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Welcome to Fall Semester 2024!
This fall, we are delighted to welcome our new predoctoral, postdoctoral, and professional trainees! We are looking forward to the new energy brought by:
- 2 PhD students
- 2 postdoctoral fellows starting the MS
- 7 MSACI students including 1 clinical informatics fellow
Seminars and Colloquium
The DBMI Grand Rounds, weekly on Wednesdays at noon, will resume on September 4, 2024, with " InformaticCon 2024", hosted by the Vanderbilt Clinical Informatics Center (VCLIC).
Many speakers will be in-person on the 8th floor at 2525 West End Ave (Room 8110) or in Light Hall. Selected Grand Rounds will be in-person only; hybrid attendance will be available for others.
This fall, we are partnering with the Vanderbilt Center for Research in Health Inequality and the Vanderbilt Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society to co-sponsor some speakers. In addition, Dr. Eric Horvitz, Chief Scientific Officer at Microsoft, will deliver the VUMC Discovery Lecture as part of our Grand Rounds on Wednesday, November 6. Please visit the DBMI Events page here to see the fall line-up.
NOTE: We still have openings for Grand Rounds speakers in the Spring 2025 semester! Please contact Mia Garchitorena ( mia.garchitorena@vumc.org) or Lina Sulieman ( lina.sulieman@vumc.org) if you’d like to share your research with the department by giving Grand Rounds.
The DBMI Research Colloquium is Mondays at 11:00 am in Room 8110 of 2525 West End, in hybrid format.
DBMI Specific Aims Workshop
Our monthly hybrid workshop on grant proposals resumes September 12, 2024. These workshops, developed especially for graduate students, postdocs, and junior faculty, allow aspiring grant writers to share their specific aims for group discussion and feedback. Please feel free to drop in and listen if you are thinking about writing a grant. Also, we are delighted to welcome any faculty member who has time to attend, to provide constructive grant feedback and help contribute to our trainees’ success. No preparation is needed – just show up and provide input. Please email me at for an invitation to the workshop and a sharing invitation for our departmental library of previous K and dissertation awards.
Thank you, and welcome to the 2024-2025 academic year!
— Jessica Ancker, PhD, MPH, FACMI, Professor and Vice Chair for Educational Affairs in DBMI
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- DBMI HR & Admin Updates
- Student Pool Party at Laurie Novak's!
- Trainee Celebrations in DBMI
- DBMI News & Updates
- A Message from Kim Unertl & Trainee Wellness Resources
- MS/PhD Section
- MS in Applied Clinial Informatics (MSACI) Section
- Vanderbilt Genomic Medicine (VGM) Program Fellow Updates
- DBMI Contacts & Resources
- Upcoming Events
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REMINDER: The 2024 DBMI Annual Retreat will take place on Monday, September 30, 2024, at The Loveless Barn from 8:00 am – 3:00 pm CT. The retreat agenda, food menu and other details will be forthcoming. There will be free onsite parking, and a light breakfast and lunch buffet will be provided. NOTE: In-person attendance is strongly encouraged! If you have questions, contact jennifer.martellotti@vumc.org.
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Conflict of Interest (COI) Disclosure Form Update: Foreign Talent Recruitment ProgramTwo new questions have been added to the Conflict of Interest (COI) disclosure form:
Foreign Talent Program Financial Relationship(s): Do you receive financial support or other resources of any type related to your professional duties or expertise as a VUMC workforce member from a foreign entity, foreign institution, or their agents (anyone acting on their behalf), not including funds paid directly to Vanderbilt University or Vanderbilt University Medical Center to support your research or other activities?
Foreign Talent Program Support of Any Type: Do you receive any support from a foreign entity, foreign institution, or their agents (anyone acting on their behalf), not including collaborative project agreements through Vanderbilt University or Vanderbilt University Medical Center?
For questions related to the Foreign Talent Program, please contact Susan Meyn at s.meyn@vumc.org. Please refer to the Foreign Talent Recruitment Program Policy for more information.
COI RESOURCES
COI Policy
COI FAQs including FAQs specifically related to Gifts, Healthcare-Sponsored Activities, and Educational Events)
Conflict Disclosure System
User Guide
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Laurie Novak, Associate Professor in DBMI, will be hosting a September Social POOL PARTY for DBMI students on Friday, September 13th at 3:00 pm!
For students and trainees without a car, Hyunjoon Lee, Nick Jackson and tean will be coordinating plans for transporation. Laurie's address will be sent to the students soon! Email laurie.l.novak@vumc.org if you have any questions!
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| Trainee Celebrations in DBMI!
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This past year, our students continued to achieve their career goals by publishing their research, receiving important K awards and other grants, and more. They also experienced significant milestones in their personal lives! Congratulations to our trainees who celebrated engagements, weddings, and new additions to their families this year!
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Leigh Anne Tang, DBMI PhD student, and her partner, Tom Savady, got married in mid-August in Hawai'i! The couple had a small beach ceremony and her classmate and friend, Alex Becker, officiated! Lina Sulieman, Research Assistant Professor in DBMI, was also in attendance!
Leigh Anne said: Tom and I met online in 2020, right at the beginning of the pandemic. Over the past four years, we have explored new cuisines, immersed ourselves in nature, and traveled the world together. Last summer, Tom proposed at Inspiration Point in Yosemite National Park, and this summer, we exchanged vows at Makapu’u Beach in O’ahu, Hawai’i."
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Matt Christensen, DBMI trainee and pulmonary/critical care fellow at VUMC and his partner, Tessaly, who welcomed Alden “Ollie” Tian Kuo Christensen on August 8, 2024!
Matt said: "Tessaly and Ollie are both healthy and we are overjoyed. Having fun figuring out this new phase of our family together. Thank goodness for Tessaly’s parents visiting for the first week!"
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Victor Borza, DBMI MD-PhD student, proposed to his partner, Meredith, in August 2024!
He shared: “Meredith and I first met online in November of 2022 (interestingly enough, our first conversation took place while I was at AMIA). When I got back to Nashville, we had our first date at a 12 South favorite, Epice. We talked for hours and closed out the restaurant. A few more amazing dates later and we became official just before Christmas. Meredith graduated from Lipscomb University the following semester and stayed around Nashville to start Vanderbilt's Master of Nursing program, where she is now halfway through. This past week, we took a little getaway to Wildwood Resort (about an hour east of Nashville) and I popped the question at the end of their boardwalk. I had a boat and captain waiting for us right after and we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset cruise."
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Chris Guardo, DBMI MS student and Associate Statistical Analyst in DBMI, first met Saraí on Bumble in December 2022. They went on three incredible dates before she left for a mission trip to Ecuador in January 2023. When she returned in March, she taught Chris just enough Spanish for him to meet her family! Chris proposed to Saraí one year later on March 9, 2024, on the Percy Werner lookout over the Nashville skyline. Then, he brought her to a surprise engagement party where all of her family and friends were waiting. They are planning their wedding for December of this year!
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Congrats to Chao Yan who Received K99 Award!
DBMI trainee Chao Yan received a K99 award from the National Library of Medicine for his project “Generative AI for synthetic data: A framework to expand health data reach for research and ensure algorithmic fairness.”
He thanks his mentors Brad Malin, Ellen Clayton, Yong Chen, Fei Wan, Paul Harris and Wei-Qi Wei.
This is a two-year award (09/01/24 – 08/31/26) for a total of $174,375.
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Scientific Communication Course—Fall 2024
Sharon Davis and Trent Rosenbloom teach the department's graduate course in Scientific Communication. SciComm has been offered by the department for more than 20 years, and is constantly changing as the methods used for scientific communication have rapidly evolved in this era of widespread social media, preprints, and an increasingly attentive lay audience.
The course teaches students of all writing levels and includes lectures on traditional formats for biomedical writing and review, methods for speaking science to nonscientists, developing a personal brand as a foundation for your message, and presentations at conferences. Over two semesters, students will also have the opportunity to develop their own real scientific papers suitable for peer review and submission to journals or conferences.
Drs. Davis and Rosenbloom are excited to teach this course again to our new students!
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A Message from the Director of Graduate Studies to Current & New StudentsWelcome to the fall semester! I hope you all had a refreshing and enjoyable summer. Heading into this academic year in particular is causing me to reflect on transitions, as my son moved on from the school he attended from the time he was three years old to a new high school. This has been a predictably unpredictable few weeks for my family, as we navigate a new school, new autonomy, new responsibilities, and so many new people. These kinds of transitions don’t stop once you leave school, and learning how to adapt during change is a life skill that you never stop using.
Around DBMI this fall, you’ll see some new faces—new faculty, new staff. We’re also making some major changes in the core courses for our degree program, due in part to your feedback as students. As we launch a new core course this fall, BMIF 6101 Biomedical Informatics Foundations and Methods I (and BMIF 6102 in the spring), we’ll be learning valuable lessons together, with the plan that these changes will move our degree program in a positive direction.
In addition, faculty member Tom Reese is making some changes with journal club to try to increase student engagement in this important component of your development as scholars. As we try out these changes, we look forward to hearing feedback from our students.
As you move through the next weeks and months, remember that DBMI and Vanderbilt have multiple resources to support you. Rischelle Jenkins and I are here to assist when you need us, as well as RC Stabile in the BRET Office (https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/bret/health_and_wellness/) who is available to assist with navigating Vanderbilt resources.
RC also administers the Roger Chalkley Critical Need Fund. The Graduate and Postdoc Academic Success Program is another key resource for you as trainees—check out their programming and reach out to them for individual coaching assistance. They offer workshops on a range of topics, including time management, goal setting, and procrastination and are also available for individual consults.
Whatever transitions you might encounter this year, you’ve got a huge group of people here on your team. Whether you need us to cheer you on through your successes or to help you overcome a challenge, you can count on our support.
Best wishes as classes get started! Please reach out if you need to talk about anything!
— Kim Unertl, PhD, ACHIP, FACMI, FAMIA, Associate Professor & Director of Graduate Studies in DBMI
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Trainee Wellness Resources
All trainees and faculty should be aware of the many resources and programs available at VU and VUMC to help support trainee wellness. Here is a snapshot of a few programs to be familiar with:
We encourage trainees to explore these resources and identify tools that will be of most use to them in their academic and life journeys. I’m also always available for discussions or for help with connecting with any VU/VUMC resources. See other resources below:
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| Introducing DBMI's Newest MS/PhD Students!
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Please welcome our new MS and PhD students this semester. See below!
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Rachael Miller, PharmD – MS Degree Postdoc
Rachael received her PharmD degree from Belmont University (May 2024). Rachael was a VBISP summer intern (May – August 2022). Rachael is a VA postdoctoral fellow and pursuing a master’s degree.
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Matthew Murrow, PhD – MS Degree PostdocMatthew completed his PhD defense, in Physics, July 2024 and will receive his degree August 2024 from Vanderbilt University. Matthew is a postdoctoral fellow and is funded by the National Library of Medicine’s training grant. He is pursuing a master’s degree.
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Brandon Buxton, MS – PhD StudentBrandon received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Western Michigan University (December 2019) and a Master of Science degree (August 2023) from the University of Texas Health Science Center. Brandon is funded from the National Library of Medicine’s training grant and pursuing a PhD.
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Kassandra Jutis – PhD StudentKassandra received her Bachelor of Science degree from Columbia University (May 2024). Kassandra was a VBISP summer intern (May – August 2022). She is funded from the National Library of Medicine’s training grant and pursuing a PhD.
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| Vanderbilt Genomic Medicine (VGM) Training Program: Fellow Updates
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Our most recent trainee to complete the program is Jonathan Brett Heimlich, MD, PhD. Brett received a VUMC faculty appointment in the Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine. Brett is a board-certified cardiologist and physician-scientist. His research leverages large-scale databases as well as novel single-cell genomics techniques to better understand how acquired DNA mutations affect cardiovascular health.
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Freida Blostein, PhD, will complete her VGM training in February 2025. Freida’s research uses high-dimensional omics measurements as markers and mediators of environment-disease relationships. Freida’s mentor is Lea Davis in the Department of Medicine, Division of Genetic Medicine.
Bassim El-Sabawi, MD, will complete his VGM training in June 2025. His mentor is Brian Lindman in the Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine. Bassim’s studies focus on identifying whether proteomic signatures of myocardial remodeling/dysfunction are present early in aortic stenosis before traditional clinical thresholds for intervention.
Cecile Avery, PhD, is in her first year of training with Lisa Bastarache in DBMI and Doug Ruderfer in the Department of Medicine, Division of Genetic Medicine, as her mentors. Her research focus is on improving and characterizing the clinical utility of genome sequencing by investigating the impact of rare variants on densely phenotyped individuals in a large biobank.
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| Master's of Applied Clinical Informatics(MS-ACI) Program
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Hi everyone! I would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest class of MS-ACI students. We are so excited to have you join us and we are looking forward to a great year!
We have 7 first-year students that will be working on mastering the concepts and foundation of applied clinical informatics. Our second-year students will be focused on applying those concepts with their capstone projects, with topics in machine learning, predictive analytics, clinical decision support, ambient documentation, and medication monitoring.
In some exciting news, we recently completed the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) virtual site visit for the MS-ACI program. CAHIIM provides accreditation for health informatics and health information management programs. CAHIIM also conducts an in depth and rigorous review of health informatics programs with educational requirements based on the AMIA core competencies. I would like to thank the DBMI leadership and faculty for their support and effort in going through this accreditation process.
For more information about the MS-ACI program, please watch this Intro to MS-ACI video below and visit our VU website here! Check here for current student resources.
— Scott Nelson, PharmD, MS, ACHIP, CPHIMS, FAMIA, Program Director for MS-ACI.
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DBMI Welcomes Fall 2024 MSACI Students
The leaders of the MSACI Program are pleased to welcome its newest class of students! See below:
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Jacob BecksteadJake works as a Research Assistant at Vanderbilt University’s Pharmacology Department investigating the roots of colorectal cancer metastasis and developing neuropharmacological research tools. Email: jacob.a.beckstead@vanderbilt.edu
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Tim Coffman
Tim is an application developer specializing in building SMART on FHIR applications and integrating them with VUMC eStar and EHRs at other institutions. Email: timothy.a.coffman.1@vanderbilt.edu
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Rebecca Flaherty, MPH
Becky is a Program Manager in the Department of Pharmacy at Mount Sinai Health System in New York. She earned her bachelor’s degree from New York University and completed her Master of Public Health at Boston University, focusing on healthcare management. Email: rebecca.flaherty@vanderbilt.edu
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Natalie Hsiao-Fang-Yen, MD
Natalie works as a hospitalist at Williamson Medical Center and is a faculty member at Thomas Frist Jr. College. She completed her residency at Meharry Medical College. Before that, she attended the University of Limerick in Ireland. Email: natalie.hsiao-fang-yen@vanderbilt.edu
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Ali Mehdi Moosvi, MD
Ali is currently a molecular genetics pathology fellow at VUMC and will receive subspecialty fellowship training in genitourinary pathology the following year. Originally from the DC/Maryland/Virginia region, Ali completed medical school at the University of Queensland in Australia. He completed his anatomical and clinical pathology residency training at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. Email: ali.m.moosvi.1@vanderbilt.edu
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Sarah Stern, MD
Sarah is an internal medicine physician. She completed her residency at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, where she participated in the program’s clinical informatics pathway. Email: sarah.r.stern@vanderbilt.edu
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Molly Talman, MD
Molly is currently a second-year clinical fellow in pediatric hematology and oncology at VUMC. She completed medical school and her pediatrics residency training at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Email: molly.talman.1@vanderbilt.edu
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| DBMI Contacts & Resources
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Do you need assistance with something but don't know who to contact? See our list of incredible DBMI administrative staff below and send them an email!
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Rischelle Jenkins — MS/PhD Program Manager
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Claudia McCarn, MBA — MSACI Program Manager
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Cynthia Williams — VGM Program Manager - Contact Cynthia for matters related to the Vanderbilt Genomic Medicine (VGM) Training Program and the Center for Precision Medicine (CPM). She also assists Dr. Josh Peterson (Director of CPM).
- Email: cynthia.c.williams@vumc.org
- https://www.vumc.org/dbmi/person/cynthia-williams
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Jennifer Martellotti — Administrative Officer
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Mia Garchitorena, MA — Senior Communications Specialist
- Contact Mia for communications and marketing needs, including bio changes on the DBMI website, social media advice/assistance, job postings, graphics, PowerPoint presentations and more.
- If you have an interesting personal backstory or recent accomplishment, or a study you recently published, email Mia!
- Email: mia.garchitorena@vumc.org
- https://www.vumc.org/dbmi/person/mia-garchitorena-ma
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Wil Comstock — Lead Administrative Assistant
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Barbara Payne — Lead Administrative Assistant
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Terri DeMumbrum — Grants Manager
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Open Positions
Upcoming EventsVisit here for more details on the upcoming DBMI events in September 2024.
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