Robbie Webbe, a dedicated researcher at the University of Bristol, was supervised by Dr Andy Young. During his doctoral studies, Robbie completed a six-month placement with Mobileum, where he gained practical experience and contributed to significant projects.

In July 2022, Robbie submitted his thesis titled “Analysis of Variability Phenomena in Soft X-Ray Sources”. He successfully defended his thesis in September 2023, demonstrating his deep understanding and innovative research in this specialised area. Robbie is set to graduate in February 2025, marking the culmination of his hard work and academic achievements.

Following the completion of his PhD at Bristol, Robbie secured a prestigious postdoctoral position in Toulouse.

Michael Norman, a researcher at Cardiff University, was supervised by Professor Patrick Sutton during his PhD. Michael completed a six-month placement with the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), where he worked under the mentorship of Jeyan Thiyagalingam. This placement provided him with valuable experience in the field of data science and gravitational wave research.

Michael successfully defended his thesis in February 2024, titled “Evolving Attention: Exploring the Use of Genetic Algorithms and Attention for Gravitational Wave Data Science,” demonstrating his expertise and the impact of his work.

Currently, Michael is continuing his research career at Cardiff University as an Associate Researcher. In this role, he is furthering his contributions to the field of gravitational wave data science, and collaborating with leading scientists.

Sophie Sadler, a researcher at Swansea University, was supervised by Dr Daniel Archambault. Sophie had the opportunity to secure a prestigious internship with Meta, where she spent several months gaining valuable industry experience and contributing to innovative projects.

Sophie submitted her thesis titled “Explainability and Uncertainty Quantification in Networks and Social Systems” and successfully defended her thesis during her viva in 2024. This demonstrated her expertise and dedication to her field.

Sophie has embarked on a professional career as a Investment Analyst for Capital One, but has made her way back to academia and is now an AI & Data Visualisation researcher with the University of Stuttgart.

Tonicha Crook, a researcher at Swansea University, was supervised by Dr Arno Pauly. During her PhD, Tonicha secured a prestigious six-month placement with GCHQ, where she gained invaluable experience and contributed to significant projects in the field of cybersecurity and intelligence.

Tonicha submitted her thesis titled “Computable Analysis and Game Theory: From Foundations to Applications,” which explored the theoretical and practical aspects of computable analysis and game theory. She successfully defended her thesis during her viva in February 2024, and from Swansea University in July 2024, marking the culmination of her academic achievements.

Following her graduation, Tonicha has embarked on a professional career as a Project Associate with ICON plc; she has since moved to Marston Holdings, as a Project Management office Associate, where she applies her analytical skills and research expertise.

Jamie Duell completed his PhD at Swansea University under the supervision of Dr Monika Seisenberger. As part of his doctoral programme, Jamie undertook a six-month placement with Public Health Wales Cwm Taf, where he gained practical experience and contributed to important public health projects.

In December 2023, Jamie submitted his thesis titled “Explainable Artificial Intelligence for Medical Science”. He successfully defended his thesis in March 2024, demonstrating his expertise and the significance of his research.

Following the completion of his PhD, Jamie expanded his horizons by completing an internship in Universit� Laval, Quebec City, Canada. Subsequently, in 2024, Jamie gained a prestigious postdoctoral position at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, where he advanced his research in explainable AI and its applications in medical science. Jamie now back in the UK and has a post at Sheffield Hallam University as a Lecturer in AI.

Christopher Wright, based at the University of Bristol, was supervised by Professor Henning Flaecher. As part of his PhD, Christopher completed a six-month placement with the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) under the mentorship of Martyn Winn.

In March 2024, Christopher successfully defended his thesis titled “An Investigation into Waveform Reconstruction with Convolutional Neural Networks and a Search for Dark Matter Interactions using an Effective Field Theory Lagrangian Framework at the LUX-ZEPLIN Experiment.”

Chris has continued to work at the University of Bristol as a Postdoc, applying ML algorithms to FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays). Chris commented

“This is geared towards some of the upgrades needed for the next upgrade to the Large Hadron Collider, but it's got a lot of industrial applications as well—essentially anything where a given algorithm needs to run as fast and as power efficiently as possible. It's a really interesting job and I'm very happy with how things turned out and how the AIMLAC programme set me up for it!”

Hattie Stewart, based at the University of Bristol, was supervised by the late Professor Mark Birkingshaw. Hattie completed a placement with the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), where she worked under the mentorship of Jeyan Thiyagalingam. This placement provided her with valuable hands-on experience and the opportunity to contribute to significant research projects in the field of astrophysics.

In May 2024, Hattie successfully defended her thesis titled “Source Detection and Characterisation with Machine Learning: in Next Generation Radio Continuum Survey Data.” This work not only demonstrated her expertise but also contributed valuable insights to the scientific community.

Following her successful defence, Hattie has continued her academic career as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Bristol. In this role, she is furthering her research in astrophysics, collaborating with leading scientists, and contributing to groundbreaking discoveries in her field.

Bradley Ward, based at Cardiff University, was supervised by Professor Steve Eales during his PhD studies. Bradley completed a valuable placement with Hywel Dda University Health Board, working under the mentorship of Eirini Skiaderesi. This experience allowed him to apply his research skills in a practical setting and contribute to important health-related projects.

In 2024, Bradley submitted and successfully defended his thesis titled “Dust Traced Star Formation in High Redshift Galaxies and the Evolution of Dust to the Present Day.”

Following his academic achievements, Bradley has transitioned to a professional role as a Trade Analyst at the Department of Health and Social Care. In this position, he leverages his analytical skills and scientific background to support the department's initiatives and contribute to the development of health policies and strategies.

Eleonora Parrag, based at Cardiff University, successfully defended her thesis titled “Rewinding a Supernova with Machine Learning” in January 2024. Her research focused on leveraging machine learning techniques to analyse and interpret data from supernova events, contributing valuable insights to the field of astrophysics.

Following her successful defence, Eleonora has embarked on a professional career as a Data Scientist at JD Power, one of AIMLAC's industrial partners. In her role at JD Power, she applies her expertise in machine learning and data analysis to drive forward the company's data-driven initiatives, helping to enhance their analytical capabilities and deliver impactful insights.

Raul Stien was based at the University of Bristol. Raul successfully defended his thesis in October 2024, entitled “Real-time object detection for neutrino interactions in the DUNE trigger system.” His research focuses on low-latency object detection using deep learning methods to improve the data selection for supernova neutrinos in the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment.

Following his successful defence, Raul has transitioned to a professional role at Swedbank in Estonia, where he works as a Credit Risk Analyst. In this position, he applies his analytical skills and expertise in data science to assess and manage credit risk, helping to ensure the financial stability and growth of the bank.

Thomas Spriggs, based at Swansea University, was supervised by Professor Chris Allton during his PhD studies. As part of the CDT, Tom completed a placement with Amplify, a Cardiff-based company, where he was mentored by Luis Espinosa-Anke. This placement provided him with valuable industry experience, and he continued to work part-time with Amplify throughout his PhD, contributing to various projects and gaining practical insights.

Tom defended his thesis titled “Thermal QCD Spectrum and Potential: Bottomonium at Non-Zero Temperature.” He graduated from Swansea University in July 2024, marking the culmination of his academic achievements.

Currently, Tom is furthering his research career in the Netherlands, where he is completing a prestigious postdoctoral position at Delft University of Technology.

Ben Winter, based at Bangor University, was supervised by Professor William Teahan during his academic journey. As part of his studies, Ben undertook a valuable placement with the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), where he worked under the mentorship of Jola Mirecka. This placement provided him with practical experience and the opportunity to contribute to significant projects in the field of science and technology.

Ben successfully defended his thesis in May 2025, entitled “Grammatical and Ecological Neuroevolution”.

Following the completion of his thesis, Ben has embarked on a professional career as a Lead Machine Learning Engineer at Wyser, a small but innovative AI company. In this role, he applies his expertise to develop and implement advanced machine learning solutions, contributing to the company's growth and success in the AI industry.

Cory Thomas was based at Aberystwyth University and was supervised by Professor Reyer Zwiggelaar. During his PhD, Cory completed a six-month placement with Agxio, where he continued to work part-time, gaining valuable industry experience and contributing to innovative projects.

Cory successfully defended his thesis in 2025 entitled “Exploring Breast Cancer Morphology in Mammography through Deep Feature Cluster Analysis and an Investigation into Grade Classification in Mammograms”.

After completing his PhD, Cory chose to remain at Aberystwyth University and successfully secured a position as a full-time Research Software Engineer. In this role, he has been instrumental in developing and maintaining software solutions that support various research initiatives. Within his first year, Cory also took on a teaching role, collaborating with Dr Ed Bennett to deliver sessions on software and data carpentry to the new cohort of AIMLAC students. His contributions have been highly valued, helping to equip the next generation of researchers with essential skills in software development and data analysis.

Drew Mack, based at Cardiff University, was supervised by Prof Thomas Connor and spent her 6-month placement with the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) under the mentorship of Agnel Praveen Joseph.

In July 2024, Drew submitted his thesis titled “A Computational Exploration of the Genomic and Structural Evolution of SARS-CoV-2” and successfully defended his thesis during his viva in November 2024.

Following his academic achievements, Drew has embarked on a professional career with Biotech as a Senior Computational Biologist, where he continues to apply his expertise in computational genomics and structural biology to drive forward the company's research and development initiatives.

Lukas Golino, affiliated with both Swansea University and CERN, was supervised by Prof Niels Madsen and completed a six-month placement at CERN.

Lukas submitted his thesis, titled “Machine Learning Methods for Antihydrogen Detection” in September and successfully defended it on 20th November 2024.

Following his successful defence, Lukas is now working as a Senior Research Fellow at CERN, working on Machine Learning Methods for Antihydrogen Detection.

Matthew Selwood based at the University of Bristol, was supervised by Dr Soria Fotopoulou, completed a 6-month placement with JD Power UK and was mentored by Patrick Tudor and Steffan Rees.

Matt has successfully submitted his thesis, titled “Exploring the Evolution of active galactic nuclei with the Next Generation of Astronomical Surveys” and had his viva on the 15th of November 2024. Matthew doesn't have a job lined up quite yet, however, he does have a few good leads and is looking to move into Cybersecurity.

Matthew Walker, based at Cardiff University, was supervised by Dr Leandro Beltrachini and completed a 6-month placement with DiRAC HPC Facility under the mentorship of Chris Edsall in Cambridge.

Matt submitted his thesis in September and went on to defend his thesis, titled “Reduced Order Modelling Applied to Parametric EIT and EEG for Comprehensive Characterisation of the Electrical Conductivities of Head Tissues” at the end of October 2024.

Matt initially took a few months off to sail the Pacific, and then hoped to secure a position as a Research Software Engineer, as he was inspired by his placement with DiRAC in Cambridge. He also stated that he is “very grateful for the software engineering training we got from AIMLAC”.

We are proud to announce that Matt has a new position as Foundation Scientific Software Engineer in HPC Optimisation at the Met Office!

Frank Williams a doctoral researcher based at Bangor University, where he was supervised by Professor Lucy Kuncheva. As part of his academic journey, Frank completed a research placement with the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), working under the mentorship of Jola Mirecka. This experience offered him valuable exposure to applied research within a national scientific institution, further enriching his doctoral.

He submitted his thesis, “Individual Animal Re-Identification in Video using Constrained Clustering Approaches”, on 16 May 2025, and successfully defended it during his viva on 16 July 2025. His achievements reflect a strong commitment to addressing real-world challenges through thoughtful and impactful academic inquiry.

Will Robinson based at Aberystwyth University, supervised by Dr Bernie Tiddeman and undertook a placement with the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) under the mentorship of Agnel Praveen Joseph.

Will submitted in 2025 and successfully defended his thesis, titled “ODQ: Entropic Analysis of Machine Learning Model Uncertainty and Instability”, in May 2026.

Will now works for the Open University as a Lecturer on Digital Solutions for professional apprentices.

Jake Amey, a doctoral researcher based at the University of Bristol under the supervision of Professor Jonas Rademacker, completed a placement at DiRAC's High-Performance Computing Facility in Cambridge.

He submitted his thesis in November and successfully defended it at his viva on January 22, 2025. His thesis, titled “Amplitude Analysis of the B⁰ → D⁰D⁰K⁺π⁻ Decay with the LHCb Experiment”, demonstrates his expertise particle physics.

Jake has since transitioned to industry and now works as a Data Scientist at Stylus, a London-based company that was named "Start-up of the Year" at the 2025 British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) Awards.

David Mason studied with Swansea University for his PhD under the supervision of Prof Biagio Lucini and was funded by the UKRI Data Intensive CDT. David undertook a placement with the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) under the mentorship of Dr Alin Marin Elena.

David successfully defended his thesis in 2024, entitled “First-order deconfining phase transitions in Yang- Mills theories”.

Since his Viva, David has been working as a Postdoctoral researcher at Forschungszentrum J�lich, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Ben Page was an associated student of the AIMLAC CDT based in Swansea. Ben was on a Swansea University Research Excellence Scholarship (SURES) and was supervised by Professor Chris Allton.

His thesis title is “Novel Approaches to the Study of Heavy Meson Spectrum at Finite Temperature” and he submitted and defended it in 2024. Ben successfully graduated from Swansea University in July 2024, marking a significant milestone in his academic journey.

Following his graduation, Ben has embarked on a professional career as a Computational Scientist and Research Software Engineer (RSE) with the Civil Service. In this role, he applies his expertise in computational science to support various governmental projects, contributing to the development and implementation of advanced computational solutions.

Maciej Glowacki studied for his PhD at the University of Bristol, supervised by Prof. Henning Fl�echer, and was funded by the UKRI Data Intensive CDT. Maciej a placement with EDF mentored by Hannah Loebl as part of his PhD.

Maciej now works as a Postdoctoral fellow at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) on a mission of reshaping experimental particle physics with explainable and reliable A.I. systems.

Jacob Elford studied with Cardiff University for his PhD under the supervision of Dr Timothy A. Davis and was funded the UKRI Data Intensive CDT. Jacob came to Swansea for his placement with JD Power and was mentored by Steff Rees.

Jacob submitted his thesis entitled “Hungry black holes - AGN fueling and central engines in the millimetre” in September 2024.

Jacob is now at Universidad Diego Portales, Chile.

Fergus Baker, a doctoral researcher based at the University of Bristol under the supervision of Dr Andy Young in Astrophysics. Fergus completed a placement at DiRAC's High-Performance Computing Facility in Cambridge.

He submitted his thesis in September and successfully defended it at his viva on October 23, 2025. His thesis, titled “General relativistic effects in black hole X-ray coronal models”.

Fergus has recently taken up a position as a Postdoc in Newcastle University

Laura Ballisat based at the University of Bristol, was supervised by Dr Jaap Velthuis, completed a 6-month placement with GCHQ.

Laura submitted her thesis, titled “Geant4 modelling of DNA strand breaks from diffusing alpha-emitters radiation” and successful defended her viva on the 6th June 2025.

Laura is now working for the NHS.

Zara Siddique was with Cardiff University and supervised by Dr Liam Turner. They completed a six-month placement at Amplyfi and was mentored by Luis Espinosa-Anke.

Zara submitted their thesis in December 2025 titled “Measuring and Mitigating Stereotypes in Large Language Models” and successfully defended it on 14th April 2026.

Zara now works on building educational games for children.

Sam Hennessey, based at Bangor University, was supervised by Prof Lucy Kunchev and spent their 6-month placement with the Rothamsted Research under the mentorship of Prof Simon Willcock.

In 2025, Sam submitted his thesis titled “Ensembles of Deep Neural Networks for Semi-supervised Learning” and successfully defended his thesis during his viva in September 2025.