Nik Whitehead
Senior Lecturer
Background
Dr Nik Whitehead is Associate Professor in Applied Computing with a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction and over 25 years’ experience across academia and industry. She has held senior roles in software engineering and GIS to leadership positions in computing education, including Head of School and Vice-Dean Iceland, and led programme development in computing and data science.
At UWTSD, she supervises doctoral research and co-chairs the Research Ethics Committee. Nik’s work spans usability, data visualisation, and ethical applications of AI. She is active in public engagement, delivering talks on science, technology, and ethics for organisations such as Airbus, the Royal Institute of Philosophy, and science festivals. Her recent focus includes promoting AI literacy and ethical practice in higher education through staff development and sector-wide initiatives.
Specialist Subjects
- Human-Computer Interaction and Usability
- Data Visualisation and Data Science
- Digital Health and Health Informatics
- Generative AI and Technology Ethics
- Science Communication and Public Engagement
Professional and/or Research Experience
Dr Whitehead has over twenty-five years of experience bridging academia and industry. Early in her career, she developed GIS and survey software before moving into technical training and process improvement. She subsequently held senior academic roles at the University of Akureyri, including Head of School of Computing and Vice-Dean, where she led curriculum development and academic quality, and expanded research capacity.
At UWTSD, she has designed and validated multiple computing programmes, contributed extensively to the supervision of MSc and PhD projects, and served as an external examiner for institutions across the UK. She is a consultant and trainer to NHS Wales on data visualisation and human-data interaction and has advised health boards on projects such as PROMS dashboards.
Dr Whitehead also contributes to ethics and governance groups, including the NHS Wales Digital Services for Patients and Public and the Engineering Professors Council’s Ethics Advisory Group.
At UWTSD, she has designed and validated multiple computing programmes, contributed extensively to the supervision of MSc and PhD projects, and served as an external examiner for institutions across the UK. She is a consultant and trainer to NHS Wales on data visualisation and human-data interaction and has advised health boards on projects such as PROMS dashboards.
Dr Whitehead also contributes to ethics and governance groups, including the NHS Wales Digital Services for Patients and Public and the Engineering Professors Council’s Ethics Advisory Group.
Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction, University of Dundee
- Thesis: An Investigation of Eye Monitoring and Task Discrimination in the Human-Computer Interface
- M.Sc. in Computer Science, University of Dundee
- B.Sc. (Hons.) in Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of St Andrews
- Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (Post-Compulsory Education and Training), University of Wales, Newport
Languages Spoken
English (native)
Conversational French and a little Icelandic
Conversational French and a little Icelandic
Professional Membership or Roles
Vice-Chair, NHS Wales Digital Services for Patients and Public Ethical and Information Governance Assurance Group
Member, Engineering Professors Council Ethics Case Studies Advisory Group
Member, Royal Institution
Member, Interaction Design Foundation
Judge and Assessor for NHS Hack Day Cardiff, Big Bang Wales, and EESW competitions
External Examiner for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at Swansea University, Arden University, Napier University, York St John University, and the International University of Malaya Wales
Academic Teaching
Professional Publications
- Selected Papers
- Occupational incidence of bladder cancer amongst veteran ammunition technicians of the British Army.
- Collett G, Bashford T, Whitehead NJ, Kazimierska E, Swamy GVK, Jones RJ, Van Hemelrijck M, Bryan RT.
- BJU Int. 2025 Mar 22. doi: 10.1111/bju.16678. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40120631.
- A cost-effective recycled aggregates classification procedure for construction and demolition waste evaluation
- Juan A Ferriz-Papi, Edward Weekes, Nik Whitehead, Angela Lee,
- Construction and Building Materials, Volume 324, 2022, 126642, ISSN 0950-0618,
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.126642.
- (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950061822003336)
- Utilising the FOXS Stack for FAIR Architected Data Access.
- Meredith J, Whitehead N, Dacey M.
- Stud Health Technol Inform. 2021 Nov 18;287:134-138.
- DOI: 10.3233/SHTI210832. PMID: 34795097.
- OpenEHR Based Contextual Problem List
- Meredith, J., NcNicoll, I., Whitehead, N., and Dacey, M.
- Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 27 May 2021, 281:490-491
- DOI: 10.3233/SHTI210209 PMID: 34042615
- Defining the Contextual Problem List.
- Meredith, J., NcNicoll, I., Whitehead, N., and Ademoye, K.
- Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 01 Jun 2020, 270:567-571 DOI: 10.3233/shti200224 PMID: 32570447
- Practical evaluation of velocity effects on the magnetic flux leakage technique for storage tank inspection.
- Pullen, A.L., Charlton, P.C., Pearson, N.R., and Whitehead, N.J.
- BINDT Insight, Volume 62, No. 2, pp73-80.
- Magnetic Flux Leakage Scanning Velocities for Tank Floor Inspection
- Pullen, A.L., Charlton, P.C., Pearson, N.R., and Whitehead, N.J.
- IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, Volume 54, Issue 9, September 2018.
- Learning Beacons – Using the Internet of Things to Deliver Health and Safety Materials in Student Workshops
- N. Whitehead, C. Telford
- Proceedings, 10th International Conference of Education, Research & Innovation (ICERI2017) pp. 91-94. 16-18 November 2017, Seville.
Available to Supervise Doctoral Students
Yes