DATA Lead: Dr Silvia Del Din
Reader (Associate Professor) in Digital Healthcare for Translational Applications
Data that matters, Measures you can trust
The DATA team advances validated digital health solutions that use wearable technology and innovative analytics to support real-world monitoring and personalised care in ageing and age-related conditions.
The Digital Healthcare Applications for Translational Advancement (DATA) Team brings together expertise in biomedical engineering, data science, clinical research, and digital health innovation.
We focus on developing validated, objective, and clinically meaningful digital health measures using wearable technology and advanced analytics, including advanced signal processing methods and AI.
Our research centres on quantifying real-world functions (e.g., mobility, activity, sedentary behaviour, and fatigue) to better understand symptoms and disease progression in ageing, neurodegenerative, and long-term conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.
By working closely with clinicians, industry partners, and people with lived experience, the DATA team aims to translate validated digital outcomes into tools that support remote monitoring, inform personalised care, and ultimately improve quality of life.
DATA-Team
We value diversity and collaboration.
Our multidisciplinary team brings together researchers with different backgrounds in biomedical engineering, data science, clinical neuroscience, and digital health.
We combine varied perspectives and expertise to develop, validate, and translate digital health measures.
Postdoctoral Research Associates
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Dr Metin Bicer
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Dr Cameron Kirk
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Dr Kirsty Scott
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Dr Aron Syversen
PhD & MD Students
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Miss Emma Packer
NUAcT PhD Student
PhD Title: Leveraging digital health technology and insights from people with Parkinson’s to explore medication effect on real-world mobility
Supervisors: Dr Silvia Del Din, Dr Lisa Alcock, Prof Alison Yarnall, Prof Jaume Bacardit
Email: e.packer@newcastle.ac.uk
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Mr Mohammadreza Sedghi
NIHR Newcastle BRC PhD Student
PhD Title: Discovering digital biomarkers of activity and sleep in ageing and diverse neurological populations
Supervisors: Dr Rachael Lawson, Dr Lisa Alock, Dr Silvia Del Din, Prof John-Paul Taylor
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Miss Jenny Wales
Newcastle NIHR BRC PhD Student
PhD Title: Characterising Sedentary Behaviour Across the Spectrum of Cognitive Impairment Using Digital Technology (SedCog)
Supervisors: Dr Ríona Mc Ardle, Dr Silvia Del Din, Dr Chloe Hinchcliffe, Prof Alison Yarnall
Email: j.wales3@newcastle.ac.uk
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Miss Claire Wilkinson
NIHR Newcastle PhD Student
PhD Title: Characterizing and validating turn strategies in the real-world in people with Parkinson’s disease
Supervisors: Dr Lisa Alcock, Dr Silvia Del Din, Prof Lynn Rochester, Dr Kirsty Alcock
Email: c.wilkinson8@necastle.ac.uk
Visiting Researchers
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Paolo Tasca
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Charlotte Lang
DATA-TEAM Studies
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CiC-PD
Translating digital healthcare to enhance clinical management: evaluating the effect of medication on mobility in people with Parkinson’s disease
Funder: MRC, EPSRC & NIHRPrincipal Investigator: Dr Silvia Del Din
Team members: Emma Packer, Dr Kirsty Scott
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MRC Multimorbidity Project
Real-world gait in people with multiple long-term conditions
Funder: Medical Research Council (MRC)Principal Investigator: Professor Ioannis Vogiatzis
Co-Investigators: Dr Silvia Del Din, Dr Lisa Alcock
Team members: Dr Kirsty Scott
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TORUS
Transforming the Objective Real-world measUrement of Symptoms
Funder: EPSRCDirectors: Professor Ian Craddock (University of Bristol), Professor Lynn Rochester (NU)
Co-Investigators: Dr Silvia Del Din, Professor Alison Yarnall
Team members: Dr Lisa Alcock, Dr Kirsty Scott, Dr Chloe Hinchliffe
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TraPCAf
Transforming Parkinson’s Care in Africa
Funder: NIHRPrincipal Investigator: Prof Richard Walker
Co-Investigators: Dr Silvia Del Din, Prof Lynn Rochester
Team members: Dr Ríona Mc Ardle, Dr Cameron Kirk, Metin Bicer, Jack Lumsdon
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SUSTAIN Mobilise-D
Funder: EU-IMI & EPFIA
Principle Investigator: Silvia Del Din
Co-Investigators: Prof Lynn Rochester, Dr Lisa Alcock
Collaborating Institution: University College Dublin
Team members: Dr Metin Bicer, Dr Lou Sutcliffe
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EJS-ACT PD
The Edmond J. Safra Accelerating Clinical Trials for Parkinson’s Disease: Digital Measures Study
Funder: Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme, an MRC and NIHR partnership, Cure Parkinson’s, The Michael J Fox Foundation, Parkinson’s UK, The John Black Charitable Foundation, The Gatsby Charitable Foundation and Van Andel Institute
Principle Investigator: Prof Camille Carroll
Co-Investigators: Prof Alison Yarnall, Dr Lisa Alcock
Team Members: Dr Lou Sutcliffe, Dr Silvia Del-Din, Hugo Hiden, Dr Lisa Alcock ; Dr Marie-Louise Zeissler ; Dr Ellen Silva
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ActivNap
Discovering digital biomarkers of activity and sleep in ageing and diverse neurological populations
Funder: NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
Principle Investigator: Dr Rachael Lawson
Co-Investigators: Dr Lisa Alcock, Dr Siliva Del Din
Team members: Mohammadreza Sedghi
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IDEA-FAST
Identifying Digital Endpoints to Assess FAtigue, Sleep and TacTivities of daily living in Neurodegenerative disorders and Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases
Funders: EU-IMI & EPFIA
Principle Investigator: Fai Ng
Co-Investigators: Prof Lynn Rochester, Prof Alison Yarnall, Dr Silvia Del Din
Team members: Phil Brown, Heather Hunter, Dr Ellen Silva, Dr Chloe Hinchliffe
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Mobilise-D
Connecting digital MOBILty assessment to clinical outcomes for regulatory and clinical endorsement
Funder: EU-IMI & EPFIA
Principle Investigator: Prof Lynn Rochester
Co-investigators: Prof Alison Yarnall, Dr Silvia Del Din
Team members: Phil Brown, Dr Lisa Alcock, Heather Hunter, Dr Cam Kirk
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ICICLE-Gait
A prospective study of gait as a biomarker for cognitive decline in Parkinson’s Disease
Funder: Parkinson’s UK, NIHR and Peggy Coates Bequest
Principle Investigator: Professor Lynn Rochester
Team members: Dr Lisa Alcock, Dr Silvia Del Din
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NortHFutures
Northern Health Futures Hub
Funder: EPSRC
Directors: Prof Abigail Durrant, Prof Naeem Soomro
Co-investigators: Dr Silvia Del Din