Sam Nicholls

Observer
DISC Type : ic

Director of Bioinformatics Software Development at Oxford Nanopore Technologies

United Kingdom

Overview

Sam Nicholls is the Director of Bioinformatics Software at Oxford Nanopore Technologies, specializing in optimizing analysis pipelines for long-read sequencing. His career includes developing a world-leading platform for COVID-19 genome analysis at the University of Birmingham. Colleagues describe him as innovative, inventive, and diligent.

Outside of his primary role in genomics, Sam has a creative side with noted skills in video filming, production, and photography. He also has a talent for making complex topics accessible, having authored a book on statistics for students, reflecting a passion for education and clear communication.

He humorously describes his job as Director of Bioinformatics by saying he is the "flight director of the Optimised Workflows for Life Sciences (OWLS) corp".

Personality Overview

Curious

Value Driven

Assertive

They are generally strong communicators and are not easy to convince.  They often ask many questions and rely heavily on information and documentation. They can sound friendly and charming but can quickly change gears to become inquisitive and probing.

Topics They Care About

Bioinformatics Pipelines
His entire career at Oxford Nanopore has focused on making genomic analysis pipelines "harder, better, faster, stronger, " now leading the team responsible for them.
Long-Read Sequencing
As a director at Oxford Nanopore, he is deeply involved in the software and analysis ecosystem for a leading long-read sequencing technology company.
Genomic Epidemiology
He previously co-developed and deployed a major platform at the University of Birmingham to store and analyze COVID-19 genomes during the pandemic.

Media Appearances

Sam Nicholls | EPI2ME Blog - Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Featured in EPI2ME Blog (Oxford Nanopore Technologies)

See Now

Work History

7-2025
Director of Bioinformatics Software Development at Oxford Nanopore Technologies
7-2024 - 7-2025
Associate Director of Bioinformatics Software Development at Oxford Nanopore Technologies
4-2022 - 7-2024
Principal Bioinformatics Workflow Developer at Oxford Nanopore Technologies
5-2021 - 4-2022
Senior Research Fellow in Sequencing Bioinformatics at University of Birmingham
8-2018 - 5-2021
Research Fellow in Metagenomics at University of Birmingham

Education

2014 - 2018
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from Prifysgol Aberystwyth University
2010 - 2014
BSc (Joint Hons) from Prifysgol Aberystwyth University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 8 Location : United Kingdom Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Director of Bioinformatics Software Development at Oxford Nanopore Technologies
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Insights For Selling To Sam

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Use phrases like ‘clear proof that’, ‘data shows’ etc.
  • Help them realize that there is no personal risk in making this decision
  • Build rapport, it will come handy to handle hard questions later

DONT's

  • Don’t be too objective but make sure to pad your storytelling with data points
  • Avoid making offhand commitments
  • Don’t try to rush them into a decision, provide all necessary information first

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Sam is

  • Clear proof of product value matters to them, followed by others' testimonials and rapport.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Sam

  • They are practical yet friendly, don’t expect a clear no very often.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Sam move?

  • They like to analyze well and then make their decisions.
  • Can Sam take some risk or not?

  • They systematically evaluate all decisions and are unlikely to take many risks.

You And Sam

Personality Compatibility


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