Programs in Biomedical Informatics

Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences & Technology
Program in Biomedical Informatics

2.7 Training support

Two primary training programs are available for support of students and research fellows.

2.7.1 Biomedical Informatics Research Training program

Formal institution-based training programs in BMI began locally in 1986, with a program funded by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), initially based at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), and involving two HSPH departments, the BWH Decision Systems Group and the MGH Laboratory of Computer Science.� Program director is Robert A. Greenes, M.D., Ph.D. The training program was moved to the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences & Technology (HST) in 1991, to expand the breadth of participation, to include MIT collaborators (the Medical Decision Making group), and Tufts New England Medical Center (NEMC) (the Clinical Decision Making Unit).� In 1996 the program was broadened further to include the BIH Center for Clinical Computing and the newly formed Children�s Hospital Medical Center�s Children�s Hospital Informatics Program (CHIP) group.

In 2002, this program was further expanded with respect to number of trainees, and including the BU Medical Information Systems Unit (the Center for Clinical Computing is less active and no longer participates).� The latest expansion also reflected the growing range of collaborations of the primary training sites, with increased number of trainees working in areas of bioinformatics.�

Key features:

� now in 16th year

� � 35 trainees annually from various sources

� funded in part by NLM, grant renewal in 2002, for 129 training grant slots, over a 5 year period

� coordinated through HST

� mostly postdoctoral, plus 5 predoctoral positions per year

� Robert A. Greenes, M.D., Ph.D., program director; 60+ faculty

� participating labs at HMS, HSPH, affiliated hospitals, MIT

2.7.2 Bioinformatics & Integrative Genomics (BIG) Training Program

This training program funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) was begun in 2001, also based in HST, and involving participation of bioinformatics groups at Harvard, MIT, and affiliated hospital-based laboratories.� This program supports students in the predoctoral Bioinformatics and Integrative Genomics track of the HST MEMP Ph.D. described in the section on degree programs.

Key features:

� program funded by NHGRI beginning in 2001

� coordinated through HST

� 7 new trainees per year

� predoctoral, with students enrolled in HST MEMP PhD program

� I. Kohane and G. Stephanopoulos, program co-directors

� participating labs at Harvard, MIT, affiliated hospitals

2.7.3 Other training support

Other informatics training support opportunities have also grown, through oncology, neuroscience, neonatal, cardiovascular, imaging, health services research, and other training mechanisms.