The Data Research, Innovation and Virtual Environments (DRIVE) unit is a small team focused on our vision to introduce innovation for the benefit of paediatric healthcare. Our team has a diverse and wide range of expertise - from the intricacies of data engineering to transformative project management experience. Our collaborative approach and partnerships allow us to both lend our expertise, and lean on that of others.
You can find out more about our team members in this section.
Leadership Team
Professor Andrew Taylor, Director of Innovation
Andrew has worked at UCL and GOSH for nearly 20 years. He is an expert in cardiovascular imaging and has established the Centre for Cardiovascular MR at UCL & GOSH. Andrew has developed innovative ways for imaging children, been at the forefront of bringing percutaneous valve implantation devices into clinical practice and pioneered the development of 3D printing and Virtual Reality (VR) in heart disease for clinicians, patients and teaching.
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In January 2021, Andrew became the Director of Innovation at GOSH to develop the Data, Research, Innovation & Virtual Environments (DRIVE) unit, the Cell & Gene Therapy manufacturing facility, and create a new Paediatric Innovation hub.
Dr Shankar Sridharan, Chief Clinical Information Officer
Shankar is a Consultant Fetal and Paediatric Cardiologist and has worked at GOSH since 2001. Shankar is the Trust’s Chief Clinical Information Officer, providing clinical leadership and direction for the Trust’s Electronic Patient Record Programme, and is responsible for promoting clinical engagement. Shankar is also one of the founding Directors of DRIVE, leading on the design and delivery, and sits on the DRIVE Board.
Professor Neil Sebire, Chief Research Information Officer
Neil is a Consultant and Professor of Paediatric and Developmental Pathology at GOSH and UCL ICH, a founding Fellow of the Faculty of Clinical Informatics and an experienced clinical academic, having authored over 750 clinical research papers and supervised numerous student projects. Neil is the Trust’s Chief Research Information Officer providing direction for the research aspects of the Electronic Patient Record Programme and is one of the founding Directors of DRIVE.
Stephen Mathew, Head of Innovation
Stephen has a scientific background and experience in web and app development. In 2013 he joined GOSH and has worked across several services including design and development of the Electronic Patient Record, a staff training programme and a manager in operations across Laboratories, Pharmacy and Biomedical Engineering, where he has led on innovative service improvement projects.
In July 2021 Stephen assumed the role of Service Manager for Innovation and managed the Cell and Gene Therapy service and a team of DRIVE project managers.
He now provides the general management for both DRIVE and the Cell and Gene Therapy service.
Sarah Newcombe, Chief Nursing Information Officer (CNIO)
Sarah has been CNIO at GOSH since 2018, she was privileged to lead the clinical teams through a Trust wide implementation of an enterprise Electronic Patient Record, which led to HiMMS level 6/7 accreditation.
Sarah has been part of the Digital Health CNIO network since 2017, joining when she was awarded the Digital Health London Pioneers award for Digital Leadership. This year Sarah has completed the NHS Digital Academy and has been appointed CNIO NHSE/I London region. Sarah is keen to support our diverse workforce to use data and incorporate technology to improve the way they deliver care.
Christopher Rockenbach, Commercial Director
Chris is responsible for generating and reviewing commercial opportunities across a wide portfolio at GOSH. He is a qualified Accountant who has worked at GOSH since 2000. His exposure to public and industry partners in the UK and Internationally, has facilitated the development of a unique skill set and knowledge within his field.
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Prior to this role Chris was the Head of Business and Finance and then the General Manager of the International and Private Care directorate at GOSH, and also facilitated the establishment of many new treatments and therapies including CAR T-cell therapy for leukaemia.
Shiren Patel, Innovation Technology Consultant & Interim Head of the Digital Research Environment
Shiren joined DRIVE in 2022 as the Innovation Technology Consultant to facilitate implementation and provide direction for DRIVE’s Data and Digital Strategies.
In September 2023, Shiren took on the additional role of Interim Head of the Digital Research Environment (DRE). Shiren is responsible for setting the DRE strategy to leverage multimodal data with cutting-edge AI techniques, adhering to best practices in software engineering and Reproducible Analytical Pipelines (RAP). This strategy fosters expansion of data, platforms, and applications, including federated analytics, which will fuel collaborative efforts and advanced research in paediatric diagnosis, treatment, and care.
Shiren initially joined GOSH in 2021 as the Head of Enterprise Applications and has extensive experience in IT and digital infrastructure roles within the NHS.
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