Big Data Health Science Scholar Program for Infectious Diseases

Abstract Big Data Science (BDS) offers powerful tools to advance biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research through the integration of electronic health records, mobile and wearable technologies, genomic and geospatial data, and computational methods such as machine learning and artificial intelligence. These resources create unprecedented opportunities to address pressing challenges in infectious disease research, particularly in areas of high relevance to NIAID like HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. To cultivate a thriving and talented pipeline of next generation scientist workforce capable of leveraging these approaches, we propose the Big Data Health Science Scholar Program for Infectious Diseases, a 10-week short-term summer research training program for predoctoral students in quantitative and/or physical sciences (e.g., biomedical engineering, information technology, chemistry, mathematics, statistics etc) from across South Carolina (SC) and the United States (US). Each year, 8 students (40 total over the project period) will be competitively selected to engage in hands-on research, mentored by experienced faculty, while receiving structured academic training and professional development. Objective 1: Create a summer big data science training pipeline for qualified predoctoral students by exposing them to relevant courses/training for competency development in the application of BDS to infectious disease research. Objective 2: Engage trainees in hands-on research using infectious disease data. Objective 3: Provide trainees with rich research mentoring experience in BDS research and professional development for at least one year (summer included).The program will leverage the infrastructure of the University of South Carolina’s Big Data Health Science Center (BDHSC), which integrates five research cores (EHR, geospatial, genomic, social media, and AI for sensing and Diagnosis) and two supporting hubs (business/entrepreneurship and technology) with participation from 40+ faculty across 10 colleges. Trainees will complete structured training, participate in mentored research, and develop at least one scholarly product. By engaging students from non-healthcare disciplines early in their careers, this program will expand the pipeline of investigators prepared to apply BDS methods to infectious disease research, thereby advancing the NIH mission.