Training Program Update
The University of Pittsburgh Biomedical Informatics Training
Program, funded in part by the National Library of Medicine, is
in its 21st year of training individuals for research and development careers emphasizing the application of modern information
technology to health care, basic biological and clinical research,
and the education of health professionals.
Rebecca Crowley, MD, MSIS, is director of the program.
Crowley is a graduate of the program, having earned her master's degree in information science (with a biomedical informatics concentration) at the University in 2001. Wendy Chapman, PhD, serves as associate director. Michael Becich, MD, PhD; Gregory Cooper, MD, PhD; and Titus Schleyer,
DMD, PhD, serve as codirectors.
The training program annual retreat, coordinated by Schleyer,
took place on August 22, 2008. The retreat was held for the
second consecutive year at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in
Seven Springs, Pa. Twenty-seven students and 16 training
program faculty members enjoyed the rural setting of the
Laurel Highlands.
The morning activities of the retreat consisted of an overview
and state-of-the-program presentation by Crowley and Chapman
and introductions of students and faculty. Afternoon activities
consisted of student poster sessions, presentations of faculty
research interests, and a biomedical informatics game show
patterned after the popular quiz show Jeopardy! The game show
was developed by the students and faculty at the University's
Center for Dental Informatics.
The retreat concluded with award presentations for Best Student
Paper of the year and Best Student Poster at the Annual Retreat.
Both of these annual awards are determined by faculty judges
and recognize the high quality of student research.
Christa Bartos, PhD, won the Best Student Paper of the year
award for her paper, "Negative CPOE Attitudes Correlate with
Diminished Power in the Workplace." This winning paper was
Bartos' second to be selected as an award finalist from a group
of 21 entries. Other award finalists were papers written by Steven Handler, MD, MS; Heather Piwowar, MS; and Yanna Shen, MS. Bartos' winning paper recently has been accepted for publication in the Proceedings of the American Medical Informatics Association Annual (AIMA) Symposium.
Heather Piwowar, MS, won a blue ribbon for Best Student Poster at the Annual Retreat for her entry "Envisioning a Data Reuse Registry." This winning poster was selected from 19 entries.
After a volleyball game and a mountain barbecue dinner, students and faculty returned to the University, ready to begin the fall term and thinking ahead to the AMIA Annual Symposium.
Additional information about the training program is available at
www.dbmi.pitt.edu/trainingprogram or by calling 412-647-7176.
