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About me

Me

Hiya :)

I’m Sam Osian (pronounced osh-ahn), an AI doctoral researcher currently based in the University of Liverpool. My main focus is currently on understanding what we can learn from coroner inquest data, with the aim of translating evidence into practical tools for researchers, as well as those on the front lines of care.

I’m a big believer that data should do more than just sit in a spreadsheet. When it’s open, shared, and actually used, it can prevent harm and make care better. That’s why I love open-source projects and collaborative work: anything that helps turn insight into action.

My background

Before I got into data science, I actually started out as a social scientist, studying politics at the University of Bristol from 2017-2021. It's far from the typical route into AI (and has definitely previously given me a big dose of imposter syndrome!), but I've learnt to love my background. It's made me a big picture thinker, and probably a bit more sceptical than most about the limits of data & AI. I like seeing how numbers fit into the messiness of real life, and I think that mix is an advantage when it comes to tackling problems that actually matter.

My bridge into data science came from from working as a researcher in the charity sector. I routinely used data and insight for service evaluation in organisations like Citizens Advice, UK Youth and Samaritans. As time went on, I became frustrated with the big questions that I couldn't answer, because I didn't have the technical know-how.

Following this, I pursued a Master's in Medical Statistics, again at the University of Bristol, in 2023. For each skill I gained during my Master's, I probably also gained a new source of frustration. Specifically, I saw how, in academia, so much analysis was being done for analysis sake, with opportunities for integrating that knowledge few and far between. I wanted to prove that academia could be about more than simply producing a collection of static knowledge for us all to sit around stroking our chins and exclaiming “hmm, interesting.”

This led me to my PhD at the University of Liverpool, where I now work out of the Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC) and the Civic Health Innovation Lab (CHIL). Under the terrific supervisory team of Dan Joyce and Iain Buchan, I'm now tasked with precisely this problem - contributing towards data-driven solutions that address real challenges.