Data Science and AI Institute @ Lancaster

We aim to set the global standard for a truly interdisciplinary approach to contemporary data-driven research challenges. The Data Science and AI Institute @ Lancaster (DSAIL) has over 350 members and has raised £70 million in research grants.

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Data Science and AI @ Lancaster (DSAIL)

The Data Science Institute is preparing for an important next step. From January 2026, we will be updating our name to Data Science and AI @ Lancaster (DSAIL), reflecting more clearly the Institute’s growing role as a focal point for artificial intelligence research, education and engagement across the University and beyond. You will see this new identity rolling out across our communications, events and online presence in the new year, but the core mission remains the same: to support and connect Lancaster’s data science and AI community.

Data Science and AI at Lancaster builds on the University’s longstanding strengths in computational and data-driven research. This environment is enriched by a broad interdisciplinary community of researchers working across fields including environmental science, health and medicine, sociology and the creative arts. Through the Data Science and AI Institute @ Lancaster (DSAIL), Lancaster is creating a world-class institute that sets the global standard for a genuinely interdisciplinary approach to contemporary data-driven research challenges. The Institute focuses on the foundations of data science and artificial intelligence, alongside a number of cross-cutting thematic areas.

DSAIL@Lancaster aims to be internationally recognised for its distinctive end-to-end interdisciplinary research capability, spanning infrastructure and fundamentals, globally relevant application domains, and the social, legal and ethical questions raised by data science and AI. By connecting expertise across disciplines, the Institute provides a focal point for research, education and engagement in data science and artificial intelligence across the University and beyond.

We are working to create a world-class Data Science and AI @ Lancaster Institute (DSAIL) that sets the global standard for a truly interdisciplinary approach to contemporary data-driven research challenges. DSAIL aims to have an internationally recognised and distinctive strength in being able to provide an end-to-end interdisciplinary research capability - from infrastructure and fundamentals through to globally relevant problem domains and the social, legal and ethical issues raised by the use of Data Science.

The Institute is initially focusing on the fundamentals of Data Science and AI including security and privacy together with cross-cutting theme areas consisting of environment, resilience and sustainability; health and ageing, data and society and creating a world-leading institute with over 350 affiliated academics, researchers, and students.

Our data science, AI, health data science and business analytics programmes have launched the careers of hundreds of data professionals over the last 10 years. Students from our programmes have progressed to data science roles at Amazon, PWC, Ernst & Young, Hawaiian Airlines, eBay, Zurich Insurance, the Co-operative Group, N Brown, the NHS and many others - please look at our Education pages for further details of the courses on offer.

DSAIL showcase poster

DSAIL AI Showcase Event will take place on Monday 28th September at Lancaster House Hotel - 9:30 to 17:00, with lunch and refreshments - NOW FULL

DSAIL brings together Lancaster’s interdisciplinary strengths in data science and artificial intelligence, spanning foundations and infrastructure, globally relevant application domains, and the wider social, legal and ethical questions raised by data science and AI.

The programme will include an introduction to DSAIL, interactive sessions, a keynote talk, poster presentations, research-theme discussions, and a panel discussion on “The Role of Universities in the World of AI”. The afternoon research-theme sessions will cover DSAIL’s key areas of activity, including Creativity, Integrity, Environment, Health and Foundations.

We are delighted that the keynote speaker will be , Senior Research Fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge, speaker, writer and broadcaster in AI ethics, and host of The Good Robot Podcast. Eleanor’s work focuses on AI ethics, feminist and critical race approaches to technology, and the social, cultural and institutional implications of AI.

This event is now fully booked, you can add yourself to the wait list and if tickets become available we will contact you.

DSAIL Showcase Agenda

Monday 28th September, Lancaster House Hotel

The Showcase will provide an opportunity to learn more about the Institute’s current research, teaching, partnerships and strategic priorities, and to discuss future opportunities for collaboration.

There will also be time throughout the day for networking with colleagues from across the University and with local businesses.

Morning Session

09:00-09:30: Arrival and refreshments

09:30-09:45: Welcome and introduction

09:45-10:15: Introduction to DSAIL

Chair: Nigel Davies and Chris Nemeth

Research and teaching in Data Science and AI @ Lancaster

10:15-11:00: Interactive session

11:00-11:15: Break and refreshments

11:15-11:45: Diversity in DSAIL

Chair: Sal Keith & Gail Collyer-Hoar

11:45-12:30

Keynote speaker Dr Eleanor Drage, Senior Research Fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge, speaker, writer and broadcaster in AI ethics, and host of The Good Robot Podcast

12:30-13:30 Lunch and networking

Poster presentations

Afternoon Session

13:30 - 15:00: DSAIL Research Themes

  • Creativity: Chair: Joe Lindley
  • Integrity: Chair: Claire Hardaker
  • Environment: Chair: Sal Keith
  • Health: Chair: Neil Reeves
  • Foundations: Burak Boyaci

15:00-15:30: Break, refreshments and networking

15:30-16:20: Panel Discussion: The Role of Universities in the World of AI

Chair: Chris Nemeth

Panel members: Susan Zappala (JNCC, Env theme), Eleanor Drage (keynote), Vishnu Chandrabalan (NHS Chief Clinical Information Officer/LU, Health), Brian Green, (ISS - Head of Innovation and Mobile Development) Dr. Beatrice Wohl, RKE Research Fellow
Creative Computing Institute, University of the Arts London and Joe Lindley, DSAIL Creativity Theme Lead and Senior Research Fellow, School of Arts.

16:20–16:35: Wrap up and next steps

16:35–17:30: Networking and refreshments in the Sandeman Bar

Latest News

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New Research Group

Future Environments Lab

We design serious games that connect spatial planning, environmental modelling, engineering, and computing to tackle urgent public challenges. Our lab delivers highly technical work, with novel methods coupled with co-design approaches and futures thinking.This includes, but is not limited to, drone-based sensing, remote sensing, computer vision, numerical modelling, prototype interfaces, visualizations and pipelines. The lab also utilises a range of participatory co-design practices and analytical tools to engage audiences and stakeholders.

Find out more here:

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Events

health data image

Understanding and working with electronic health record data using OpenSAFELY - Wednesday 7th October

10:30-15:30, workshop lunch provided 12:30-13:30

Location: Main campus, in-person event (room tbc)

Note: This is an interactive session so please bring a laptop.

Summary: GP electronic health record (EHR) data is widely recognised as a critical national data asset, but few people understand how best to use it to deliver high-quality analyses that drive clinical quality improvement, innovation, planning, and research. Through a series of talks and practical exercises, this workshop will explain what EHRs are and how OpenSAFELY enables transparent and reproducible use of EHR data. Participants will learn how EHR data is structured and coded, how to develop and use clinical codelists, and how to define meaningful research variables from real-world clinical records. We will explore OpenSAFELY’s approach to privacy, transparency and reproducibility, and participants will get practical experience of working with tools such as ehrQL, OpenSAFELY’s query language for creating patient-level research-ready datasets from the underlying records. The workshop will also showcase the breadth of research possible with EHR data, from descriptive and longitudinal studies to comparative effectiveness research and predictive modelling. We will also consider the emerging opportunities and challenges of using AI with health data.

Please register here

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HackaCon - August – September 2026

Can we use AI to convincingly synthesise a natural, spontaneous-sounding human conversation between two specific speakers?

No really. That’s it. So we’re running this conversation hackathon – a competition to find out the state-of-the-art of AI-generated conversation. To play, you need to , and if you top the leaderboard, there’s a in it for you.

You might think, “That’s ridiculous… We already have speech synthesis. We even have conversational AI. This will be easy!” But it very much isn’t. .

If you already know how tough this could be and you’re up for it, jump directly to .

Research Themes

Data Science at Lancaster was founded in 2015 on Lancaster’s historic research strengths in Computer Science, Statistics and Operational Research. The environment is further enriched by a broad community of data-driven researchers in a variety of other disciplines including the environmental sciences, health and medicine, sociology and the creative arts.

  • Creativity

    The Creativity theme researches how generative AI is transforming creative processes and reshaping notions of authorship and ownership, while also working to enable transdisciplinary inquiry through the use of creative methods to push the boundaries of data science and AI research.

  • Environment

    The Environment theme aims to develop new understanding and innovative solutions to the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, which are inextricably linked. This time-critical mission requires close cross-disciplinary collaboration between ecologists, environmental scientists, computer sciences, statisticians, social scientists, and many others.

  • Foundations

    The Foundations theme covers the three main areas of data science, operational research, computer science and statistics. It blends the skills of researchers in these areas, to address challenges arising from industry and research.

  • Health

    The Health theme covers several areas of health, data science and AI from across the university, including biomedical, digital health technologies, health economics, medical imaging and health-related security, among many other areas.

  • Integrity

    The Integrity theme explores how societies can build trust, transparency, justice, fairness, accountability, and resilience in an era where AI and data-driven technologies evolve faster than the ethical processes, governance structures, and safeguarding interventions meant to oversee them.

Upcoming Events

16th Sep

Work Matters 2026: How can Government boost jobs, pay and living standards?

Wednesday 16 September 2026, 2:00pm to 3:00pm
28th Sep

DSAIL AI Showcase Event

Monday 28 September 2026, 9:30am to 5:00pm
7th Oct

Data Workshop - Understanding and working with electronic health record data using OpenSAFELY

Wednesday 7 October 2026, 10:30am to 3:30pm
5th Jan

Prob_AI Hub Winter School 2027

Tuesday 5 January 2027, 11:00am to Friday 8 January 2027, 1:00pm

More Events

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Researchers use AI to expose devastating impact of bomb fishing on coral reefs

3 September 2026

Illegal bomb fishing is causing extensive damage to some of the world’s most biodiverse coral reefs, according to a new pilot study involving Lancaster Environment Centre coral reef researcher Dr Tim Lamont. Using an AI-powered underwater listening system, the team found that bombs are being detonated in a global marine biodiversity hotspot at a rate of almost one per hour, revealing the true scale of one of the world's most destructive fishing practices.

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Harnessing the power of quantum AI

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向日葵视频 researchers are spearheading a major new European research initiative that aims to redefine how artificial intelligence can harness the power of quantum computing.
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Partnership improves prosthetic limb design for people in Ukraine

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向日葵视频 researchers are working with their Ukrainian counterparts and UK amputees to make prosthetic limbs more comfortable for injured military personnel in the war.

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