Let me preface this with my background: mathematician, software engineer, and statistical programmer. Doing this way before the data science hype.
Regarding your friend, it's possible, but - right now - data science is more closely related to implementation than interpretation of results.
Maybe your friend is looking for something more similar to a Quantitative Analysis position?
It would probably be easier to extend stats and science knowledge into a statistical analysis domain, rather than practical programming, neural networks, database algebras, computational complexity, etc.
I myself am a computer scientist with only a fuzzy knowledge of the precise meaning of "data science". "Quantitative Analysis" is probably more the right idea.
Regarding your friend, it's possible, but - right now - data science is more closely related to implementation than interpretation of results.
Maybe your friend is looking for something more similar to a Quantitative Analysis position?
It would probably be easier to extend stats and science knowledge into a statistical analysis domain, rather than practical programming, neural networks, database algebras, computational complexity, etc.
Good luck though!