Our Team

Matthew has an unusually diverse background, having worked as a school teacher and a composer of classical music prior to his current role as a data scientist. Working as a teacher refined his ability to clearly convey complex ideas, and he brings an emphasis on quality and precision to his work with data. Matthew particularly enjoys using R, and gets excited about projects that involve web scraping or building applications with shiny.

Outside of work, you’ll probably find Matthew running – either on the slopes of Table Mountain, after a frisbee, or after his one-year-old daughter.

Andrew holds a Masters Degree in Nuclear Physics (North-West University, South Africa), and a PhD in Space Physics (KTH Royal institute of Technology, Sweden).

Having worked on all seven continents, and with experience in academic and commercial environments, Andrew has honed his skills in research, data analysis and scientific computing. Equally importantly, he has refined his ability to teach and communicate, ensuring his knowledge and insights are conveyed in an intuitive and easily accessible way to experts and laymen alike. Technical content in plain English.

Outside of work, Andrew continues to play with computers and data. He also enjoys cooking and gardening (and the outdoors in general). He’s a keen runner (both road and trail) and has slogged his way to a Comrades Marathon Green Number.

Andri holds a doctorate in computational astrophysics, where her primary research centred on developing computer models that simulate the atomic physics within photoionized nebulae. After more than a decade of experience in academia, she decided to enter the dynamic world of data science. She enjoys applying her analytical skills and creative thinking to tackle a wide range of complex problems.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Andri enjoys reading fiction, cooking and interior design.

Awie has a BSc degree in computing (Cum Laude) through the University of South Africa and has always been interested in computers, data and technology. Having worked on complex business solutions as a software and integration developer for over 11 years, Awie has developed the necessary skills to solve a wide variety of software and data problems.

Oustide of work, Awie enjoys spending time with his wife and family, playing games, tinkering in the garage or otherwise riding his motorcycle.

Bianca obtained her PhD in Environmental Sciences (genetics) in 2017, followed by a post-doctoral fellowship at the Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmacen). She is a certified instructor and trainer for The Carpentries and a co-chair of the CODATA-RDA Schools of Research Data Science Working Group. She is passionate about teaching foundational computational skills to people in academia and industry to help them work more efficiently.

In her spare time, she enjoys playing piano, hiking or doing some DIY projects around the house.

As an animal enthusiast studying Zoology & Ecology was a natural choice for Gavin. He is always interested in real-world applications of knowledge so his PhD made use of occupancy modelling to map reptile species' distributions within a managed, grassland reserve. The research aimed to understand and alleviate some of the difficulty associated with studying hard-to-find reptiles.

When Gavin isn’t working you can generally find him in one of three places:

• on the hunt for adventure, looking for (and sometimes finding) snakes, interesting species of lizards, scorpions, spiders, and more,
• Swimming (particularly in open water),
• Hitting a tennis ball.

Another member of the team to have a diverse background James has taught English in South Korea, been an addiction counsellor and worked as a post-graduate lecturer and tutor all while studying Psychology through the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

While working on his Masters James very quickly found himself pulled towards quantitative research. His Masters research, which focused on group behaviour, aimed to simulate an interacting exchange network using an agent-based model while his current PhD research makes use of reinforcement learning integrated within agent based models. The aim of his PhD research is to tap into the mechanisms that generate and sustain inequality in society.

When James isn’t working on his PhD you can find him either camping, crafting something magical at his woodworking station, fishing or whipping up some sourdough!

With a Master’s degree in Bioinformatics, Monique works as a Data Engineer, combining her technical background with a passion for solving challenging problems. Curious by nature, she thrives on learning new things and constantly seeks innovative ways to tackle complex data challenges.

Outside of work, Monique enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, daughter, and their three dogs.

After being a lecturer and cardiovascular researcher (with a PhD in Physiology) for 10+ years, Shani switched from the world of academia to data science.

She now enjoys combining her passion for data analysis, technology and continuous learning to take on new challenges with the Fathom Data team.

After more than a decade in Data Science and Analytics, Shenine recently completed masters degree in Machine Learning and AI. She enjoys problem solving and believes in continuous learning.

Outside of work you will find her in the garden, growing veggies or hiking with her dogs, Chelsea & Finn.

Michelle has an academic background in human biology and holds a PhD focused on developing and optimising computer vision pipelines for biological age estimation from hand radiographs. She is particularly interested in using visual storytelling to communicate complex insights.

Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, running and exploring the outdoors, as well as digital illustration and keeping up with new discoveries in archaeology.

Kalonji is a junior data scientist and molecular biologist who blends his knowledge of microbiology and biomedicine with his enthusiasm for data science.

He developed a fascination for the world of data during his PhD, where he focuses on interpreting complex microbial OMICS data. His academic journey includes roles as a lecturer and academic content developer, where he honed his skills in simplifying intricate subjects. Outside of work, Kalonji enjoys photography, playing musical instruments, and is an enthusiastic traveler.

With a PhD in Environmental Sciences, specifically focusing on Soil Microbiology, Clarissa has a passion for the “world under the microscope”. Her ability to grow any type of cell culture, microorganism, or plant, provides her with a diverse set of skills to master complex systems. She is fascinated by the fact that minuscule units can cooperate, co-exist, and communicate to form a harmonized intricate system.

Data science follows this same trend, and she’s excited when a few lines of code on a computer screen can run a whole website or social media platform. Fascinating!

After hours, Clarissa loves to spend time with her loved ones on the farm, as well as working in her vegetable and rose gardens.