correct for these discrepancies. By examining the strengths and limitations of this data, we consider its evolving role in research and how addressing biases remains essential to unlocking its full potential for social good.

 

The power of partnerships

Cathy Capelin: Strategic Projects Lead at British Nutrition Foundation

Cathy Capelin has worked on healthy and sustainable diets for many years with roles at Kantar, IGD and now The British Nutrition Foundation. At Kantar she led the Nutrition and Public Sector team for many years, with a focus on tracking consumer behaviour and evaluating policy. Moving to IGD as the Head of Healthy and Sustainable Diets , she led on the programme of behaviour change trials looking at what works best to nudge consumers to the healthier choice. She has been at BNF since September 2024, as the Strategic Projects lead in the Food Systems Transformation team, working with the members across the food industry. 

The talk will explore ways data has been used in public and private partnerships, to help improve the diets of the UK population. Cathy will share her experiences of industry and academic collaborations at both The British Nutrition Foundation ( BNF)and IGD , including BNF’s coordination of the 6 OIRC hubs , the Tesco fruit and veg to schools’ initiative and the IGD programme of retailer behaviour change trials.

 

From Sensor to Science: How ŌURA Transforms Wearable Data into Breakthrough Health Insights

Hannu Koivisto: Biomedical engineer at ŌURA

Hannu Koivisto is a biomedical engineer specializing in analysing, processing, and developing innovative features from photoplethysmography (PPG) data. With a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Oulu University, Hannu has focused on deep learning, signal processing, and image processing throughout his academic and professional journey.

Passionate about uncovering new insights from biosignals, Hannu currently works at ŌURA, where he plays a key role in leveraging biosignals and big data to create cutting-edge health insights. His work also extends to collaborations with leading universities, contributing to groundbreaking research and feature validation. As a lifelong inventor at heart, Hannu is driven by the endless potential of biosignal analysis, from individual measurements to population-level data.

In his plenary session Hannu will begin by introducing ŌURA and the metrics and data they collect from their users. The presentation will discuss ŌURA’s data management practices and highlight a groundbreaking Cardiovascular Age (CVA) algorithm developed using user data. The CVA algorithm, validated with the Kuopio Research Institute of Exercise Medicine, serves as a successful example of  collaboration with academic partners at ŌURA.

Following this, Hannu will showcase various research collaborations with universities and research partners in Europe and in the US and highlight opportunities for future collaborations in different forms using digital footprints of ŌURA users.