About Us

The Regenstrief Institute and the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health (FSPH) have established a collaborative program in public and population health informatics. While the program officially started in 2018, investigators at Regenstrief and FSPH have been leading public health informatics research for more than a decade. Together, they have pioneered numerous technologies and methods that have continued to transform the field of public health informatics. The Public health Informatics program envisions a world where informatics systems and tools are applied by providers, health systems, and public health organizations to improve the health and well-being of communities.

We are guided by the values of the Regenstrief Institute, the Center for Biomedical Informatics, and the following to complete our mission and vision.

Impact

We translate innovative, evidence-based informatics research and methods into real-world solutions for providers, health systems, and public health organizations.

Knowledge

We advance the science of informatics and knowledge of informatics methods as they are applied to public and population health contexts.

Mentorship

We develop and mentor the next generation of public health informatics leaders.

Equity

We measure the determinants and disparities in health and well-being, and we work with partners to end disparities and ensure health equity.

Our mission is to improve public and population health through the

  • development and dissemination of effective informatics methods, systems, tools, and evidence;
  • translation of evidence into real-world solutions for providers, health systems, and public health organizations; and
  • increased knowledge and awareness of public health informatics through education and training.

Faculty & Mentors

Brian Dixon Brian Dixon

Brian Dixon, PhD, MPA

Program Director

Shaun Grannis, MD, MS VP for Data and Analytics Shaun Grannis, MD, MS VP for Data and Analytics

Shaun Grannis, MD, MS

Titus K. Schleyer Titus K. Schleyer

Titus Schleyer, DMD, PhD

Nir Menachemi Nir Menachemi

Nir Menachemi, PhD, MPH

Joshua Vest Joshua Vest

Josh Vest, PhD, MPH

Justin Blackburn, PhD Justin Blackburn, PhD

Justin Blackburn, PhD

Thankam Thyvalikakath, DMD, PhD Thankam Thyvalikakath, DMD, PhD

Thankam Thyvalikakath, DMD, MDS, PhD

Paul Biondich Paul Biondich

Paul Biondich, MD, MS

Rebecca Rivera, PhD, MPH, CPH Rebecca Rivera, PhD, MPH, CPH

Rebecca Rivera, PhD, MPH, CPH

Thomas Duszynski, PhD, MPH Thomas Duszynski, PhD, MPH

Tom Duszynski, PhD, MPH

William Fadel, PhD William Fadel, PhD

William Fadel, PhD

Collaborators

Shandy Dearth, MPH Shandy Dearth, MPH

Shandy Dearth, MPH

Jennifer Williams Jennifer Williams

Jennifer Williams

Elizabeth Bowman

Staff

Ashley Wiensch, MPH Ashley Wiensch, MPH

Ashley Wiensch, MPH

Program Manager

Jessica Halterman Jessica Halterman

Jessical Halterman

Project Manager of Education & Training

Katie Allen Katie Allen

Katie Allen

Data Scientist

Lauren Buelow, MS

Project Manager

Current & Former Trainees

Muchiri Wandai, PhD, MSc Muchiri Wandai, PhD, MSc

Muchiri Wandai, PhD, MSc

Post-Doctoral Fellow

Nimish Valvi, DrPH, MPH, MBBS Nimish Valvi, DrPH, MPH, MBBS

Nimish Valvi, DrPH, MPH, MBBS

Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Ball State University

Saurabh Rahurkar, BDS, DrPH Saurabh Rahurkar, BDS, DrPH

Saurabh Rahurkar, BDS, DrPH

Assistant Professor, OSU

Regenstrief Institute

National Library of Medicine

Public and Population Health Informatics Trainees

Education & Training

The Public Health Informatics Program partners closely with the Indiana University Richard M Fairbanks School of Public Health (FSPH) at IU Indianapolis to prepare students for a successful career in public health informatics. FSPH provides a variety of learning opportunities across all educational levels that complement research and training opportunities at Regenstrief. The educational opportunities provided by FSPH are summarized below.

B.S. in Health Data Science

The B.S. in health data science allows students to acquire a diverse set of skills in this growing field. The program features an interdisciplinary curriculum integrating a range of fields including biostatistics, computer science, and informatics. Students can also receive a minor in Computer Science or Informatics. This degree is conferred by the IU Fairbanks School of Public Health.

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MPH in Public Health Informatics

The MPH in public health informatics provides students with a unique set of experiences that combine rigorous academics and real world experiences. Students learn how to apply information science and computing techniques to public health practice, how to think critically about population data, and how to apply informatics approaches to pressing public health issues. The need for data and analytical skills in public health is more critical than ever, as data driven approaches to the COVID-19 pandemic have been a crucial part of local and statewide responses. This degree is conferred by the IU Fairbanks School of Public Health.

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Certificate in Public Health Informatics

The certificate in public health informatics is targeted at individuals who may have obtained their MPH or similar degree already, but have an interest in gaining additional training in public health informatics without getting an additional advanced degree. This degree is conferred by the IU Indianapolis School of Informatics and Computing.

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Indiana Training Program in Public & Population Health Informatics

The Indiana Training Program in Public & Population Health Informatics is a pre- and post-doctoral training program conducted in partnership with the Regenstrief Institute and funded by the National Library of medicine. Pre-doctoral trainees complete their studies in Epidemiology or Health Policy with FSPH.  Both pre- and post-doctoral trainees are mentored by a faculty mentor who is an affiliate scientist of the Regenstrief Institute and has their faculty home in FSPH or the IU School of Medicine.

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American Public Health Association video

Leveraging machine learning, data science, and other tools and resources, Regenstrief Institute is creating innovative solutions to improve public health and wellbeing.

Publications

2022 Apr 21

Dashboards Are Trendy, Visible Components of Data Management in Public Health: Sustaining Their Use After the Pandemic Requires a Broader View

Publication: American Journal of Public Health

doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2022.306849

Authors: Dixon BE, Dearth S, Duszynski TJ, Grannis SJ

2021 Jul 14

Leveraging data visualization and a statewide health information exchange to support COVID-19 surveillance and response: Application of public health informatics

Publication: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association

doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocab004

Authors: Dixon BE, Grannis SJ, McAndrews C, Broyles AA, Mikels-Carrasco W, Wiensch A, Williams JL, Tachinardi U, Embi PJ

2021 Oct

Supporting Health Equity Through Data-Driven Decision-Making: A Local Health Department Response to COVID-19

Publication: American Journal of Public Health

doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2021.306421

Authors: Hansotte E, Bowman E, Gibson PJ, Dixon BE, Madden VR, Caine VA

2021 Jul 23

The synchronicity of COVID-19 disparities: Statewide epidemiologic trends in SARS-CoV-2 morbidity, hospitalization, and mortality among racial minorities and in rural America

Publication: PLoS One

doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255063

Authors: Dixon BE, Grannis SJ, Lembcke LR, Valvi N, Roberts AR, Embi PJ

2021 Oct 7

Effectiveness of Covid-19 Vaccines in Ambulatory and Inpatient Care Settings

Publication: New England Journal of Medicine

doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2110362

Authors: Thompson MG, Stenehjem E, Grannis S, Ball SW, Naleway AL, Ong TC, DeSilva MB, Natarajan K, Bozio CH, Lewis N, Dascomb K, Dixon BE, Birch RJ, Irving SA, Rao S, Kharbanda E, Han J, Reynolds S, Goddard K, Grisel N, Fadel WF, Levy ME, Ferdinands J, Fireman B, Arndorfer J, Valvi NR, Rowley EA, Patel P, Zerbo O, Griggs EP, Porter RM, Demarco M, Blanton L, Steffens A, Zhuang Y, Olson N, Barron M, Shifflett P, Schrag SJ, Verani JR, Fry A, Gaglani M, Azziz-Baumgartner E, Klein NP

2021 May-Jun

How Many SARS-CoV-2-Infected People Require Hospitalization? Using Random Sample Testing to Better Inform Preparedness Efforts

Publication: Journal of Public Health Management & Practice

doi: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000001331

Authors: Menachemi N, Dixon BE, Wools-Kaloustian KK, Yiannoutsos CT, Halverson PK

2021 Oct 5

Mask-Wearing Behavior at the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

Publication: Journal of the American Medical Association

doi: 10.1001/jama.2021.14057

Authors: Vest JR, Blackburn J, Cash-Goldwasser S, Peters Bergquist E, Embi PJ

2021 Jan 1

Using natural language processing to classify social work interventions

Publication: American Journal of Managed Care

doi: 10.37765/ajmc.2021.88580

Authors: Bako AT, Taylor HL, Wiley K Jr, Zheng J, Walter-McCabe H, Kasthurirathne SN, Vest JR

2021 Oct 30

Syphilis testing adherence among women with livebirth deliveries: Indianapolis 2014-2016

Publication: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

doi: 10.1186/s12884-021-04211-8

Authors: Ojo OC, Arno JN, Tao G, Patel CG, Dixon BE

2020 Nov

Underrepresented racial minorities in biomedical informatics doctoral programs: Graduation trends and academic placement (2002-2017)

Publication: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association

doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocaa206

Authors: Wiley K, Dixon BE, Grannis SJ, Menachemi N

2020

Public Health Informatics and Information Systems, p. 203-19

Publication: Springer International Publishing; Magnuson JA, Dixon BE, editors

doi: 10.1177/0033354920914318

Authors: Kasthurirathne SN, Ho YA, Dixon BE. Public Health Analytics and Big Data

2020 Apr 6

Improving Notifiable Disease Case Reporting Through Electronic Information Exchange–Facilitated Decision Support: A Controlled Before-and-After Trial

Publication: Public Health Reports

Authors: Dixon BE, Zhang Z, Arno JN, Revere D, Joseph Gibson P, Grannis SJ

2020 Jan

Factors related to user ratings and user downloads of mobile apps for maternal and infant health: Cross-sectional study

Publication: JMIR mHealth and uHealth

doi: 10.1177/0033354920914318

Authors: Biviji R, Vest JR, Dixon BE, Cullen T, Harle CA

2019 Mar/Apr

Characterizing informatics workers and workforce needs: An update from the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey

Publication: Journal of Public Health Management and Practice

doi: 10.1097/phh.0000000000000918

Authors: McFarlane T, Dixon BE, Grannis SJ, Gibson PJ. Characterizing informatics workers and workforce needs: An update from the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey

2019 Jan

An educational intervention to improve HPV vaccination: A cluster randomized trial

Publication: Pediatrics

doi: 10.1542/peds.2018-1457

Authors: Dixon BE, Zimet G, Xiao S, Tu W, Lindsay B, Church AK, Downs SM

2017 May

Toward better public health reporting using existing off the shelf approaches: The value of medical dictionaries in automated cancer detection using plaintext medical data

Publication: Journal of Biomedical Informatics

doi: 10.1016/j.jbi.2017.04.008

Authors: Kasthurirathne SN, Dixon BE, Gichoya J, Xu H, Xia Y, Mamlin B, et al

2016 Dec

Getting from here to there: Health IT needs for population health

Publication: American Journal of Managed Care

PMID: 27982666

Authors: Vest JR, Harle CA, Schleyer T, Dixon BE, Grannis SJ, Halverson PK, Menachemi N

2016

Clinical Informatics Study Guide: Text and Review, p. 501-20

Publication: Zurich: Springer International Publishing

Public Health Informatics; Finnell JT, Dixon BE, editors

Authors: Haque SN, Dixon BE, Grannis SJ

2014 Jun

The long road to semantic interoperability in support of public health: Experiences from two states

Publication: Journal of Biomedical Informatics

doi: 10.1016/j.jbi.2014.03.011

Authors: Dixon BE, Vreeman DJ, Grannis SJ