Mr Ben Leighton

Software Engineer

https://people.csiro.au/l/b/ben-leighton

Contact

First name *

Please enter a valid first name

Last Name *

Please enter a valid last name

Email Address *

Please enter a valid email address

Your Enquiry *

Please enter your message to send to the contact

Biography

Ben innovates bridging scientific and technical domains bringing a wide set of skills spanning leadership, data science and data engineering, and AI and ML. His work is driven by the belief that science can help make the world a more equitable, sustainable, and fulfilling place, and he is dedicated to this goal.

At CSIRO, Ben works on a variety of projects to innovate, support, and develop scientific AI and knowledge engines, machine learning, software infrastructures, data delivery pipelines, and data processing workflows. He has extensive experience across data science, infrastructure engineering, software development, and technical leadership, and maintains a strong technical focus across a diverse set emerging technologies.

Ben is experienced in applying machine learning techniques, his early work involved classification in megapixel scale vegetation maps. Currently, he is involved in developing hybrid machine learning techniques for ocean modeling and designing and implementing various systems enabling the AI uplift.

Ben's research focuses on bridging structured and unstructured approaches to managing data, delivering high-performance processing of large time-series environmental sensor data, innovating in geospatial data science and algorithm development, applying machine learning techniques, designing and engineering cloud and HPC data science infrastructures and integrating AI. He streamlines scientific data workflows with a focus on automation, reproducibility, and novel knowledge discovery.

Ben has worked on a wide variety of projects at CSIRO with many different colleagues and stakeholders, including the National Bushfire and Intelligence Capability (NBIC) project, where he led cloud engineering and developed geospatial processing algorithms at scale. In NBIC Ben designed and leads development of Aptly, a state of the art system for securely managing and visualising large cloud data. He currently contributes to the Next Generation Coastal Modelling Science (NGLP) project, where he is involved in developing modelling workflows, managing in-situ sensor data, and building surrogate machine learning techniques for coastal ocean modeling.

Across CSIRO Ben is highly active building communities of practice and innovating through the implementation of emerging AI capabilities.

In addition, Ben has worked on a range of other projects, such as the Energy Use Data Model (EUDM/NEAR) project developing timeseries processing pipelines in the cloud, developing and employing machine vision and learning for fire landscape management, and contributing to the Environment data management projects including as a SCRUM master. He has also worked on a range of core Bioregional Assessments metadata and data systems, and taken a lead role in coordinating software developers and scientists across CSIRO and partner organizations in the development of the Australian Water Resources Assessment (AWRA) project. He worked as a software engineer on the AURIN project, pioneering new approaches to reusable data analysis and Docker-based approaches for reproducible deployments.

Ben believes that the value of what we do is maximized when it integrates a diversity of people, knowledge, skills, and communities, and he values collaboration and teamwork. With his skills and experience, he is committed to designing, developing impactful science and engineering solutions for a better future.

Professional Areas

Fields of Research

Current

Current Roles

Full Stack Software Engineer
Python, Cloud, Web
Data Engineer
Cloud and On Premises Spatial, Temporal and Modelling, Data Pipelines
Client Liason
Business Analysis and Development, and Contracts Coordination
Environmental Data Analyst
Spatial Data Assessments and Algorithms
Technical Coordinator
Certified SCRUM Master
Software Engineer
Data Visualisation

Academic Qualifications

2000

BA (Philosophy)
Australian National University
2000

BSc (Biology)
Australian National University
2015

Machine Learning
Coursera

Professional Experiences

2001-2003

Software Engineer
Wizard Information Systems
2003-Current

Software Engineer, Data Scientist, Data Engineer
CSIRO

Achievements and Awards

2016-2016

CSIRO Medal for Impact from Science
CSIRO
2012-2012

Excellence in Support
CSIRO Land and Water
2007-2007

Partnership Excellence
CSIRO Land and Water
2017-2018

CSIRO Collaboration Award
CSIRO