James Goulding

James Goulding is a Research Professor at the University of Nottingham and co-director of N/LAB (Nottingham Lab for International Analytics), a center focused on bridging behavioral science with AI/ML for sustainable development goals. He holds a BSc in Economics, MA in Management of IT, and PhD in Machine Learning. His work spans behavioral analytics, machine learning applications in international development, and consumer psychology. He has authored over 70 peer-reviewed publications and secured £15M+ in research funding from EPSRC, ESRC, and others.

Education:

• BSc Economics
• MA Management of IT
• PhD Machine Learning

Research Interests: Goulding’s research focuses on leveraging novel data sources (e.g., retail transactions, mobile money logs) to address UN SDGs like food waste reduction, mental health, and poverty alleviation. He pioneered methods for analyzing human behavior in complex systems, integrating behavioral economics with advanced AI techniques.

Awards:

• ACM Engelbart Prize for Data Theory
• Centre for DE Prize for Data Visualisation

Advising & Partnerships: Supervised 15 PhD students (9 completed) and over 100 Masters projects. Built partnerships with Walgreens Boots Alliance, NHS, and 7-Eleven China, creating datasets spanning 100M+ individuals. Leads the NHS data science program and UN’s Code 8.7 initiative against modern slavery.

Labs & Collaborations: N/LAB collaborates globally on projects like ‘Trusted Data-Driven Products’ and the CDT in Geospatial Systems. Key partnerships include Gates Foundation, British Council, and Innovate UK.