James Fox · Cambridge, UK · james-fox.com

Experience & CV

From a fermentation lab to bioinformatics and applied AI. The tools have changed along the way; making complicated work a little simpler is still the bit I enjoy.

Download CV (PDF)

Career

  1. – present

    AstraZeneca · Enterprise AI

    Senior AI Applied Innovation Specialist

    • Built a RAG discovery tool from scratch to help colleagues find projects and subject-matter experts, leading to ongoing collaboration with a Senior Director.
    • Developing a work-intelligence decision graph to connect individual, project and company goals.
    • Explored Claude Cowork plugins for C-suite and Senior Executive Team use, focusing on stability and security.
    More about the discovery tool

  2. –

    AstraZeneca · Informatics / BioPharma R&D

    Senior Data Scientist

    • Extended RNAopt with batch processing and a REST API, allowing sequence-optimisation jobs to be submitted beyond the web interface.
    • Developed a multi-objective optimisation algorithm exploring a 3D Pareto frontier while preserving optimised RNA secondary structure. The work demonstrated improved expression, was runner-up in the AZ R&D awards and has a patent pending.
    • Line-managed an L7 Bioinformatics Apprentice and an industrial-placement student, and led recruitment that tripled the team during its Barcelona expansion.
    • Maintained application servers and certificates, with GxP technical ownership supporting clinical work and infectious-disease vigilance.
    • Received recognition for exceptional contribution.
    More about RNAopt

  3. –

    AstraZeneca

    Data Scientist

    • Moved into a full-time role after the apprenticeship, building web applications with gRPC and Java servlets.
    • Developed a thread-safe web application for computational sequence optimisation.
    • Served as departmental social lead and founded and chaired the AZ Apprentice Social Society.

  4. –

    AstraZeneca

    L7 Apprentice Bioinformatics Scientist

    • Built applications supporting laboratory workflows while studying part-time for an MSc in Applied Bioinformatics.
    • Independently deployed a therapeutic-lineage visualisation application after one year.
    • Volunteered as apprentice charity treasurer and contributed to Science Industry Partnership outreach and taskforce work.

  5. –

    GSK · Worthing · Industrial placement

    Fermentation Scientist

    • Built a feed-rate calculator to reduce manual effort and errors in fermentation work.
    • Took part in careers outreach and represented GSK at the Big Bang Science Fair.

Education

–

MSc Applied Bioinformatics

Cranfield University · Part-time

Distinction, 85%. Studied alongside my apprenticeship, with module marks of 94% in Python and 88% in Java.

Led the 10-week MapOptics group project, which achieved 87%.

–

BSc Biological Sciences

Bournemouth University

First-class honours, 84%. Included an industrial-placement year in fermentation science at GSK.

Earlier education

Hills Road Sixth Form College, Sep 2013 – Jun 2015: Biology, Mathematics and Chemistry.

Bassingbourn Village College, Sep 2008 – Jun 2013: 10 GCSEs, including Mathematics, Science and English.

Tools & skills

Languages & interfaces
JavaScript, TypeScript, Java and Python. Vanilla web development, React and Next.js.
AI & data
RAG, LLM integrations, Claude plugins and skills. Pandas, scikit-learn and NumPy.
Applications & infrastructure
Docker, AWS, gRPC, REST APIs, three-tier architecture and GxP application-server ownership.
Databases
Oracle and PostgreSQL, with Neo4j as an ongoing self-directed learning project.