Ryan Gichuru

About me

I’m Ryan Gichuru, an Artificial Intelligence and Data Science student at the University of Northampton, due to graduate in 2026 with First-Class Honours. I build and evaluate AI systems with a focus on clear evidence, careful engineering, and real-world usefulness.

My main interest is single-cell research and the practical ways AI can help make high-dimensional biological data more useful for discovery. I’m especially drawn to work that connects robust evaluation with responsible applications in health and life sciences.

AI and Data Science student at the University of Northampton, due to graduate in 2026 with First-Class Honours. My current focus is AI for single-cell research.

Projects

A University of Northampton project using predictive analytics to support students identified as at risk.
My research-assistant contribution supported a predictive-analytics project for early support. Public detail remains deliberately high-level to protect student information, internal data, and operational workflows.
Predictive analytics research for early support, handled within strict data-governance boundaries.
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A non-clinical research prototype for validation-first, support-oriented conversation.
Robert is my dissertation prototype, exploring visible conversation controls, support tools, and clear safety boundaries without presenting itself as therapy or crisis care.
BPD-informed, support-oriented conversational AI with explicit research boundaries.
View Full Project Details View on GitHub
A reproducible LLM evaluation benchmark for invariance, controllability, faithfulness, pressure resistance, and continuity.
The evaluation arm of my dissertation: reproducible behavioural studies that test whether model metrics remain interpretable as prompts, personas, and conversation context change.
Benchmark evidence for metric invariance and controllability.
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Second-place Elevate Great AI Competition 2025 concept using synthetic wearable-style signals and AI-guided support.
SensoryNeural explores how synthetic wearable-style data can be contextualised into an interpretable support signal. It is a concept prototype, not a clinical monitoring system.
AI-guided sensory-support concept with a clear prototype boundary.
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A student wellbeing chatbot project with layered crisis pathways and resource signposting.
A UON-focused module project exploring support-oriented conversation, crisis routing, and university-resource signposting.
Student wellbeing chatbot project with safety-conscious interaction design.
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Research-assistant work on data-led order-consolidation opportunities for warehouse operations.
A University of Northampton and GXO Logistics collaboration exploring AI and data analytics for warehouse operations. My work focused on a reproducible analysis route for identifying potential order-consolidation opportunities.
Warehouse analytics and geospatial order-consolidation exploration.
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University research on co-constructing practical AI literacy with staff and students.
A University of Northampton initiative applying research, data analysis, and AI-enabled tools to help staff and students develop AI literacy together.
Research-led AI literacy development for higher education.
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Experience

Managing venue bookings and community events at Malcolm Arnold Academy.
As a Community Connector with David Ross Education Trust (DRET), I support Malcolm Arnold Academy by helping manage the use of its facilities for evening and weekend bookings and community events.

My role involves:
- Opening and closing school premises for evening and weekend bookings.
- Conducting necessary checks and performing light cleaning to maintain venue standards.
- Setting up and clearing away furniture and equipment for various events.
- Delivering exceptional customer service to community members and acting as the primary point of contact on-site.
- Helping coordinate venue bookings and event arrangements between the community and Malcolm Arnold Academy.
I help create a smooth, welcoming experience for event organisers and venue users while supporting the Academy’s connection with its local community.
Bridging schools and local communities by managing venue rentals and events.
As a Community Connector, I play a vital role in fostering connections between schools and their local communities. My responsibilities include managing the use of school facilities for community events during evenings and weekends, ensuring a seamless experience for both the schools and the event organisers.

My role involves:
- Opening and closing school premises for evening and weekend bookings.
- Conducting necessary checks and performing light cleaning to maintain venue standards.
- Setting up and clearing away furniture and equipment for various events.
- Delivering exceptional customer service to community members and acting as the primary point of contact on-site.
- Serving as a liaison between the community, the school, and the School Space operations team to ensure smooth communication and event execution.
This role allows me to contribute to a social enterprise that generates income for schools to improve their educational facilities, while also making quality local venues accessible to residents and small businesses.
Supporting students in their career development through guidance and coaching.

As a Student Careers Coach at the University of Northampton, I support students in their career development by offering guidance on CV writing, job applications, and interview preparation.

I help students understand and improve the skills they need for the recruitment process. Through individual coaching sessions and workshops, I assist students in recognising their strengths and connecting them with career opportunities.

My goal is to equip students with the practical tools and knowledge to present themselves confidently to potential employers and make informed decisions about their future careers.

See LinkedIn Highlight
Building AI-powered gameplay insight and player-support experiences for games.

At BARBAH Games, I work on AI features that help turn gameplay into useful, understandable feedback for gamers. I am helping shape systems that can analyse consented match or replay data, surface post-game insight, and support the company’s Skills Passport vision.

My current game-focused work includes exploring explainable player-development indicators, adaptive and learning-focused experiences, and interfaces that make game data easier to act on. The aim is to give players useful evidence from their own play—not to make opaque claims about them beyond the game.

Because this is active MVP work, I keep the public description at product level and do not share unreleased systems, data workflows, commercial plans, or partner details.
View Full Project Details
Enhancing warehouse efficiency through AI-assisted consolidation techniques with GXO.

As a Research Assistant funded by the Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise Programme, I collaborate with GXO on cutting-edge AI projects aimed at optimising warehouse operations. My role involved applying advanced algorithms like k-means clustering and decision trees to analyse vast datasets and uncover trends and opportunities for operational improvements.

I conducted in-depth research and produced a detailed report that assessed the logistics industry's current landscape, explored various AI implementations, and proposed innovative applications. By reviewing techniques like reinforcement learning and neural networks, I and the team evaluated the potential of different AI systems to enhance efficiency.

Utilised open datasets, I suggested AI-driven optimisation models tailored to meet both general and specific needs within the logistics sector. Our findings were presented to the Artificial Intelligence Lead Engineer at GXO and have been featured in a blog post on the course website, highlighting our contributions to the field.
View Full Project Details
Activated Intel’s oneAPI programme inside the UON AI & Robotics Society.

During the Summer ’24 cohort I partnered with our AI & Robotics Society to run Intel-backed programming sprints, HPC walk-throughs, and watch parties that demystified oneAPI and the Developer Cloud for first- and second-year engineers.

I translated Intel training decks into hands-on labs, recorded short Loom explainers, and co-authored society blog posts so students could keep experimenting after each workshop. The role wrapped in September 2024, but the resources now sit in the society’s permanent curriculum and continue to power onboarding sessions.

This ambassador stint was ultimately an AI society initiative delivered under Intel’s programme, so I’ve kept the highlights here for context while the ongoing student-community work shows up under my society leadership entries.
Raising cybersecurity awareness within academia through creative campaigns and events.

As a Campus Ambassador for Facia, I'm leading efforts to raise cybersecurity awareness within our academic community.

My role involves creating impactful campaigns, organising events, and producing engaging content to promote Facia's vision on campus. I regularly share insights through blogs and social media stories, collaborating on ideas that shape global initiatives. I've had the opportunity to engage with students and professionals worldwide, building a network and representing Facia at various campus events.
Enhancing AI-generated content through meticulous evaluation and feedback.

In my role as an AI Content Quality Evaluator at Outlier, I'm directly contributing to the improvement of AI models for some of the world's leading companies. My work involves providing detailed human feedback on AI-generated content, focusing on ensuring high standards of factuality, completeness, brevity, and grammatical correctness.

A key aspect of my role is reviewing the work of fellow writing evaluators. I provide constructive feedback to help enhance the overall quality of AI responses, which I find both challenging and rewarding. Additionally, I craft original, detailed answers to prompts and questions, demonstrating what excellent writing looks like to train and refine the AI model.
Spearheading AI literacy research and development in higher education.

As a key member of the Study Smart project, funded by the UON Learning Enhancement and Innovation Fund, I'm deeply involved in groundbreaking research on AI applications in education. Our focus is on enhancing independent learning and revision among students through interesting AI-driven solutions.

My role involved conducting in-depth research, data collection, cleaning, analysis, and visualisation using tools like Pandas, Numpy, Seaborn, and Matplotlib. This work was crucial in identifying trends that contribute to current and future educational strategies within the university.

A significant part of my work centred on AI literacy enhancement. I delivered thorough workshops and presentations to both faculty and students, facilitating effective knowledge sharing about AI in education. Our project's impact was recognised when we presented at three conferences, highlighting our outstanding contribution to AI in education.

I was also heavily involved in the technical aspects of our research, including prompt engineering and fine-tuning a customised GPT model. Through data analysis and output testing, I ensure accurate and desired results, leveraging my expertise in AI and machine learning.

Most recently, I co-authored and presented our research, "Study Smart: Staff and students co-constructing AI literacy at UON," at the Merged Futures 6 conference on June 14, 2024. This county-level presentation showcased our team's collaborative efforts in advancing AI literacy within our academic community.
Advising and guiding the UON AI Society's leadership and initiatives.
After serving as President and Treasurer, I now act as a Society Mentor, providing strategic guidance to the leadership team. My focus is on leveraging my experience to support the society's growth and success.

Key Contributions:
- Offer specialised expertise in robotics and AI initiatives.
- Support leadership in developing and maintaining industry and academic partnerships.
- Provide mentorship on event planning, workshops, and competition organisation.
- Helped deliver the Students’ Union’s first society merger, bringing the AI and Robotics societies together.
Key Achievements:
• As President, I led the society to win the "Society Event of the Year 2024/2025". You can see photos in this LinkedIn post.
• As Treasurer, I significantly boosted the society's budget by 52%, enabling key projects and events.
• Grew our community to over 200 LinkedIn followers, 100+ members on both Discord and Instagram.
• Established key partnerships with industry and academic groups.
• Organised our first hackathon, "Hack the Museum," in collaboration with The National Museum of Computing.

Education

University of Northampton, Northampton, United Kingdom · Due to graduate in 2026

Due to graduate in 2026 with First-Class Honours. The degree has combined AI, data science, software engineering, and applied research, culminating in a dissertation on evaluation and safe conversational-support systems.
Six-week programme on advanced Generative AI technologies and applications

This focused bootcamp gave me practical experience with modern Generative AI technologies. I learned how to develop AI solutions using Large Language Models (LLMs) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). Through team projects, I applied these concepts to address real business challenges, improving my skills in creating useful AI applications.

The programme ended with the development of a startup idea as part of a team, which we are currently working on as a stealth startup. This experience expanded my technical knowledge and sharpened my business skills in the AI field. Working with industry experts and other participants, I gained a solid understanding of how Generative AI can be used to create effective solutions for various industries.
Eight-week programme focused on practical uses of Generative AI across industries
This intensive bootcamp provided hands-on experience with advanced AI technologies and their real-world applications. Through expert-led sessions, group projects, and problem-solving exercises, I improved my skills in:
- Creating and launching AI-powered applications using current models and tools
- Using advanced AI techniques for processing text, recognising images, and generating content
- Applying Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) and AI Agents in practical scenarios
- Following industry best practices in AI development and deployment
Key projects included building a multi-purpose AI chatbot with image recognition, an AI-powered illustrated book creator, and a RAG-based chatbot using custom data sources. These projects showed my ability to plan, develop, and launch complex AI applications using both cloud services and local hardware.

Awards and Recognitions

Winner, IEEE Best Design Award — Line Follower Robot, December 2025
Second Place, Elevate Great AI Competition — SensoryNeural, June 2025
Winner, Society Event of the Year 2025 — UON AI and Robotics Society, May 2025
Presenter at the Learning and Teaching Conference, University of Northampton - Showcased early URBAN, research work
Presenter at the UON Research Conference - Presented Study Smart data analysis work
Speaker at Merged Futures VI, University of Northampton - Presented Study Smart project findings
Various certifications in AI, Machine Learning, and Data Analysis
- Certified Kaggle Certificate in Pandas – Demonstrated proficiency in data manipulation and analysis using Pandas in Python.
- Completed Artificial Intelligence Foundations: Neural Networks (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy) – Gained foundational skills in neural networks and deep learning.
- Completed Azure Machine Learning Development: Part 1 (LinkedIn Learning) – Acquired practical skills in Microsoft Azure Machine Learning services.
- Completed Big Data in the Age of AI (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy) – Developed knowledge in big data analytics and its role in AI applications.
- Completed Machine Learning Foundations: Statistics (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy) – Strengthened understanding of statistical analysis in machine learning algorithms.

Charitable Work

Friendship International Students and Hosts (FISH) (March 2024 - Present): Member since October 2023 and Volunteer since October 2024. Assisting with setting up and taking down weekly Monday events, contributing to enriching experiences for the FISH community.
Volunteer, Barnardo's (January 2023 - May 2023): Managed store keeping and merchandising for charitable causes, including managing the cash register.
Blog Post Contributor, University of Northampton AI Course Blog(January 2024 - June 2026): Creating blog posts featuring information on projects currently being done at the university and using the platform for dissemination of technology-related projects.

Blog

AI for Independent Learning: A Glimpse into Our Research - July 05, 2024
Building a Human-Centric AI Mental Health Chatbot - October 15, 2025

Contact

Don't hesitate to reach out if you want to collaborate on a project or discuss other opportunities.

Ryan Mutiga Gichuru | ryan.gichuru22@my.northampton.ac.uk |

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