Dr Will Jones

I am a Senior Lecturer in the Centre of Excellence for Data Science, AI, and Modelling (DAIM), here at the University of Hull. I also hold an Honorary Contract with Hull University Teaching Hospitals (HUTH), NHS, as a Researcher in Medical Oncology. In both roles, I specialise in the development and evaluation of AI as a medical device (AIaMD) for disease diagnosis and prediction.

I am the AI lead for the ~£11 million NIHR Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Research at Hull and a co-investigator on a ~£600,000 EPSRC project applying Bayes’ Theorem to optimise trial designs for medical diagnostics. I lead an ~£40,000 Edge AI project for supporting breast cancer MDTs, and a ~£40,000 NHS project predicting exacerbations in COPD, and am also involved in many other AI and healthcare projects. Finally, I am the Digital, AI and Data Science lead for Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance Research Collaborative.

Before joining Hull in 2023, I spent approx. six years as a Senior NHS Healthcare Scientist at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, while also working as a Senior Methodologist and Manager at the NIHR Newcastle In Vitro Diagnostics Co-operative. There, I co-led a team of NHS and university scientists focused on evaluating and validating new medical diagnostics, including AI technologies. Over my career, I have contributed to over 20 medical test development and evaluation projects, securing around £20 million in research and commercial funding.

I have published on clinical studies, medical statistics, health economics, systematic reviews for medical tests, qualitative medical research, evidence generation methodologies for AI technologies, alongside my primary technical work in AIaMD .

I serve on the NIHR Doctoral Award Funding Commitee (2026-2029), and perform ad hoc grant reviewing for Innovate, EPSRC, NIHR (i4i programme), AHRC and others.

I am authoring a forthcoming book, 'AI as a Medical Device for Disease Diagnosis, Prediction and Individuated Treatment', contracted with Oxford University Press, due Spring 2027.