Data management for a research group can add additional complexity. Not only are you managing data, you need to keep things organized accross multiple people, make sure everyone has access to the data they need, and make sure everyone's data is collected and backed up so that nothing is lost. There are many potential tools out there that can help with this, and this month we're turning a spotlight on Microsoft SharePoint. SharePoint is a secure place to store, organize, share, and access information from almost any device and all major web browsers. McMaster provides free access to SharePoint for staff, students, and faculty. Join us Thursday, November 28 at 11 AM for a great discussion between researchers and IT professionals!

Manish Katakam is a Senior Systems Administrator at McMaster University Technology Services. In this role, he oversees the administration of SharePoint and the Power Platform, ensuring efficient and secure data management for staff and faculty. With over five years of extensive experience in Business Analysis, Quality Assurance, and Business Process Re-engineering, Manish has a diverse background that spans the Finance, Insurance, and Banking industries. In his career, Manish has held positions at Morgan Stanley, Red River Mutual Insurance, and HSBC Bank, where he honed his expertise in Agile and Waterfall SDLC methodologies, project management, and quality control. He holds certifications such as Certified associate in project management (CAPM) and is an Associate Member of the Canadian Institute of Management.

At McMaster University, Manish has been pivotal in implementing SharePoint and leading various migration projects, including the transition from network drives to SharePoint Online for multiple departments. His proactive approach and technical expertise have significantly improved the university’s data management practices.

Dr. John McAndrews is the managing director of the Digital Society Lab at McMaster University, where he also holds an appointment as an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Political Science. His current research projects examine public support for – and trust in – the use of new technologies such as AI; the automated detection of inaccurate information in social networks; and big-data approaches to better understanding political behaviour. He is also interested in questions about the quality of democratic representation and decision-making among politicians and citizens alike.

Dr. Gabriel (Naiqi) Xiao is an Assistant Professor (tenure track) in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior at McMaster University (Canada). Prior to this appointment in 2020, Dr. Xiao received his Ph.D. degree at the University of Toronto (Canada) in 2016 and worked as a post-doctoral associate at Princeton University (USA) from 2017 to 2019.

Dr. Xiao is a leading researcher with an established international reputation in early perceptual-social development. His research aims to understand how real-world experiences shape cognitive abilities in the early stages of life. A key aspect of human development is our ability to adapt to the environment. This adaptation enables infants to explore the world and lay the groundwork for language and social skills that will emerge later in life. It is vital to understand these processes both theoretically and practically, as they have important implications for detecting and treating developmental disorders. To achieve these research goals, Dr. Xiao’s lab uses various research methods such as infant-friendly behavioral tasks, eye-tracking, computational modeling, and neonate/infant-friendly neuroimaging techniques (functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, fNIRS). Besides using classical research paradigms to study cognitive development, his lab has also pioneered innovations in research methodology by developing several research software.

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