About DBMI

The Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine brings together a diverse group of faculty who are committed to improving biomedical research and clinical care through the application of innovative technologies. Currently funded projects explore areas such as genomic and proteomic data mining, natural language processing, machine learning, and biosurveillance.

Mission

  • To fundamentally advance biomedical informatics research through radical innovation and rigorous experimentation, with a continued emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) research
  • To effectively translate biomedical informatics research into practice and thereby significantly expand biomedical knowledge and improve human health
  • To prepare trainees to become outstanding leaders in biomedical informatics research, education, and practice, through world-class training with a focus on AI and computing methods for biomedical problems

Pitt DBMI is home to one of the National Library of Medicine’s university-based Research Training Programs in Biomedical Informatics. Our trainees come to us with a variety of backgrounds and through coursework, research, presentations, and conferences are able to develop a well-rounded understanding of informatics and an ability to design, implement, and evaluate new applications within the informatics domain. Please contact us for additional information regarding our research or training activities, or see our list of additional resources.

A Message From Our Chair

“Our department aims to revolutionize biomedical informatics through pioneering artificial intelligence data driven research and transformative education with the goal to advance human health and knowledge.”

Michael J. Becich, MD, PhD, Chairman and Distinguished University Professor

Hear what our alumni have to say about the Training Program:

Christa Bartos, BSN, MS, PhD

When I discovered the Center for Biomedical Informatics (now a department), I felt like I had come home! The faculty was brilliant, inspiring, caring, and supportive. The staff was knowledgeable and enabling, allowing us to work toward our goals without distraction. The students were among the brightest and most highly motivated people I have ever met, and I felt honored to be among them. At DBMI, students are made to feel an integral part of the department and are guided toward their life goals beyond school. Lifelong bonds as colleagues are formed with both faculty and classmates. As I begin my new career, I only hope that I can inspire my students as I was inspired at DBMI.

Matthew Scotch, MPH, PhD

One of the strengths of the DBMI program is that the faculty does not treat you as a subordinate, but rather a colleague with the potential to advance the science. This certainly facilitated my relationship with my advisor as well as the other faculty members. The PhD curriculum was rigorous, yet rewarding; I felt the faculty truly cared that I succeed.

Pedro L. Hernández-Cott, DMD, MS

After 20 years as a general dentist with an interest in computers, this was an excellent program for aiding me in making the transition into academia. This is an outstanding program for exposing healthcare professionals, academicians, and researchers in how technology is changing and will be used in healthcare for the future.

Catherine Arnott Smith, MS, PhD

The five years I spent at DBMI were among the most fulfilling of my life—intellectually and professionally. The lessons I learned—not only through coursework but through exposure to the multiple disciplines that make up medical informatics—remain with me today. I have been a full-time tenure-track academic ever since, am an active participant in medical informatics, and remain committed to integrating multidisciplinary understanding in my research and in my teaching.