Boston · Data Science · Machine Learning · Biotech · Global Health · Computational Medicine
Ala’a Tamam
I am a data scientist and engineer interested in places where computation meets people, institutions and biology. My work has taken me from building data systems across 140+ countries at the United Nations to reconstructing nonprofit data infrastructure and using machine learning to study human health. I am drawn to problems that don't fit neatly into one discipline -- where truly good engineering requires an understanding of the world that data and systems exist in. Increasingly, that has pulled me towards computational medicine, global health and building technology that helps us understand complex human problems a little better.
The hibiscus you opened to get here is karkade — Sudan’s national drink, and a small thread of home running through this site.
Currently Sr. Manager of Data Science & Analytics at United Way of Massachusetts Bay.
Scale, at a glance
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Countries reached
SDG dashboards, UNDCO
0+
Records deduplicated
United Way of Mass Bay
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Live users served
Code4Community apps
0+
Biotech products catalogued
across 400+ startups
$0+
Raised for Sudan relief
two charity galas
Where I've worked
Sr. Manager of Data Science & Analytics
CurrentUnited Way of Massachusetts Bay
- Sr. Manager of Data Science & AnalyticsJun 2026 – Present
- Data Science Co-opJul 2025 – Jun 2026
I lead data science and analytics for the organization now — a function I first joined as a co-op, rebuilding donor and program data infrastructure from the ground up.
- Developed an end-to-end analytics pipeline in Python to clean, transform, and analyze developmental screening data (ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE), integrating data from multiple Excel sources into standardized reporting datasets.
- Engineered NLP pipelines using Python and scikit-learn to analyze qualitative responses from community initiatives, applying TF-IDF vectorization, text preprocessing, clustering, and topic extraction to surface emerging program priorities.
- Designed and implemented end-to-end data quality pipelines for Andar CRM donor and program data, writing complex SQL queries to deduplicate 32,000+ donor records and standardize 15 data fields, improving data accuracy by over 40%.
- Refactored and optimized a legacy donation platform (Java, JavaScript, Node.js), fixing 30+ critical production bugs and reducing system downtime by 10 hours per month.
- Built and deployed an automated email validation and remediation pipeline for a high-volume "bounced email" inbox, parsing SMTP error codes and classifying 10,000+ failed contacts to restore outreach.
AI & ML Engineering Intern
United Nations Development Coordination Office
I'm part of the Digital Solutions Laboratory, building machine learning and ETL infrastructure that powers SDG-aligned indicators and dashboards across 140 UN member countries.
- Designed and implemented a KNN-based machine learning model to predict the likelihood of cooperation framework agreement adoption across UN member states, using country-level socioeconomic indicators and SDG progress metrics.
- Engineered Power Query-based ETL pipelines to clean, merge, and normalize data across 140 UN member countries, reducing data preparation time by 25% and enabling real-time Power BI dashboards for development monitoring.
- Engineered an LLM-powered data visualization system using OpenAI APIs, Streamlit, and Plotly that transforms user prompts into structured analytical workflows, generating maps, charts, and country-level insights from UN operational datasets.
Research Intern
Center for Human-Compatible AI (UC Berkeley)
I researched AI safety and accountability in high-risk deployments, pairing comparative case studies with independent technical study of graph-based methods.
- Authored and presented an AI safety and ethics research paper examining high-risk model deployment in the Global South, using comparative case studies from three countries to analyze accountability in large-scale socio-technical systems.
- Conducted independent technical study of node-search algorithms and graph-based methods, engaging with primary research literature to develop a formal understanding of algorithmic behavior in complex systems.
Data Scientist & Biostatistician
Northeastern University
I built NLP pipelines and structured datasets linking cardiovascular therapies to biotech products, supporting comparative analysis of treatment efficacy and R&D pipelines.
- Developed a Python-based NLP pipeline to extract mechanistic insights and therapeutic targets from over 80 cardiovascular studies, surfacing 7 therapeutic targets and treatment efficacy signals for biomedical research applications.
- Curated and integrated structured datasets of cardiovascular therapies and biotech products, linking NLP-derived signals to compound- and product-level metadata to enable comparative analysis of therapeutic strategies and R&D pipelines.
- Helped build and maintain a dataset cataloguing 2,000+ biotech products across 400+ startups.
Data Science and Engineering Co-op
ServiceNow
I automated reporting workflows for the ad operations team and built a Python pipeline against the YouTube API to surface performance insights for ServiceNow's brand marketing team.
- Developed and implemented Excel VBA macros to automate repetitive data analysis and reporting workflows for the advertisement operations team, standardizing outputs and saving an average of 40% of time per employee per week.
- Engineered and deployed a Python-based data pipeline using the YouTube API to extract and analyze performance metrics across 500+ videos, enhancing digital insight capabilities for ServiceNow's brand marketing team.
Data Analytics Intern
Office of U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren
I built relational databases and developed visualizations of constituent opinions and issue trends, giving the office a clearer read on what people were actually raising and how it was shifting over time.
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant — Discrete Structures (CS1800)
Khoury College of Computer Science, Northeastern University
I supported instruction, graded coursework, and helped students work through discrete math and algorithmic thinking when it wasn't clicking yet.
Licensed Specialty Pharmacy Technician
Walgreens
I managed medication inventory and lifecycle process for a high-volume specialty pharmacy — the kind of high-stakes, detail-first work that shaped how carefully I handle data now.
- Applied pharmacological knowledge to manage medication inventory and lifecycle process, including controlled storage, expiration tracking, regulatory disposal of expired products, and assistance with patient medication management.
Projects
Code4Community
Full-stack developer, Boston-based nonprofits
I'm a full-stack developer building and deploying production web applications for Boston-based nonprofits, with end-to-end ownership across frontend, backend, and database architecture. Between the four apps I've shipped here, they collectively serve over 60,000 live users.
- Built and deployed four full-stack applications using React, TypeScript, Node.js, and PostgreSQL, taking features from initial design through production.
- Developer on Project Constellation for The Star Won't Go Out (founded by John Green), supporting families affected by childhood cancer.
- Developer on Securing Safe Food for the City of Boston, streamlining access to safe, nutritious food and connecting providers with vulnerable communities.
- Currently building the platform for 826 Boston, supporting youth writing and literacy programs.
CivicConnect
Full-stack developer & communications liaison
I worked as a full-stack developer and communications liaison on a GPT-powered “digital intern” that helps congressional offices intake constituent service requests, collect opinions, and generate analytics from daily correspondence — work that has to be accurate and politically neutral by design.
- Implemented the chatbot using Python, Java, and Node.js to support intake workflows, approved talking points, and reporting outputs.
- Led technical and policy-facing presentations to congressional offices, including Congressman Moulton's, contributing to adoption by the Chief Administrative Office of the House of Representatives.
Big Sister App
Co-founder & full-stack developer
I co-founded and led full-stack development of a campus safety platform built around real-time alerts, geospatial risk visualization, and secure data storage — the kind of app where a bug isn't just an inconvenience, it's a safety issue.
- Architected the web application using Python, Java, and SQL, with a focus on secure workflows and data integrity.
- Built backend pipelines and application logic powering interactive heat maps, incident reporting, and resource matching to enable data-driven safety insights.
Passions & side quests
Director of Fundraising & Technology
White Nile Youth Association
I built and maintain the organization's website from the ground up, manage the backend database and digital infrastructure, and lead technical strategy for fundraising initiatives. I also organized and ran two charity galas for Sudan, raising over $5,000 total — first for HRRDS, then for El-Fashir Relief through Sadagat USA.
Selected coursework
I graduated summa cum laude with a 3.86 GPA and made Dean’s List every semester, and I’m a member of Northeastern University Honors. As a data science major with a concentration in AI & ML Engineering, I chose the programmatic pathway to build a strong foundation as a developer first — it’s what gives me the confidence to work end-to-end as a data scientist now.
- Machine Learning & Data Mining I
- Algorithms & Data Structures
- Database Design
- Object-Oriented Design
- Fundamentals of Computer Science I & II
- Fundamentals of Data Science
- Discrete Structures
- Advanced Programming with Data
- Advanced Statistics
- Biostatistics
- Global Health
- Calculus Series
- Artificial Intelligence 4 Impact
Technical skills
Languages
Tools & Platforms
Frameworks & Libraries
Machine Learning
Resume
For a detailed view of my experience and technical background: