ELIXIR UK announces its newest member: Swansea University

ELIXIR-UK welcomes Swansea University as its newest member, strengthening collaborative efforts in biological data management.

The UK Node proudly welcomes Swansea University into its network, further expanding its reach and impact in biological data management and analysis. With the addition of Swansea University, ELIXIR-UK now consists of 27 UK research-performing organisations dedicated to advancing scientific research and innovation.

Founded in 1920, Swansea University is a renowned research-led institution bringing a wealth of expertise, a strong track record in successful data management and a commitment to fostering responsible and inclusive data-driven research. The informatics teams at Swansea University have been developing world-leading data infrastructure for societal benefit by safely and responsibly using routinely collected health and administrative data. 

The SAIL Databank, which has now become the national data haven for Wales, provides anonymised access to some of the best-characterised population datasets in the world. And SeRP, the Secure eResearch Platform, the technological foundation of SAIL’s success, now provides customisable Trusted Research Environments, or TREs, to other projects and institutions. 

Today, as part of Population Data Science at Swansea University, the team supports a global network of data projects for academic institutions, health authorities and governments. 

Swansea University’s active engagement with ELIXIR-UK signifies a shared vision to drive advancements in the field, promoting collaboration and innovation for the broader life sciences community.

Prof Simon Thompson, a Professor in Health Informatics with extensive experience as a systems architect in both the NHS and academia, joins ELIXIR-UK as a key representative from Swansea University. His expertise will undoubtedly contribute to the consortium’s mission of advancing biological data management and analysis.

“We’re delighted to join the UK node of ELIXIR and have admired the unity across nations that this organisation has achieved.  The areas that ELIXIR currently excels in are emerging areas for us, and we look forward to learning a great deal from this community.  We bring a great deal of experience in using health data at the population scale, and we look forward to actively engaging with our newfound family and hope we can make a valuable contribution to ELIXIR’S UK community and European consortia.”

Prof Simon Thompson

Members of the Swansea University community are encouraged to explore the opportunities for involvement with ELIXIR. Whether through signing up for the mailing list, joining ELIXIR Focus Groups and Communities, or reaching out directly, the university community can actively contribute to the Node’s initiatives.

For organisations interested in becoming part of ELIXIR-UK and enhancing their involvement in biological data research, you can contact the Node Coordination office for further details on the application process at [email protected]