Directory

This Directory includes Faculty, Staff, Students, and Alumni selectable by category, search or alphabetical by last name. Over 110 students have graduated from the Department of Biomedical Informatics (25+ PhD, 50+ MS, 25+ Certificate). The diversity of careers available to DBMI alumnus is evident in their biographies. Many of our graduates are teaching and performing research in academic institutions, such as Vanderbilt University, Arizona State University, and New York University while others have entered private industry with companies such as Cerner Corporation and Boston Scientific; some have positions in government agencies, such as the NIH and AHRQ, while others are at major medical centers, serving in roles such as Chief Medical Information Officer. We maintain a database of the career paths of our graduates. If you are an alumnus, please contact us if you would like to submit or update information!

Young Ji Lee

Associate Professor of Nursing and Medicine
Work Phone: 412-624-7886 Website: Pitt Nursing CV: CV
Photo of Young Ji Lee

Biography

Personal statement: I have a strong background in health informatics and specific training in big data analysis using methods such as network analysis, text mining, and traditional statistical approaches. My research focuses on structuring and delivering health information via the Internet to diverse groups, including underrepresented populations like Latinos. Currently, I am the PI for an NIH-funded study to build and implement a personalized information access system for ovarian cancer patients and caregivers. This system, HELPeR (Health E-Librarian with Personalized Recommendations), features a hybrid recommender engine that adapts to the varying needs of its users (R01 LM013038). This study highlights human-artificial intelligence (AI) collaboration and will be the first to guide cancer patients’ decision-making and self-management by providing navigational support to locate appropriate information online. Moreover, I have led several pilot studies funded by the University of Pittsburgh, applying natural language processing (NLP) to social media data to understand the needs of ovarian cancer survivors. I have also contributed to the educational goals of my program and school by advising independent studies, chairing or serving on PhD dissertation committees, and mentoring trainees from undergraduate to postdoctoral levels across various majors (e.g., medicine, computer science, nursing) through training programs such as the Technology Research in Chronic and Critical Illness (T32NR008857) and the Pittsburgh Biomedical Informatics Training Program (T15LM007059). Furthermore, I serve as a co-director of the Digital Health Hub in the School of Nursing, which supports faculty members and trainees interested in designing and conducting research leveraging digital health.