News

PLoS Genetics: High-Throughput Framework for Genetic Analyses of Adverse Drug RXNs Using EHRs

On June 1, 2021, faculty and staff from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System published a new study titled "High-Throughput Framework for Genetic Analyses of Adverse Drug Reactions Using Electronic Health Records." The study was published in PLoS Genetics.  The researchers presented a high-throughput framework to efficiently identify eligible patients for genetic studies of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) using “drug allergy” labels from electronic health records (EHRs).

Jessica Ancker Speaking at American College of Preventative Medicine's Annual Conference, 5/18

Jessica Ancker, PhD, MPH, FACMI, Vice Chair for Educational Affairs and Professor of Biomedical Informatics, will be speaking at the upcoming American College of Preventative Medicine's annual conference on Tuesday, May 18 at 1:00 pm CT. She will be discussing her project, "Evaluating the Comparative Effectiveness of Telemedicine in Primary Care: Learning from the COVID-19 Pandemic." 

Stuart Weinberg Received Special Achievement Award from American Academy of Pediatrics

Stuart Weinberg, MD, FAAP, FAMIA, Associate Professor in DBMI & Pediatrics in the School of Medicine at Vanderbilt University, received the Special Achievement Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). He was honored at the virtual presentation of the District IV Awards of Chapter Excellence & Special Achievement Awards on May 6. 

DBMI Digest May 2021 Issue — Now Available!

The Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) Department of Biomedical Informatics's (DBMI) monthly newsletter, DBMI Digest, is now available to view. Read the May 2021 issue here.  Each DBMI Digest features department & faculty announcements, awards & appointments, educational & HR updates, funding opportunities and more. Each issue also includes a profile of one of our faculty, staff, postdocs and students. 

Brad Malin Appointed to CDC’s Board of Scientific Counselors

Bradley Malin, PhD, FACMI, FAIMBE, FIAHSI, Professor of Biomedical Informatics, Biostatistics and Computer Science, has been appointed to the Board of Scientific Counselors of the National Center for Health Statistics of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through 2024. 

Juan Zhao, Wei-Qi Wei & Colleagues Analyzed Clinical Notes to Identify COVID Symptoms

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health authorities first had to identify and draw attention to common signs and symptoms of the disease.  On Feb. 25, 2020, with 14 cases having been diagnosed in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initially went with fever, cough and shortness of breath. This brief official list of coronavirus disease symptoms remained unchanged until mid-April. 

COVID-19 Met with Intensive Teamwork: Story Featuring You Chen, Chao Yan & Colleagues

As reported in the journal JMIR Human Factors, Chao Yan, You Chen, PhD, Assistant Professor in DBMI, and colleagues used electronic health records (EHRs) and network analysis to study teamwork in intensive care units at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.  As a starting point, they matched 38 patients admitted to the COVID ICU with 38 similar patients without COVID-19 admitted to the medical ICU.