Sam Nicholls in

Sam Nicholls

Observer · DISC type ic
Director of Bioinformatics Software Development at Oxford Nanopore Technologies
📍 United Kingdom

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".

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Experience
8 Years
Current Role
Director of Bioinformatics Software Development
Job Level
Mid-senior
Location
United Kingdom
Personality Overview

How Sam shows up

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.

Priorities

Topics Sam cares 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.
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Career

Work history

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

Media appearances

Sam Nicholls | EPI2ME Blog - Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Featured in EPI2ME Blog (Oxford Nanopore Technologies)
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Education
2014 - 2018
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Prifysgol Aberystwyth University
2010 - 2014
BSc (Joint Hons)
Prifysgol Aberystwyth University
Social presence
in
Behavioral profile

DISC profile (public)

i

Influence (I)

Influence (I) reflects the degree to which a person prefers to work by influencing or persuading others. Those scoring high tend to be people oriented, motivated by social recognition and building relationships.

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