Who am I?

You know I’m a scientist, cancer researcher, and bioinformatician. But what else do I do?

Firstly, I’d say that I’m a maker, albeit an amateur one. I love designing my own solutions to problems that I come across day to day. My 3D printer is almost always running, and usually it’s printing something I designed! But code can be used to solve problems too, some of the largest problems in fact!

My CV

Alexander Newman

📍 Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK | ✉️ alex@bioalex.co.uk

Profile

A genomics and bioinformatics specialist with a PhD in Cancer Research and expertise in data analysis, next-generation sequencing, and biomarker discovery. Passionate about leveraging cutting-edge technologies to improve outcomes. Experienced in academia, healthcare collaborations, and biotech industry partnerships. Strong background in bioinformatics, programming, and laboratory research, with a proven ability to lead projects and mentor researchers.

Employment

Scientific Officer for Genomics - National Horizon Centre, Teesside University (August 2021 – November 2024)

  • Conducted genomics research and supported projects in healthcare, academia, and biotech.

  • Provided expert advice on genomics, bioinformatics, and project design to stakeholders.

  • Designed and delivered bioinformatics training in Bash, R, Python, and NGS tools (SAMtools, BWA, GISTIC2, GATK).

  • Managed bioinformatics servers and ensured efficient computational resources.

  • Developed contract research projects, including budgeting and statistical analysis.

  • Collaborated with sequencing providers and cross-disciplinary research teams.

Postdoctoral Research Associate - Teesside University (February 2020 – July 2021)

  • Led genomic analysis of aggressive paediatric B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

  • Conducted NGS data analysis and statistical modelling of patient outcomes.

Research Interests

  • Genetic determinants of treatment resistance in lymphoma.

  • Bioinformatics approaches for identifying prognostic biomarkers.

  • Application of emerging genomic technologies in disease treatment.

Skills & Expertise

Bioinformatics & Data Science

  • Copy number and somatic variant analysis (GISTIC2, Nexus Copy Number, GATK, MuTect2).

  • RNA-Seq and gene expression analysis (STAR, HTSeq, DESeq2).

  • Data visualization and survival analysis (ggplot2, survminer, GenVisR).

  • Programming: R, Python, Bash.

  • High-performance computing: Linux server administration, cloud computing, pipeline development.

 

Project & Research Management

  • Oversight of genomics lab operations and compliance with HTA regulations.

  • Supervision of PhD students and researchers in bioinformatics and data science.

  • Strategic development of research collaborations with biotech and healthcare partners.

Laboratory

·      Extensive practical experience with Illumina Library Prep, Quality Control with the Agilent Bioanalyzer and Tapestation 4200 systems, Nucleic Acid Extraction from tumour material and design of next-generation sequencing projects.

·      Further experience with Oxford Nanopore MinION and PromethION sequencing, Taqman Assays, Mammalian Tissue Culture, Fluorescence In-situ Hybridisation, PCR, Western Blots, liquid handling systems.

·      Managed 3D printing facilities for custom labware and parts for liquid handling robots.

Publications

  • Newman AM et al. (2022) Genomic abnormalities of TP53 define distinct risk groups of paediatric B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Leukemia 36(3):781-789.

  • Zhou P, Blain AE, Newman AM, et al. (2019) Sporadic and endemic Burkitt lymphoma have frequent FOXO1 mutations but distinct hotspots in the AKT recognition motif. Blood Adv 3(14):2118-2127.

  • Corbett J, Newman AM, et al. (2023) Effect of different levels of acute hypoxia on subsequent oral glucose tolerance in males with overweight: A balanced cross-over pilot feasibility study. Physiological Reports 11(9):e15623.

Education

PhD in Cancer Research (September 2015 – February 2020) - Newcastle University

  • Thesis: Targeting chemoresistance in relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

  • Discovered a prognostic biomarker of disease progression, validated by independent studies.

MRes in Cancer Research (Sept 2014 – Aug 2015) - Newcastle University - Merit-level achievement.

BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences (Oct 2011 – Jul 2014) - Durham University - Class II Division I

Conferences & Presentations

  • Bionow Biofocus Conference (2023, Newcastle, UK) – Chaired session on biotech innovation.

  • Fighting Covid-19 (2021, Online) – Presented research on pandemic response.

  • CCLG Winter Meeting (2021, Online) – Awarded "Best Oral Abstract."

  • 6th International Symposium on Childhood, Adolescent & Young Adult Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (2018, Rotterdam, Netherlands) – Winner of "Best Oral Abstract."

References – available on request