Umer Zeeshan Ijaz

Background

About Umer Zeeshan Ijaz

I have over 25 years of work experience in developing scientific software, bespoke analytical strategies, and engineered systems, last 13 years of which were spent in applying Numerical Ecology and Machine Learning principles to "big" datasets originating from omics techniques, with wider applications in environmental, agricultural, and medical sciences. To date, my research is supported by £22M+ grant income as a Principal Investigator/Co-Investigator/International Participant. The grants have resulted in 240+ research publications (with 11K+ citations in Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en & In terms of total citations in Google Scholar, I am currently 3rd most cited in the world in Information Engineering; and 5th most cited in the world in Numerical Ecology. My collective experiences have trained me to be a Research Leader (I lead with Empathy, Inclusivity, and a clear Perspective), with core competencies being Collegiality, Collaboration, and Communication. I have mentored/supervised 220+ students/staffs at numerous stages of their career (Undergraduate, MSc, PhD, PostDoc, Fellowship, and Academic projects) with 45 PhD students who have successfully defended their theses through my contributions. Developing analytical strategies have played a pivotal role in identifying and analysing critical patterns in datasets from diverse sources. These advancements whilst working with national and international research groups have directly contributed to the creation of groundbreaking products and engineered systems, while also supporting the publication of key research papers that have advanced scientific understanding and discovery in the field. Additionally, my work has led to influencing policy documents and clinical guidelines; and formation of several Spin Offs. My non-academic impact includes references in: Wikipedia (influence on public discourse, education, and global knowledge dissemination); Patents (influence on business, industry, and innovation); and Blogs and News outlets (measure of real-world attention).