Shikta Das PhD, MBA, MPhil, MSc

Shikta Das is passionate about applying her expertise in genomics and bioinformatics to problem-solving and data analytics, with the goal of finding innovative healthcare solutions that enable better monitoring, diagnostics, and outcome delivery for patients and health systems. She is currently working as a Scientific Lead in Real-World Evidence (RWE) at AstraZeneca and also serves as an Honorary Lecturer in Epidemiology at University College London (UCL). Her scientific research focuses on a range of chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, neuro-cognitive disorders, and oncology.

She earned her Master’s degree in Bioinformatics from Birkbeck College and completed her Ph.D. in Epidemiology at Imperial College London. She has held various research positions at both Imperial College and UCL—two of the world’s top-ranked universities. Over the past four years, she has worked with leading pharmaceutical companies as a Senior Data Scientist. As an Honorary Lecturer, she currently teaches epidemiological modules to MBBS, MSc, and Ph.D. candidates at UCL.

In the past year, she has had several media appearances. One of her studies, focusing on the genomics of cardio-metabolic associations using longitudinal data in ethnic groups, was featured on BBC More or Less. Her analysis of the disproportionate COVID-19 risk in BAME communities was published on the BBC London News website. She has also been invited to speak on LBC Radio about the genetic factors contributing to higher mortality in BAME populations during the pandemic. Additionally, she appeared on Al Jazeera to discuss her research on the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes in BAME communities. She has hosted two successful podcasts exploring mathematical modeling of COVID-19 and comorbidity risks in BAME groups.

She has served as Co-Chair of the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) International Development Section, and as a member of both the RSS Data Ethics Committee and its COVID-19 Task Force. She is currently a STEM Ambassador and an active member of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) in London.