Read the July 2023 issue of the DBMI Digest.
Read the July 2023 issue of the DBMI Digest.

A Letter from the Director of Graduate Studies: Update on the 2023 Vanderbilt Biomedical Informatics Summer Program (VBISP)

Dear DBMI,
A foundational principle for DBMI’s summer program is “Festine Lente,” which means to “make haste slowly.” One of the best aspects of a relatively compact 10-week program is that, rapidly but with deliberate purpose, we can try out new ideas, evaluate how it went, and decide if we want to incorporate them into the program moving forward – much like the idea of continuous process improvement. This is definitely the case with the VBISP Design Challenge, which the students have been working on in small groups and presented about on July 21.
The focus of the design challenge this year was on developing short videos to explain an informatics concept to high school students, an effort helped by having some subject matter experts (i.e., high school students) available to contribute. Topics the groups focused on were: Predictive Analytics, What is an EHR? and the informatics aspects of the 21st Century Cures Act. While those of us in informatics know the huge impact of the 21st Century Cures Act, it was interesting to learn that most of our summer students had not heard of the law – highlighting the importance of talking about public policy and informatics with high school and undergraduate students. The videos the groups came up with were informative, and also fun! I actually learned a few things myself about all of these topics, and hopefully you’ll enjoy watching the videos and sharing them with others. 

How does this link back to “Festine Lente”? In 2020, when we rapidly pivoted the program to an online format, Bryan Steitz and Michelle Gomez identified a major issue: students were well supported by mentors on their individual research projects, but they didn’t have the chance to get to know each other and build connections with their peers – something we really want students to get out of the program. The VBSIP Design Challenge was our answer to help students overcome the difficulty of getting to know others when you’re not all in the same place.
Of course, the question when we returned to an in-person format in summer 2022 was: "Do we still need the Design Challenge?" We kicked off an evaluation focused on this topic last summer, which we’ll wrap up with this year’s student cohort – hopefully having enough data after this summer to decide how to proceed. Many thanks to Michelle Gomez, Alex Becker, and Leigh Anne Tang for their leadership of the design challenge process and the evaluation. Alex will be presenting a poster at the AMIA Symposium this fall on the VBISP Group Design Challenge evaluation, so expect to hear more!

This week, the VBISP and BEST-DS2 students presented their individual research projects. I hope you were able to stop in for part (or all!) of the sessions, as the students have been doing some incredible work this summer with their mentors and I know they appreciate your support. 
— Kim Unertl, PhD, MS, ACHIP, FACMI, FAMIA
Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Director of Graduate Studies, DBMI
Pictured: Kim Unertl, Alex Becker, Leigh Anne Tang and Rischelle Jenkins with the 2023 VBISP students!

Table of Contents

  1. Admin Updates & Reminders
  2. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  3. Faculty News 
  4. Education
  5. DBMI Spotlight: 2023 VBISP Profiles, Pt. II
  6. Upcoming Events

Admin Updates & Reminders

Annual Evaluation Process has Begun; Training Workshops Available

The annual performance evaluation process for fiscal year 2023 started in Workday with the launch of self-evaluations on July 25. Starting August 15, managers can begin their part of the evaluation process. The deadline to complete all evaluations is October 10

To help you gain familiarity with using the new system, the MyWorkday team has created a workshop for both employees and managers. Locate upcoming and recorded workshops here Training Hub.

Save the Date! VUMC Chill Out is August 11 

Take time to “chill out” with free ice cream and frozen treats Friday, Aug. 11, during VUMC Chill Out, the annual Employee Celebration event. On-campus locations: Walk up to staffed coolers and take your pick
  • 11:00 am – 2:00 pmVanderbilt Health One Hundred Oaks, OHO 26115 conference room
  • 11:00 am – 4:00 pmMedical Center Plaza (several locations, look for signs)

Jessica Ancker Visited New Zealand

Jessica Ancker and her husband, John Affleck, traveled to New Zealand in July, which was full of sheep and hobbits! Below is a picture of the couple at "Bag End" from the Lord of the Rings movies! After their vacation, John stayed for several more weeks to cover the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the Associated Press.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

Faculty News

Siru Liu Joins DBMI Faculty

Siru Liu, PhD, officially joined the Department of Biomedical Informatics as Assistant Professor on August 1! Congratulations to Siru!

Jeffery Carr Received SCCT 2023 Gold Medal Award

Jeffrey Carr, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Radiology, Cardiovascular Medicine and Biomedical Informatics, received the SCCT 2023 Gold Medal Award in Boston.
The award recognizes leaders who have made landmark contributions to the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography.

DBMI Spotlight: VBISP Students

Each month, we will feature one of our DBMI faculty, staff, students, trainees or alumni. If you or someone you know is new to the department, has an interesting backstory, or is making an impact at work or in their personal lives, email Mia Garchitorena at mia.garchitorena@vumc.org!  
This summer, a total of 15 students participated in our 2023 Vanderbilt Biomedical Informatics Summer Program (VBISP), including three high school students11 undergraduate students, and one graduate student! See their remaining profiles below: 

Anindita Rajamani

anindita.rajamani@vumc.org (she/her)
What school will you go to in Fall 2023?
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
What do you plan on studying?
Computer Science
MentorLea Davis
Why did you apply to VBISP?
I applied to the Vanderbilt Biomedical Informatics Summer Program understanding that it would be an incredible opportunity for me to receive mentorship in the health informatics space at a university recognized as one of the best in the nation for the spethe specialization. I would be incredibly grateful to continue to build relationships in this program with some of the most accomplished members of the field and establish a peer network with my internship cohort. 
What are your research interests and career goals?
I am passionate about conducting research within the intersection between computer science and healthcare, particularly mental healthcare. I enjoy working with predictive technology and user-focused solutions. 
What's a fun fact about you?
I love to dance!

Paul Davis

paul.davis@vumc.org (he/him)
What school will you go to in Fall 2023?
University of Tennessee Knoxville
What do you plan on studying?
Computer Science
Mentor: Yaa Kumah-Crystal
Why did you apply to VBISP?
I applied to learn as much as I can about a career in computer science and to surround myself with like-minded people with the same passion as me.
What are your research interests and career goals?
I would love to work at a big tech corporation. However, from my current experience at Vanderbilt, I've developed an interest in machine learning.

What's a fun fact about you?
I love to make music and learn random hard skills.

Ashley Kim

akk2@williams.edu (she/her)
What school will you go to in Fall 2023? 
Williams College
What do you plan on studying?
Double-major in Statistics and Psychology; minor in Biochemistry
MentorsAllison McCoy, Adam Wright, Al Hussein
Why did you apply to VBISP?
I'm interested in biomedical informatics because I am passionate about computational research, really enjoy working with people and patients, and am interested in the medical field. I applied to the VBISP specifically because I liked the project-based approach for the summer and the opportunity to work with awesome mentors. Vanderbilt would obviously be an amazing place to pursue my graduate and/or medical school studies in the future, so I also wanted to get to know this place a bit better!
What are your research interests and career goals?
My dream is to be a research scientist that pushes the boundaries of my field, and I am also highly interested in psychiatry. My research interests are in clinical decision making, women's health, clinical psychology (e.g., eating disorders and addiction), and nutritional/metabolic diseases.
What's a fun fact about you?
I've played violin for 14 years and counting. I love being creative and making music and art. Here's my arts portfolio if you'd like to check it out: https://sites.google.com/view/ashleys-ideas/arts-portfolio

Dounia Ferhat

dounia.ferhat@vumc.org (she/her)
What school will you go to in Fall 2023? 
Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School for health sciences and engineering
What do you plan on studying?
I plan to major in Biology and Computer science
Mentors: Kim Unertl
Why did you apply to VBISP?
I applied to the VBISP in order to familiarize myself with the well-established field of bioinformatics. Because I'm a high school student, I still don't know what exactly I want to major in. As of now, I'm between biology and computer science.
What are your research interests and career goals?
My research interests range from wanting to help find an answer to a bioinformatics query because I find it simply intriguing to wanting to publicly share my work in hopes of benefiting the world in some way. My overall career goals involve utilizing both.
What's a fun fact about you?
During my free time, I like reading good mystery novels, writing poetry, playing soccer, and listening to indie or rock music. I also like to watch surgical videos and read medical books. Right now, I am particularly interested in learning the psychology of the human mind. I also like to allocate time to spend with family and friends during the weekends. 

Jessie Yang

jessie.yang.1@vumc.org (she/her)
What school will you go to in Fall 2023? 
Vanderbilt University
What do you plan on studying?
Computer Science and Mathematics
Mentor: Zhijun Yin
Why did you apply to VBISP?
I applied to VBISP because I was interested in gaining more experience in the medical field while still being able to apply my expertise in computer science. Learning how these different areas of knowledge intersect and contribute to the overall goal of improving patient outcomes and advancing scientific research also really intrigued me. Thus, I am extremely excited to be a part of this program so I can gain a deeper understanding of biomedical informatics and hopefully make meaningful contributions to the field.
What are your research interests and career goals?
I am interested in learning more about ChatGPT, especially how it can lead to valuable insights as well as how quickly the misinformation it spreads can escalate. Overall, though, my goal is to work with artificial intelligence and machine learning.
What's a fun fact about you?
I love doing art in my free time. Fun fact: I went to the same high school as Kesha!

Marcel Edinbugh

marcel.edinbugh@vumc.org (he/him)
What school will you go to in Fall 2023? 
Fisk University
What do you plan on studying?
Biology
Mentor: Alvin Jeffery
Why did you apply to VBISP?
I wanted to gain some research and internship experience.  I also wanted to explore an area outside my major, but still within my career goal of working in the medical field.
What are your research interests and career goals?
I hope to learn many new things and skills from research that I will use in the future.  My career goal is to go into orthopedics or sports medicine.
What's a fun fact about you?
I really enjoy basketball and am into fashion.

Madison Roy

madison.roy@vumc.org (she/her)
What school will you go to in Fall 2023? 
Rice University
What do you plan on studying?
Cognitive Sciences
Mentors: Shilo Anders & Megan Salwei
Why did you apply to VBISP?
I am interested in both human factors and medical technology, and the opportunity to combine these fields was extremely exciting! I was also drawn to the colaborative and cohort-based nature of the program.
What are your research interests and career goals?
I am interested in healthcare and medical human factors. I hope to pursue a PhD in human factors engineering and work in the medical field to improve healthcare worker, patient, and family experiences.
What's a fun fact about you?
I love attending markets—from farmers' markets to craft fairs.

Oumou Samake

oumou.samake@vumc.org (she/her)
What school will you go to in Fall 2023? 
University of Vermont 
What do you plan on studying?
Biomedical Engineering 
Mentor: Yaa Kumah-Crystal
Why did you apply to VBISP?
I really wanted to try programs in various disciplines to see what I would like to do for graduate school.
What are your research interests and career goals?
Creating assistive technology or maybe research in assistive tech for children with disabilities.
What's a fun fact about you?
I love the anime "One Piece" and will recommend "Katekyo Hitman Reborn" to any new anime watchers.

Arturo Gonzalez

arturo.gonzalez@vumc.org (he/him)
What school will you go to in Fall 2023? 
Bakersfield College
What do you plan on studying?
Computer Science 
Mentor: Alex Cheng
Why did you apply to VBISP?
I applied to VBISP in order to do something bigger than myself this summer, like participate in research. However I wanted to accomplish it in a way that was familiar to me, and that was through a Computer Science lens.
What are your research interests and career goals?
I am open to many topics of health related research that involve programming. Career wise I am interested in software development, but I am not opposed to other fields in tech.
What's a fun fact about you?
I love long distance running; The Vanderbilt plus Centennial Park loop has been fun to jog on.

Aaliyah Riddle

aaliyah.riddle@vumc.org (she/her)
What school will you go to in Fall 2023? 
Fisk University
What do you plan on studying?
Psychology, Gender Studies
Mentor: Kim Unertl
Why did you apply to VBISP?
I applied for VBISP because I wanted to spend the summer doing research that was academically challenging and learn a new skill! Bioinformatics is something that's unfamiliar to me, however, I was extremely interested to learn how I could incorporate my psychology background into the program!
What are your research interests and career goals?
Upon graduating college in Spring 2024, I hope to obtain my masters in psychology and potentially pursue a doctorate. I am currently interested in being a researcher or counselor.
What's a fun fact about you?
My hobbies include spoken word poetry, writing, and reading!

Update Your DBMI Bio Page

REMINDER: Please review your DBMI bio page and notify us of any changes. Updates can include:
  • New headshot
  • Updated degrees, professional titles
  • Updated bio information
  • Adding Google Scholar, PubMed, LinkedIn URLs
Email Mia Garchitorena (mia.garchitorena@vumc.org) and Wil Comstock (wil.comstock@vumc.org).

Upcoming Events

Visit here for more details on upcoming summer events and previously recorded DBMI seminars.
Suggestions? Email dbmicomms@vumc.org.
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