HOP Faculty Spoke at Student Data Science and Informatics Organization Symposium

François Modave, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Health Outcomes & Policy, and Jiang Bian, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Health Outcomes & Policy, discussed UF’s informatics research at the Data Science and Informatics Student Organization’s symposium on April 14.

To help expose undergraduate students to real-world informatics research, Modave talked about his research in assessing the quality and comprehensiveness of online information related to weight loss, and Bian identified the challenges and possibilities that result from leveraging big data.

The faculty presentations aligned with the student organization’s goals of connecting students across academic programs through workshops, speaker sessions and group discussion. With assistance from their partner organization, the UF Informatics Institute, the student organization aims to expose undergraduate students to the wide application of informatics through potential educational opportunities and information about the current job market.

Modave’s and Jiang’s involvement was spurred by the Department of Health Outcomes & Policy’s new graduate certificate in biomedical informatics, which combines health care, statistics and computer science to assess and inform health policy and practices.

“The Biomedical Informatics Program is eager to engage with bright students interested in how their developing skill sets can improve health,” said Bill Hogan, M.D., M.S., director of the Biomedical Informatics Program and professor in the Department of Health Outcomes & Policy. “We are delighted that our close relationship with the UF Informatics Institute created this opportunity.”

To learn more about the biomedical informatics certificate at UF, click here.