People

Dr Osama Mahmoud

Lecturer
School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science (SMSAS)
Dr Osama Mahmoud

Profile

Biography

Dr Osama Mahmoud has joined the School of Mathematics, Statistics, and Actuarial Sciences as a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Data Science and Statistics in April 2020. Osama holds a PhD in Statistics from the University of Essex. He is the Essex Local Network Lead (LNL) at the UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN), and a Honorary Senior Researcher at the University of Bristol Medical School. Dr Osama is the first author of the Slope-Hunter method, a robust cutting-edge statistical method for bias correction in conditional genome-wide association studies, which has been published in the prestigious 'Nature Communications' journal in 2022. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Osama is the Director of the BSc Data Science and Analytics programme, and the Deputy Director of Research at the School of Mathematics, Statistics, and Actuarial Sciences. Osama has particular interests in Predictive Modelling, Health Data Science, Machine Learning, Bio and Medical Statistics, Data Visualisation, Causal Inference, and Explainable AI. Dr Osama has presented his research at several international conferences and workshops as an invited speaker and has published articles in reputable world-leading journals in the areas of methodological and applied Statistics, Machine Learning and Data Science. In 2020, Osama has launched a new module on programming and text analytics and co-developed a module on data visualisation and dynamic reporting. Osama has consistently obtained research funding to support his projects in Data Science and theoretical and applied Statistics. He has established strong collaborations with several international bodies and industrial partners such as United Nations Development Programme, Rolls Royce Motor Cars, and Recruitment Smart. Dr Osama has developed many Data Science and Statistical techniques, e.g., 'Proportion Overlapping Score' (POS), 'Slope-Hunter' (SH), and has authored several Data Science open-source tools that are available from the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN) and his GitHub account. Osama has delivered a number of short courses for a wide range of audience in the areas of Machine Learning and Medical Statistics at national and international sites, including ICTP in Italy, EuADS in Luxumbourg, University of Essex and University of Bristol in the UK. Osama is an active member in the British Data Science Society.

Appointments

University of Essex

  • Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Data Science & Statistics, Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Essex (1/4/2020 - present)

Other academic

  • Honarary Senior Research Associate in Medical Statistics, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol (1/4/2020 - present)

  • Senior Research Associate in Medical Statistics, School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol (1/1/2019 - 31/3/2020)

  • Senior Research Associate in Medical Statistics, MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU), University of Bristol (1/1/2019 - 31/3/2020)

  • Senior Research Associate in Medical Statistics, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical school, University of Bristol (1/1/2017 - 31/12/2018)

  • Post-doctoral Research Associate in Statistics, NIHR Nutrition Biomedical Research Unit, University of Bristol (1/4/2015 - 31/12/2016)

Research and professional activities

Research interests

Medical Statistics and Genetic epidemiology

Key words: Genetic epidemiology
Open to supervise

Causal inference in public health

Key words: Genome wide association studies
Open to supervise

Data Science and Machine Learning

Key words: Classification
Open to supervise

Predictive modelling

Key words: Predictive modelling
Open to supervise

Current research

Machine Learning Methods for Precision Medicine

Improving predictive modelling via ensemble learning and feature reduction

Methods for collider bias correction in genome-wide association studies

Longitudinal studies of health-related outcomes

Analysing longitudinal data to gain insights into modifiable early-life risk factors of health-related outcomes, e.g. lung function, cardiovascular conditions, asthma.

Driving Value through AI Adoption in Assembly lines of Motor Cars manufacturing

Working with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Profusion Media Limited on driving values using AI with Assembly line data.

Conferences and presentations

Slope-Hunter: A robust method for collider bias correction in conditional genome-wide association studies

Invited presentation, Keynote presentation, International Bioinformatics Conference, IBC Morocco 2021, Tangier, Morocco, 27/12/2021

Publications

Journal articles (26)

Granell, R., Haider, S., Deliu, M., Ullah, A., Mahmoud, O., Fontanella, S., Lowe, L., Simpson, A., Dodd, JW., Arshad, SH., Murray, CS., Roberts, G., Hughes, A., Park, C., Holloway, JW. and Custovic, A., (2024). Lung function trajectories from school age to adulthood and their relationship with markers of cardiovascular disease risk. Thorax. 79 (8), 770-777

Mahmoud, O., Granell, R., Peralta, GP., Garcia-Aymerich, J., Jarvis, D., Henderson, J. and Sterne, J., (2023). Early-life and health behaviour influences on lung function in early-adulthood.. European Respiratory Journal. 61 (3), 2001316-2001316

Mahmoud, O., Dudbridge, F., Davey Smith, G., Munafo, M. and Tilling, K., (2022). A robust method for collider bias correction in conditional genome-wide association studies. Nature Communications. 13 (1), 619-

Sillero-Rejon, C., Mahmoud, O., Tamayo, RM., Clavijo-Alvarez, AA., Adams, S. and Maynard, OM., (2022). Standardised packs and larger health warnings: visual attention and perceptions among Colombian smokers and non-smokers.. Addiction. 117 (6), 1737-1747

Cai, S., Hartley, A., Mahmoud, O., Tilling, K. and Dudbridge, F., (2022). Adjusting for collider bias in genetic association studies using instrumental variable methods. Genetic Epidemiology. 46 (5-6), 303-316

Talaei, M., Hughes, DA., Mahmoud, O., Emmett, PM., Granell, R., Guerra, S. and Shaheen, SO., (2021). Dietary intake of vitamin A, lung function, and incident asthma in childhood.. European Respiratory Journal. 58 (4), 2004407-2004407

Khan, Z., Gul, A., Perperoglou, A., Miftahuddin, M., Mahmoud, O., Adler, W. and Lausen, B., (2020). Ensemble of Optimal Trees, Random Forest and Random Projection Ensemble Classification. Advances in Data Analysis and Classification. 14 (1), 97-116

Roda, C., Mahmoud, O., Peralta, GP., Fuertes, E., Granell, R., Serra, I., Henderson, J., Jarvis, D. and Garcia-Aymerich, J., (2020). Physical-activity trajectories during childhood and lung function at 15 years: findings from the ALSPAC cohort.. International Journal of Epidemiology. 49 (1), 131-141

Fuertes, E., Markevych, I., Thomas, R., Boyd, A., Granell, R., Mahmoud, O., Heinrich, J., Garcia-Aymerich, J., Roda, C., Henderson, J. and Jarvis, D., (2020). Residential greenspace and lung function up to 24 years of age: The ALSPAC birth cohort.. Environment International. 140, 105749-105749

Yang, AS., Richard, BM., Wills, AK., Mahmoud, O., Sandy, JR. and Ness, AR., (2020). Closer to the Truth on National Fistula Prevalence After Unilateral Complete Cleft Lip and Palate Repair? The Cleft Care UK Study.. Cleft Palate: Craniofacial Journal. 57 (1), 5-13

Peralta, GP., Fuertes, E., Granell, R., Mahmoud, O., Roda, C., Serra, I., Jarvis, D., Henderson, J. and Garcia-Aymerich, J., (2019). Childhood Body Composition Trajectories and Adolescent Lung Function. Findings from the ALSPAC study.. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 200 (1), 75-83

Oksel, C., Granell, R., Mahmoud, O., Custovic, A., Henderson, AJ. and Breathing Together investigators, STELAR., (2019). Causes of variability in latent phenotypes of childhood wheeze.. Allergy & clinical immunology international. 143 (5), 1783-1790.e11

Gul, A., Perperoglou, A., Khan, Z., Mahmoud, O., Miftahuddin, M., Adler, W. and Lausen, B., (2018). Ensemble of a subset of kNN classifiers. Advances in Data Analysis and Classification. 12 (4), 827-840

Minelli, C., van der Plaat, DA., Leynaert, B., Granell, R., Amaral, AFS., Pereira, M., Mahmoud, O., Potts, J., Sheehan, NA., Bowden, J., Thompson, J., Jarvis, D., Davey Smith, G. and Henderson, J., (2018). Age at puberty and risk of asthma: A Mendelian randomisation study.. PLoS Medicine. 15 (8), e1002634-e1002634

Candler, TP., Mahmoud, O., Lynn, RM., Majbar, AA., Barrett, TG. and Shield, JPH., (2018). Continuing rise of Type 2 diabetes incidence in children and young people in the UK.. Diabetic Medicine. 35 (6), 737-744

Mahmoud, O., Granell, R., Tilling, K., Minelli, C., Garcia-Aymerich, J., Holloway, JW., Custovic, A., Jarvis, D., Sterne, J. and Henderson, J., (2018). Association of Height Growth in Puberty with Lung Function. A Longitudinal Study.. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 198 (12), 1539-1548

Candler, TP., Mahmoud, O., Lynn, RM., Majbar, AA., Barrett, TG. and Shield, JPH., (2018). Treatment adherence and BMI reduction are key predictors of HbA1c 1 year after diagnosis of childhood type 2 diabetes in the United Kingdom.. Pediatric Diabetes. 19 (8), 1393-1399

Candler, T., Mahmoud, O., Edge, J. and Hamilton-Shield, J., (2017). Hypercholesterolaemia screening in Type 1 diabetes: a difference of opinion.. Diabetic Medicine. 34 (7), 983-986

Smallridge, J., Wills, AK., Mahmoud, O., Chong, A., Clark, V., Collard, M., Sandy, JR. and Ness, AR., (2017). Centre-level variation in dental treatment and oral health and individual- and area-level predictors of oral health in 5-year-old children with non-syndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate: the Cleft Care UK study. Part 3.. Orthodontics and Craniofacial Research. 20 (S2), 19-26

Hall, A., Wills, AK., Mahmoud, O., Sell, D., Waylen, A., Grewal, S., Sandy, JR. and Ness, AR., (2017). Centre-level variation in outcomes and treatment for otitis media with effusion and hearing loss and the association of hearing loss with developmental outcomes at ages 5 and 7 years in children with non-syndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate: The Cleft Care UK study. Part 2.. Orthodontics and Craniofacial Research. 20 (S2), 8-18

Sell, D., Southby, L., Wren, Y., Wills, AK., Hall, A., Mahmoud, O., Waylen, A., Sandy, JR. and Ness, AR., (2017). Centre-level variation in speech outcome and interventions, and factors associated with poor speech outcomes in 5-year-old children with non-syndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate: The Cleft Care UK study. Part 4.. Orthodontics and Craniofacial Research. 20 (S2), 27-39

Broomfield, SJ., Mandavia, AK., Nicholson, JS., Mahmoud, O., King, AT., Rutherford, SA. and Ramsden, RT., (2017). Long-term Quality of Life Following Vestibular Schwannoma Excision Via the Translabyrinthine Approach.. Otology and Neurotology. 38 (8), 1165-1173

Ness, AR., Wills, AK., Mahmoud, O., Hall, A., Sell, D., Smallridge, J., Southby, L., Stokes, D., Toms, S., Waylen, A., Wren, Y. and Sandy, JR., (2017). Centre-level variation in treatment and outcomes and predictors of outcomes in 5-year-old children with non-syndromic unilateral cleft lip treated within a centralized service: the Cleft Care UK study. Part 6: summary and implications.. Orthodontics and Craniofacial Research. 20 (S2), 48-51

Wills, AK., Mahmoud, O., Hall, A., Sell, D., Smallridge, J., Southby, L., Toms, S., Waylen, A., Wren, Y., Ness, AR. and Sandy, JR., (2017). Centre-level variation of treatment and outcome in 5-year-old children with non-syndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate: The Cleft Care UK study. Part 1: Methodology and results for dento-facial outcomes.. Orthodontics and Craniofacial Research. 20 (S2), 1-7

Waylen, A., Mahmoud, O., Wills, AK., Sell, D., Sandy, JR. and Ness, AR., (2017). Centre-level variation in behaviour and the predictors of behaviour in 5-year-old children with non-syndromic unilateral cleft lip: The Cleft Care UK study. Part 5.. Orthodontics and Craniofacial Research. 20 (S2), 40-47

Mahmoud, O., Harrison, A., Perperoglou, A., Gul, A., Khan, Z., Metodiev, MV. and Lausen, B., (2014). A feature selection method for classification within functional genomics experiments based on the proportional overlapping score. BMC Bioinformatics. 15 (1), 274-

Conferences (8)

Cai, S., Hartley, A., Mahmoud, O., Tilling, K. and Dudbridge, F., (2022). Genetic instrumental variables to adjust for collider bias

Fuertes, E., Markevych, I., Boyd, A., Mahmoud, O., Thomas, R., Heinrich, J., Garcia Aymerich, J., Roda, C., Henderson, J. and Jarvis, D., (2019). Lung function up to adolescence and residential greenspace

Minelli, C., Van Der Plaat, D., Leynaert, B., Granell, R., Amaral, AFS., Pereira, M., Mahmoud, O., Potts, J., Thompson, J., Jarvis, D., Davey-Smith, G. and Henderson, J., (2018). The effect of early puberty on asthma in women and men: A Mendelian randomization study

Mahmoud, O., Granell, R., Tilling, K., Minelli, C., Garcia-Aymerich, J., Holloway, J., Custovic, A., Jarvis, D., Sterne, J. and Henderson, J., (2018). Association of height growth in puberty with maximally attained lung function

Candler, T., Mahmoud, O., Lynn, R., Majbar, A., Barrett, T. and Shield, JPH., (2018). Treatment Adherence and Weight Loss Are Key Predictors of HbA1c One Year After Diagnosis of Childhood Type 2 Diabetes in UK

Mahmoud, O., Harrison, A., Gul, A., Khan, Z., Metodiev, MV. and Lausen, B., (2016). Minimizing Redundancy Among Genes Selected Based on the Overlapping Analysis

Gul, A., Khan, Z., Perperoglou, A., Mahmoud, O., Miftahuddin, M., Adler, W. and Lausen, B., (2016). Ensemble of Subset of k-Nearest Neighbours Models for Class Membership Probability Estimation

Khan, Z., Gul, A., Mahmoud, O., Miftahuddin, M., Perperoglou, A., Adler, W. and Lausen, B., (2016). An Ensemble of Optimal Trees for Class Membership Probability Estimation

Grants and funding

2023

To develop a new 'Job Discovery' Natural Language Processing (NLP) Chatbot which will help provide a superlative candidate advice and access to all potential opportunities when visiting the career page of an organisation.

Innovate UK (formerly Technology Strategy Board)

2021

Systematising Data Documentation: An automated framework for documenting health and bioscience data

University of Essex (GCRF)

Rolls Royce PhD studentship

Rolls Royce Motor Company

Optimising translation of an emotional face processing intervention for autistic children

University of Bristol (Funder)

Contact

o.mahmoud@essex.ac.uk
+44 (0) 1206 873025

Location:

3A.523, Colchester Campus