Our diverse and passionate team brings together experts from research, data science, and healthcare to drive innovation in biomedical data management and champion the principles of FAIR: Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability.
Tony Burdett
BioFAIR Director
Nishadi De Silva
BioFAIR Senior Technical Project Manager
Eva Wan
BioFAIR Project Manager
Edward Clark
BioFAIR Administrator
Justin Clark-Casey
BioFAIR Architect
Meet the Fellows
The annual BioFAIR Fellowship launched October 1st 2025 with 10 inaugural Fellows. The Fellowship brings together a diverse cohort of individuals from across academia and the wider UK life sciences ecosystem, equipping them with the training, networks, and resources to drive sustainable cultural change around data.
Check out our Fellows:
Research and Technical Advisory Group
The Research and Technical Advisory Group (RTAG) provides independent strategic advice and expert guidance to support the effective delivery of BioFAIR’s mission. The group brings together experienced leaders from across research, data infrastructure, and digital innovation to ensure that BioFAIR’s activities remain responsive to community needs, aligned with best practice, and informed by developments across the wider scientific and technical landscape.
RTAG’s role is advisory rather than operational. It offers critical insight on priorities, direction, and impact, helping the Hub to make informed decisions on programme design, partnerships, and implementation. The group provides constructive challenge, reviews plans and progress, and advises on opportunities to strengthen sustainability, interoperability, and long-term value for the research community.
Through regular engagement with the Hub, RTAG helps to ensure that BioFAIR’s strategy, investments, and outputs are robust, relevant, and aligned with national and international initiatives. Its perspective supports transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement across the programme.
BioFAIR benefits greatly from the time, expertise, and commitment of RTAG members. Their independent advice and breadth of experience provide essential assurance and strategic guidance, helping to shape a resilient and forward-looking infrastructure that delivers lasting benefit to the communities BioFAIR serves.
Architecture Working Group
The Architecture Working Group (AWG) provides strategic technical oversight to support the development and implementation of BioFAIR’s infrastructure. The group advises the Hub on architectural principles, interoperability standards, and functional requirements, ensuring that the programme’s technical foundations are coherent, sustainable, and aligned with BioFAIR’s missions.
The AWG is formally chartered to develop the BioFAIR specification, which defines the functional capabilities and interoperability requirements expected of spoke teams contracted to deliver infrastructure components. By establishing clear and consistent expectations, the group helps to ensure that services developed across the programme integrate effectively with one another and with external systems across the broader research and data ecosystem.
BioFAIR benefits greatly from the expertise and commitment of the AWG’s members. Their collective experience provides essential technical assurance, strengthens architectural consistency, and supports the delivery of robust, interoperable infrastructure that underpins the long-term success of the programme.
Membership:
- Nicola Soranzo
- Stuart Owen
- Felix Shaw
- Eli Chadwick
- Rob Davey
- Ken Brewer
- James Proctor
- Phillippe Rocca-Serra
- Justin Clark-Casey
- Tom Paine
- Joana Pauperio
Community at the Heart of BioFAIR
BioFAIR is built with the community, for the community. We’re co-developing national infrastructure alongside researchers, data stewards, trainers, and institutions across the UK—ensuring our tools, training, and initiatives reflect real-world needs.
To ensure our work is grounded in real-world needs, we’re meeting people where they are. We’re doing this by:
- Fostering trust and shared ownership so communities feel empowered to lead change in their own contexts
- Engaging diverse communities across disciplines, domains, and career stages
- Co-developing solutions with researchers, stewards, and trainers to address real challenges
- Creating space for open dialogue through pilot activities, community calls, and collaborative networks
- Listening and adapting to ensure infrastructure reflects day-to-day research practice
BioFAIR is growing, and we want you with us.
