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Dr Francesco Cosentino

Dr Francesco Cosentino

  • Position: Lecturer in Mathematical Data Science (Teaching and Scholarship)
  • Areas of expertise: data science; machine learning; mixed reality; quantum computing; computational mathematics; computer science education; pedagogy.
  • Email: F.Cosentino@leeds.ac.uk
  • Phone: +44(0)113 343 1569
  • Location: 8.28 School of Mathematics (main building, level 8)

Profile

I’m a Lecturer (Grade 8) in Mathematical Data Science at the University of Leeds, passionate about teaching and solving problems using data, machine learning, and first principles.

I began as a teaching assistant in Computer Science at the University of Birmingham, then worked for many years as a radiotherapy physicist (2010–2018), developing automation, quality control, and augmented reality tools for healthcare. My work included applications in radiotherapy, computed tomography, and the medical imaging data standard DICOM.

Later, I was a Research Fellow at the University of Leeds with the Immersive Cognition Research Group (2019).

I then became a Lecturer at the University of York, where I taught several modules, including Computational Finance, Vector Calculus, and Object-Oriented Programming (2019–2024).

Since September 2024, I have led Data Science and Machine Learning modules at Leeds, focusing on a hands-on approach and inclusive teaching.

Beyond the subjects I teach, my scholarly interests include the philosophy of physics (in particular the conceptual and mathemaical foundations of General Relativity and Quantum Physics), Mathematical Logic, and the Foundations of Mathematics.

I speak Italian, English, and French.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Computer Science (Chester, 2018)
  • MSc Medical and Radiation Physics (Birmingham, 2010); PGD Control Engineering (Coventry, 2010)
  • MSc Mathematical Logic and Theoretical Computer Science(Siena, 2006)
  • MSc + MRes Optics (Florence, 2002)
  • MPhys Physics (Pisa, 1999)

Student education

I presently teach on the following modules:

  • MATH1603 Data Science & Communication (module manager with Dr Pierre-Philippe Dechant)
  • MATH1604 Modelling for Big Data (module manager with Dr Pierre-Philippe Dechant)
  • MATH2604 Machine Learning and Object-Oriented Programming (module manager)