Scalable Computing
We create the enabling technology required to deliver tomorrow's large-scale services.
Focus
The Scalable group is internationally renowned for tackling research challenges in High Performance Systems, Data Science, Machine Learning and Data Visualization. The Scalable group’s “full stack” approach to Data Science is underpinned by research strengths in data representation, algorithm design, systems performance and human performance. In recent years Scalable has focused on growing in key areas of Data Science and AI, including data systems performance, data provenance, data analytics, data visualization and machine learning. This included designing and building specialist facilities to support our visualization research and innovation.
Approach
Through its leadership, the group has developed a “virtuous circle” that productively links research to teaching and engagement in data science resulting in over £100M in external funding for NU in the past decade. The contribution of the group’s work to NU-wide research resulted in the creation of Newcastle’s Centre for Data to co-ordinate, support, grow and promote data science across the university.
Teaching and Impact
Teaching
The Scalable group has established strong collaborations with Newcastle’s School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics. Key to this was the Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Cloud Computing for Big Data, which is now supported through investment from Newcastle and our industrial partners, especially Red Hat (IBM). The CDT creates future leaders with the rare dual competencies in the statistics and computing required to drive forward scalable data analytics. It has successfully brought together a diverse range of students, many of whom have had placements at companies as far away as California (Twitter) and Australia (Woodside). Following on from the CDT, Scalable established an expanding portfolio of spin-off MSc programmes in Data Science, supported by the Office for Students to fill the long-term research and innovation pipeline with a diverse set of high-achieving students.
Impact
Many of our projects involve industry and over the past 6 years, Newcastle has set up major initiatives to engage at scale with companies that lack their own data analytics skills. Among these, Scalable group members were pivotal in the formation of the National Innovation Centre for Data, a £30M centre that provides a route for Scalable and all Newcastle data-centric research to have a major impact on tens of public and private sector organisations each year through collaborative projects. The new Catalyst building - a melting pot of academics, students and industry working on data-driven innovation - provides spaces designed by the group for interaction with industry (e.g. IBM Red Hat) and includes state-of-the-art visualisation facilities, including the brand new Team Decision Theatre. Evidencing the long-term success of Scalable two of the most recent REF 2021 impact cases came from messaging systems and data provenance research in the group.
Future Plans
Our research plans are focused on designing new methods for large-scale data analytics such as a novel visualization method - Missingness Glyph - for analysing and exploring missing values in data, generating impact by transferring the knowledge this generates to industry through NICD, and producing the future Data Science leaders through the CDT and MSc programmes. We actively developing a key new strength in image informatics through the appointment of a joint chair with the Faculty of Medical Sciences.
Our People
- Dr Tatiana Alvares-Sanches
- Dr Daniel Archambault
- Dr Deepayan Bhowmik
- Dr Jacek Cala
- Dr Alma Cantu
- Dr Paul Ezhilchelvan
- Dr Sara Fernstad
- Dr Matthew Forshaw
- Dr Huizhi (Elly) Liang
- Dr Mark Little
- Dr Stephen McGough
- Professor Paolo Missier
- Dr Rawaa Qasha
- Kirsty Rutherford
- Professor Santosh Shrivastava
- Dr Nigel Thomas
- Professor Paul Watson
- Jennifer Wood
- Dr Tong Xin
- Dr Wanqing Zhao
Collaboration
The group's reputation in scalable data analytics led to Newcastle University being invited to apply to become a partner in the Alan Turing Institute (ATI) in 2018. This has provided new funding and opportunities, including PhD internships, and collaborations with world-leading researchers spread across The Turing's partners. For example, Newcastle through Scalable founded and leads the Turing interest group in data visualization #VizTIG and the TIG developing best practice for collecting cyber security data. Scalable has active international research links to research teams in the USA, Australia, Italy, Switzerland and Sweden, often supported by overseas research funding.