Research Training in Biomedical Informatics and Data Science at Oregon Health & Science University

Project Summary The Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology (DMICE) of Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) is submitting this competitive renewal for a seventh five-year cycle of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) Research Training in Biomedical Informatics and Data Science Program. The overall objective of our program is to train future researchers, faculty, and/or leaders in the field of biomedical informatics and data science. The rationale for these objectives is that individual health, health care, public health, and biomedical research can be enhanced through the application of the theory and practice of biomedical informatics, data science, and related areas to improve human health. The design of our program allows predoctoral trainees to pursue a PhD in biomedical informatics in 4-5 years and postdoctoral trainees to obtain further training that includes a research master’s degree if they have no prior degree in biomedical informatics in 2-3 years. The educational program for all trainees consists of coursework; a substantial research project culminating in dissertation for PhD students and thesis for master’s students; and associated publications, presentations, and other academic activities related to their research. In this funding cycle, we propose to maintain a steady state of 11 predoctoral trainees (including two HIV-focused trainees), six postdoctoral trainees, and four short-term diversity trainees. The OHSU Biomedical Informatics Training Program has been a leader and innovator in the NLM T15 training grant program. In this next funding cycle, we aim to: 1. Improve and expand coursework and research experiences for trainees, especially in the translation and evaluation of applications of data science and machine learning 2. Enhance our evaluation and tracking of progress of trainees during their course of study and prepare them for a variety of research-oriented careers 3. Achieve greater equity, diversity, and inclusion among our trainees and increasing resources to ensure their success 4. Continue our leadership in the NLM training program and other informatics educational initiatives nationally and globally