It is time to say goodbye to another group of Year in Industry students who started in our Research Engineering Department last summer. Work placement is a mandatory part of their Computer Science degree and it’s a great opportunity to demonstrate the career of a Research Software Engineer at a University. As our RSE team continues to recruit we want to see more RSEs coming through at an earlier stage in their career.
So how did our students get on this year and what have they been up to over the last 12 months?
Yat (Justin) Leung
What projects have you worked on over the last 12 months and what part did you play?
During the past 12 months, I contributed to multiple projects, however my main projects are Cai Lab webpage and Digital Engineering for Fusion Energy.
The Cai Lab Project was based in the School of Natural Sciences and revamped a web application which keeps track of the details for three types of samples: bacteria, primers, and yeasts. The web application is developed from Spring boot (Java), MySQL and Perl. In this project, I helped gather user requirements, give feedback to the project investor, developed the website, created the user manual and arrange the user testing with the project investor.
The other project I worked on was the Digital Engineering for Fusion Energy which aims to create a digital twin for fusion research through the Omniverse platform by Nvidia. During this project, I was developing visualization and virtual reality to allow users to interact and visualize complex information in realistic stages. Moreover, I was working on workflow tools to simplify and automate processes when running simulations. I was also working on application development, to develop our own custom app based on the Omniverse platform suited for the context of this project.
What did you enjoy most?
During the Cai Lab project, I had the opportunity to engage in a wide range of enriching activities. Working alongside my experienced colleagues was particularly rewarding, as their expertise allowed me to learn a great deal about various technical aspects such as debugging and user testing. I also greatly valued collaborating with the project investor, as it provided a unique opportunity to work together towards the most optimal solutions. I also appreciated the creative freedom I was given to explore different approaches before finalizing a permanent direction. This flexibility enabled the team to ensure the project’s success.
During the Digital Engineering for Fusion Energy project, I had the opportunity to engage in a wide array of exciting activities. I had access to various technologies, including virtual reality and high-performance gaming laptops, which greatly enhanced my learning experience. Additionally, I was privileged to attend interviews and high-level conferences, which expanded my knowledge and network within the field. Collaborating with a diverse group of individuals from various universities and government institutions was particularly rewarding. Furthermore, I was able explore several areas of research, such as fusion physics, material science, high-performance computing, machine learning, workflow engines, and visualization techniques.
Apart from the projects, I also greatly enjoyed participating in various activities organized by the Research Software Engineering team. For instance, the coffee breaks and board game sessions were particularly enjoyable and provided a pleasant break from work. Additionally, I appreciated the friendly atmosphere created by the department, which made the working environment truly enjoyable and supportive.
Anything which surprised you on the job?
There were many aspects of this job that surprised me, but two in particular stood out.
In the Cai Lab, there are significant differences between the development and production versions of our projects. The production environment runs on a virtual machine (VM), resulting in different directory paths and distinct methods for launching applications. These variations require careful adjustments and considerations when transitioning from development to production to ensure smooth operation and functionality.
In the Digital Engineering for Fusion Energy, the project is remarkably versatile, it includes a workflow engine, visualization, application development, machine learning and much more. It is my first time being involved in a large-scale project that spans at least five years, providing a unique and extensive opportunity for development.
Could you imagine working in a similar role after you graduate?
There is a big difference between industrial corporations and research settings. In contrast to the structured and often strict environment of industrial corporate settings, where project managers and investors typically impose strict guidelines and generate higher stress levels, the research setting gave me a different advantage. Here, I had the freedom to explore and experiment with various approaches. This environment not only encouraged creativity but also allowed innovative problem-solving and the exploration of unconventional solutions. It allowed for a more flexible and adaptive approach to project development, enabling us to tackle challenges with greater agility and responsiveness.
What could we as the department do to make Year in Industry placements more attractive?
Promote the exciting and advanced projects that the department is currently working on or has successfully completed. Highlight innovative projects such as the development of cutting-edge virtual reality applications, the creation of various types of web applications for researchers, and the integration of machine learning algorithms in high-performance computing. By showing how these projects push the boundaries of technology and contribute to significant advancements in their respective field will allow the department to attract more placement students.
What advice would you give to the students starting next?
Embrace new opportunities and experiences, as you never know what doors they may open. If you find yourself without a specific project assignment, invest that time in learning and exploring new skills. This investment will be beneficial for future projects.
Hamzah Abbasi
What projects have you worked on over the last 12 months and what part did you play?
Over the last year, my main project was with The Digital Cancer Centre. I worked with them on a digital healthcare product that monitored clinical trial protocol deviations. I was the main developer on the project, and I worked on both front-end and back-end development. The tool was made using Java and Angular, and involved uploading and visualising data which was stored in both a Postgres and SQLite database. The work included writing tests and documentation, as well as working with people from a variety of roles and professions to refine and iterate on the tool, both in terms of UI and functionality.
What did you enjoy most?
I really enjoyed working with the clinicians who would actually benefit from the tool. Hearing firsthand how our work could directly improve clinical trials and patient safety was really rewarding. Working in Agile development meant that we could get iterative feedback as we implemented new features. I also enjoyed communicating technical ideas to people in different roles, and in turn I learnt a lot from them about how working on a collaborative project happens in the workplace. I also got to attend the annual Cancer Research UK conference, which was great and had some thought-provoking talks (and great food)!
Anything which surprised you on the job?
I think what really surprised me was how much independence I had. I am a remote student, so being able to work hybrid worked well for me and gave me a good mix of working in the office and from home. Being able to approach problems from my own perspective and making decisions on how to implement a solution to a particular problem was really fulfilling.
Could you imagine working in a similar role after you graduate?
Definitely! I think for me, it has really influenced the work I do. I feel like I want to work in a role where the projects have a real-world impact. Being able to see the benefits of your work is really rewarding.
What could we as the department do to make Year in Industry placements more attractive?
I’d love to see more collaboration between everyone in Research IT. I know this is already being discussed, but working together with other Research Software Engineers in the department was really fun, and I think it would be great to do it more often. I think sharing examples of past projects that have been worked out could also be useful for students to see what kind of work they’ll be doing.
What advice would you give to the students starting next?
My advice to new starters is to dive into every learning opportunity and don’t be afraid to ask questions or offer your own opinions. You’ll be given a lot of freedom to solve problems in your own way, which may require some research of your own, but there’s also support there if you need it. Also, come to socials, coffee breaks and board games!
So what did the researchers think about our Year In Industry students?
Prof Lee Margetts (School of Engineering) on Justin -
For the last year Justin has been a core member of the Digital Engineering research group. This group was set up as part of a 10 year collaboration agreement with the UK Atomic Energy Authority to further Fusion Energy technology. The group aim has been to develop a digital framework for the design, build and operation of fusion power plants, using NVIDIA’s Omniverse platform.
The Omniverse is primarily a visualisation platform with built-in microservices for real-time physics, AI and robotics. It supports desktop, virtual reality and augmented reality displays. Justin has helped with development work across the project, but his key assignment was to become the visualisation expert, the go to person for everyone else in the team, including collaborators from the University of Oxford and Vanderbilt University in the USA. This meant picking up an unfamiliar tool and developing skills in independent problem solving, addressing the wider needs of the team.
This year the University was awarded a further £2M to develop the concept further, extending the work to the development of Digital Twins in the Henry Royce Institute and the School of Engineering Micro-robotics laboratory. In addition to a written proposal and attending interview, key to winning the award was a video of how engineers would use the digital engineering platform, now known as MCFELab (Manchester Centre for Fusion Energy Laboratory), to design a power plant. As our visualisation lead, Justin played a major role in supporting the development of the video.
We have enjoyed working with Justin, and are sorry to see him return to his undergraduate studies. The team have reserved a desk and a range of toys just in case he decides to come back to the group to study for a PhD.
Fouziah Butt (Business Analyst, Digital Cancer Research) on Hamzah
Hamzah has been our main developer on developing a Protocol Deviation Monitoring digital healthcare product (DHP) and has been key in our progress. Hamzah, albeit an undergraduate student, has excelled and worked to develop the DHP to almost completion of version 1.0 over the course of the year.
Being part of the Digital Cancer Research team at CRUK Manchester Institute, which has direct links with the Christie hospital, has exposed Hamzah to the other teams involved in the project, including clinicians and our Artificial Intelligence team. The interactions with the clinicians have given insights to the project from a clinical perspective and benefits to the patient – this can be a really rewarding aspect as it highlights the impact the development of such a DHP would have in the clinic.
Hamzah has also demonstrated the tool during development on many occasions to wider teams including AI, scientists and clinicians to obtain feedback and make iterative changes as we have progressed through the project, again giving him the exposure to a wider audience and gaining knowledge and insights into how to further develop the DHP.
Hamzah’s contribution has been wider than the development he has actively been involved in Sprint Reviews and Planning sessions, discussions and ideas about how to progress the AI aspect and helped simplify technical requirements to enable non-technical team members to gather and translate the clinical requirements.
The contribution Hamzah has made to the project has been significant as he has brought new ideas to the table and contributed positively to all discussions.
It has been rewarding for the team to work with Hamzah, helping him learn about the work we do and supporting the development of the application but also learning from Hamza when ideating. It was easy to develop a good working relationship with Hamzah and we all worked well as a team which helped accelerate the project.
Albeit only a relatively short amount of time in the group Hamzah has enabled us to work towards releasing version 1.0 of the tool in Q4 of 2024 – a great achievement!