Dr Hywel Evans

Senior Data Scientist & User Support Lead

Health Data Science

h.t.evans@swansea.ac.uk

Fluent Welsh Speaker

Research Links

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6745-4187

ResearchGate

Google Scholar

About

Dr Hywel Turner Evans is a Senior Data Scientist & User Support Lead at the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank (SAIL Databank). Hywel has experience of conducting research using population-scale administrative data linkage and analysis, including health, criminal justice, and children's social care administrative data.

He leads the SAIL User and Data Support Services (UDSS) team, providing strategic direction and managing the delivery of research services using linked population data.

Areas Of Expertise

Population Data Science
Data Linkage
Health Informatics
Data Analysis
Epidemiology
Health Data Science
Data Visualisation
Structured Query Language (SQL)

Publications

Research Highlights

Mohammed, S., Bailey, G., Farr, I., Jones, C., Rawlings, A., Rees, S., Scully, S., Wang, T., & Evans, H. (2025). Using the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation in research: estimating the effect of excluding domains on a routine health data study. BMC Public Health, 25(1)
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22369-0, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69145
Ohaeri, C., Farr, I., Bailey, G., Evans, H., Phillips, R., Oluwasuji, O., Dixon, J., & Smith, J. (2025). Enhancing opportunities to reduce escalation to substance use disorders through early engagement: a retrospective observational data linkage study of primary and secondary care in Wales. BMJ Public Health, 3(2), e002369
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2024-002369, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69978
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2024-002369
Hatam, S., Scully, S., Cook, S., Evans, H., Hume, A., Kallis, C., Farr, I., Orton, C., Sheikh, A., & Quint, J. (2024). A Harmonised Approach to Curating Research-Ready Datasets for Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) in England, Wales and Scotland Using Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank and DataLoch. Clinical Epidemiology, 16, 235-247.
https://doi.org/10.2147/clep.s437937, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa66035
Whittaker, H., Machado, A., Hatam, S., Cook, S., Scully, S., Evans, H., Bolton, T., Kallis, C., Busby, J., Heaney, L., Sheikh, A., & Quint, J. (2025). Incidence and prevalence of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and interstitial lung disease between 2004 and 2023: harmonised analyses of longitudinal cohorts across England, Wales, South-East Scotland and Northern Ireland. Thorax, 80(7), 466-477.
https://doi.org/10.1136/thorax-2024-222699, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69254
Phillips, R., Farr, I., Ohaeri, C., Evans, H., Bailey, G., Dixon, J., & Smith, J. (2025). Data Explained: Welsh National Database for Substance Misuse (WNDSM) data quality audit and considerations
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69984
https://phw.nhs.wales/publications/publications1/data-explained-welsh-national-database-for-substance-misuse-wndsm-data-quality-audit-and-considerations/
Dixon, J., Fallick, S., Phillips, R., Maimaris, J., Colonna, S., Farr, I., Evans, H., James, D., Skermer, M., Davies, G., Ohaeri, C., & Smith, J. (2025). Pathways between probation services and substance misuse treatment services in Wales
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69985
https://www.gov.wales/pathways-probation-substance-misuse-treatment-services
James, D., Maimaris, J., Colonna, S., Farr, I., Evans, H., Dixon, J., Skermer, M., Fallick, S., Davies, G., Ohaeri, C., & Smith, J. (2025). The impact of co-occurring homelessness and substance misuse on secondary healthcare in Wales
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69983
https://www.gov.wales/homelessness-and-substance-misuse-impact-secondary-healthcare-wales
Byfield, D., Stacey, B., Evans, H., Farr, I., Yandle, L., Roberts, L., Filipponi, T., & Bailey, D. (2024). Spinal pain prevalence and associated determinants: A population‐based study using the National Survey for Wales. Physiological Reports, 12(21), e70101
https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.70101, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68114
Evans, H. & Isaac, A. (2021). Cronni Plasma o Bositronau. Gwerddon, 33(33), 55-67.
https://doi.org/10.61257/yoan1743, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa60850
Baker, C., Isaac, A., Edwards, D., Evans, H., Clayton, R., van der Werf, D., & Charlton, M. (2020). Investigation of buffer gas trapping of positrons. Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, 53(18), 185201
https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6455/aba10c, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56642

All Research

Journal Articles

Ohaeri, C., Farr, I., Bailey, G., Evans, H., Phillips, R., Oluwasuji, O., Dixon, J., & Smith, J. (2025). Enhancing opportunities to reduce escalation to substance use disorders through early engagement: a retrospective observational data linkage study of primary and secondary care in Wales. BMJ Public Health, 3(2), e002369
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2024-002369, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69978
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2024-002369
Whittaker, H., Machado, A., Hatam, S., Cook, S., Scully, S., Evans, H., Bolton, T., Kallis, C., Busby, J., Heaney, L., Sheikh, A., & Quint, J. (2025). Incidence and prevalence of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and interstitial lung disease between 2004 and 2023: harmonised analyses of longitudinal cohorts across England, Wales, South-East Scotland and Northern Ireland. Thorax, 80(7), 466-477.
https://doi.org/10.1136/thorax-2024-222699, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69254
Mohammed, S., Bailey, G., Farr, I., Jones, C., Rawlings, A., Rees, S., Scully, S., Wang, T., & Evans, H. (2025). Using the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation in research: estimating the effect of excluding domains on a routine health data study. BMC Public Health, 25(1)
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22369-0, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69145
Byfield, D., Stacey, B., Evans, H., Farr, I., Yandle, L., Roberts, L., Filipponi, T., & Bailey, D. (2024). Spinal pain prevalence and associated determinants: A population‐based study using the National Survey for Wales. Physiological Reports, 12(21), e70101
https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.70101, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68114
Hatam, S., Scully, S., Cook, S., Evans, H., Hume, A., Kallis, C., Farr, I., Orton, C., Sheikh, A., & Quint, J. (2024). A Harmonised Approach to Curating Research-Ready Datasets for Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) in England, Wales and Scotland Using Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank and DataLoch. Clinical Epidemiology, 16, 235-247.
https://doi.org/10.2147/clep.s437937, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa66035
Evans, H. & Isaac, A. (2021). Cronni Plasma o Bositronau. Gwerddon, 33(33), 55-67.
https://doi.org/10.61257/yoan1743, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa60850
Baker, C., Isaac, A., Edwards, D., Evans, H., Clayton, R., van der Werf, D., & Charlton, M. (2020). Investigation of buffer gas trapping of positrons. Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, 53(18), 185201
https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6455/aba10c, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56642

Conference Contributions

Evans, H., Farr, I., Witts, J., Craig, E., Schicht, T., Kamudoni, P., Nicholas, R., & Middleton, R. (2024). One-Year Healthcare Utilization in People With Multiple Sclerosis and Controls in Wales. In Value in Health (pp. S337Elsevier BV.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jval.2024.10.1744, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69982
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jval.2024.10.1744
Mohammed, S., Bailey, G., Farr, I., Jones, C., Rawlings, A., Rees, S., Scully, S., Wang, T., & Evans, H. (2024). Excluding domains from a composite measure of deprivation in a retrospective routine health data study: the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation. In The Lancet (pp. S36Elsevier BV.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(24)02066-x, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69977
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(24)02066-x
Farr, I., Evans, H., Ohaeri, C., Phillips, R., Oluwasuji, O., Dixon, J., Bailey, G., & Smith, J. (2024). Identifying substance misuse related foetal anomaly cases in routinely collected data. In International Journal of Population Data ScienceSwansea University.
https://doi.org/10.23889/ijpds.v9i5.2789, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69981
https://doi.org/10.23889/ijpds.v9i5.2789
Scully, S., Evans, H., Hatam, S., Cook, S., Whittaker, H., Kallis, C., Farr, I., Orton, C., Sheikh, A., & Quint, J. (2024). Incidence and prevalence of asthma, COPD, and ILD across England, Wales, and South-East Scotland – a harmonised approach to data analysis. In International Journal of Population Data ScienceSwansea University.
https://doi.org/10.23889/ijpds.v9i5.2723, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69980
https://doi.org/10.23889/ijpds.v9i5.2723
Evans, H., Scully, S., Hatam, S., Cook, S., Whittaker, H., Kallis, C., Farr, I., Orton, C., Sheikh, A., & Quint, J. (2024). Incidence and prevalence of asthma, COPD, and ILD across England, Wales, and South-East Scotland – a harmonised approach to data analysis. In International Journal of Population Data ScienceSwansea University.
https://doi.org/10.23889/ijpds.v9i5.2723, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68117
Evans, H., Farr, I., Byfield, D., Stacey, B., & Bailey, D. (2022). Spinal pain prevalence in Wales and associated risk factors. In International Journal of Population Data ScienceSwansea University.
https://doi.org/10.23889/ijpds.v7i3.1900, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63915
http://dx.doi.org/10.23889/ijpds.v7i3.1900

Other Research Outputs

Phillips, R., Farr, I., Ohaeri, C., Evans, H., Bailey, G., Dixon, J., & Smith, J. (2025). Data Explained: Welsh National Database for Substance Misuse (WNDSM) data quality audit and considerations
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69984
https://phw.nhs.wales/publications/publications1/data-explained-welsh-national-database-for-substance-misuse-wndsm-data-quality-audit-and-considerations/
Dixon, J., Fallick, S., Phillips, R., Maimaris, J., Colonna, S., Farr, I., Evans, H., James, D., Skermer, M., Davies, G., Ohaeri, C., & Smith, J. (2025). Pathways between probation services and substance misuse treatment services in Wales
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69985
https://www.gov.wales/pathways-probation-substance-misuse-treatment-services
James, D., Maimaris, J., Colonna, S., Farr, I., Evans, H., Dixon, J., Skermer, M., Fallick, S., Davies, G., Ohaeri, C., & Smith, J. (2025). The impact of co-occurring homelessness and substance misuse on secondary healthcare in Wales
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69983
https://www.gov.wales/homelessness-and-substance-misuse-impact-secondary-healthcare-wales
Evans, H. (2022). Double Rotating Wall Compression of Positron Clouds and Towards Resistive Cooling
https://doi.org/10.23889/SUthesis.60070, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa60070