MedStar Health https://www.medstarhealth.org and Georgetown University Medical Center https://gumc.georgetown.edu are collaborating in the Data Science Training Core which is part of a new two year multimillion dollar award funded initiative by NIH https://www.nih.gov
The initiative is one of the four core functions of NIH’s Artificial Intelligence/MCHINE Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity or referred to as the AIM-AHEAD program.
While the widespread adoption of EHRs has offered opportunities to apply data science to biomedical research, many challenges remain in accessing the full potential of data which can include access to AI/ML technology, proper training, along with a lack of diversity in investigators in the field. NIH created the AIM-AHEAD program to enhance participation of underrepresented minorities in AI/ML research.
Nawar Shara PhD, Director for CBIDS at MedStar Health Research Institute and Co-Principal Investigator for the Data Science Training Core reports “Artificial intelligence and machine learning are critical tools for research. It is necessary to ensure that investigators from all backgrounds and communities have access learning these skills so essential to use to support the equitable workforce to be able to address the field’s most pressing questions.”
While the initial effort will be to identify training needs to support workforce development, it will be followed by addressing cloud computing, distributed computing, biostatistics, modeling, epidemiology biomedical informatics, and other community engaged research methods
Alex Libin PhD, Scientific Director of Simulation Education Research for MedStar Health Research Institute and Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center will serve as communication and outreach lead for the initiative. He will bring expertise in autonomous learning and digital technology, and psychosocial functioning to the team.
The initial phase of the two year project is currently underway and will lead to the launch of a suite of training resources and curriculum. The Data Science Training Core team will also provide one-on-one small and larger group sessions. Training candidates will range from high school, college, and graduate students to PhD and postdoctoral fellows.
The program represents a collaborative effort across MedStar Health Research Institute, Georgetown University, and Howard University, members of the Georgetown Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science in collaboration with the University of Maryland.
In addition to developing data science curriculum, the AIM-AHEAD program will identify additional research priorities and build out software infrastructure to facilitate AI/ML and health disparities research.