Jim Weatherall

Since joining AstraZeneca in 2007 I have held a number of diverse roles focused on driving the application of data science, advanced analytics and related approaches to unlock the full potential of data –transforming the way medicines are discovered and developed and making a difference to patients’ lives.

As a senior data science leader, I am engaged in setting strategy and direction for data science and AI within R&D. I play a key role in helping shape the approach to data that is emerging across R&D and influencing our data strategy across the enterprise. I am also passionate about bringing out the best in our people and helping them to seize the opportunity to develop their careers doing something challenging and meaningful.

As a particle physicist by training, I have spent my early career as an academic researcher obtaining my doctorate in High Energy Particle Physics from the University of Manchester, before embarking on a 3-year postdoctoral fellowship studying the subtle differences between matter and antimatter. Upon leaving academia, I joined Tessella as a scientific software consultant, working directly as a lead software engineer and data scientist on many large-scale projects across the consumer products, petrochemicals, life sciences, automation and public sectors.

I have contributed to and published in a number of diverse fields such as data visualisation, cryptography, text mining, machine learning and health data science.