Close
Turing PhD connections at the AI Centre
By Claire Hudson, on 28 October 2025
Last week, we welcomed doctoral students from across the UK for a Turing PhD Connections event – a day dedicated to collaboration and conversation whilst exploring cutting-edge research in data science and artificial intelligence.The event, part of “Turing Connections” series aims to create and strengthen networks among PhD students working in AI and data-driven fields. By connecting early-career researchers across institutions, the initiative seeks to:
-
Develop a more cohesive community of doctoral students across organisations,
-
Enhance student skills and research practices beyond their individual PhD programmes, and
-
Provide opportunities to engage with real-world challenges and applications of data science.
A Day of Ideas and Interaction
The day began with an informal icebreaker and networking session, where students were encouraged to get to know one another and find shared interests across diverse research areas. This activity set a welcoming tone and helped create connections that continued throughout the day.
The core of the event featured 11 engaging student presentations, showcasing the breadth and depth of current doctoral research. Topics spanned human-AI collaboration, healthcare applications, and digital misinformation, including:
-
Trust in human-robot interaction,
-
Automatic assessment of fine-grained levels of pain and related states in chronic pain using multimodal signals, and
-
The effects of different fact-checking interventions on engagement with political misinformation among Republicans.
Each talk highlighted not only innovative technical approaches but also the societal relevance of data science research – from improving patient care and wellbeing to fostering trust in technology and combating misinformation.
The day concluded with a small group activity, giving participants the chance to reflect on shared challenges and successes and discuss opportunities for future collaboration – a fitting end to a day centred on connection and community.
By hosting this Turing PhD Connections event, the CDT ay UCL continues to play an active role in nurturing the next generation of data scientists and AI researchers. The day was a vivid reminder that the future of data science depends not only on technical excellence but also on the strength of the communities we build.