Winners Announced for Duke ASA DataFest COVID-19 Virtual Data Challenge

A flyer for ASA Datafest

Creativity and insight were on display as a panel of judges announced the winners of the Duke ASA DataFest: COVID-19 Virtual Data Challenge on May 5th. The contest, which took place from April 8th through April 22nd, encouraged Duke students to use data science to explore unique effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on daily life and different aspects of the social fabric of the United States. Contest participants, working alone or in teams, were prompted to use publicly available data resources to gain insights into the cultural and societal impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The entries were judged by a panel of 15 experts drawn from academia and industry, with prizes awarded in categories that included “Most creative topic or data set”; “Best Visualizations”; “Best Interactive Dashboard”; “Best Insight”; and a “Judges’ Pick” award to recognize achievement outside of the other categories.

READ MORE

A Primer on Biodefense Data Science and Technology for Pandemic Preparedness

Photograph of an art installation comprising colorful open umbrellas hanging overhead. Image credit: Inset Agency via Unsplash

BLOG: “During the onset of an event such as the one we’re now experiencing, resilience is the key priority. Secure your systems and protect your family and business. Remember, cybercrime spreads just as easily from personal devices to work devices as viruses do between people. Biodefense may have previously been considered the domain of the military and antiterrorism experts, but all of us now have a potential role to play. Please consider lending your time and expertise.” – Eric D. Perakslis, PhD

READ MORE

Learning by Doing with Electronic Health Record Data

Several people sit on a white floor while enveloped in a complex webwork as part of an art exhibit. Image credit: Alina Grubnyak via Unsplash.

BLOG: “As we advance into the era of learning health systems, we need to systematize a process for how clinicians and data scientists can work together to solve important problems with EHR data.” – Andrew Olson, MPP, and Scott Kollins, PhD

READ MORE

Duke Biomedical Engineers Find Heart Rate Measurements of Wearable Monitors Vary by Activity, Not Skin Color

Picture from story showing doctoral candidate Brinnae Bent and Duke Big Ideas Lab director Jessilyn Dunn at work on a project.

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have demonstrated that while different wearable technologies, like smart watches and fitness trackers, can accurately measure heart rate across a variety of skin tones, the accuracy between devices begins to vary wildly when they measure heart rate during different types of everyday activities. The study results appear online on February 10 in the journal NPJ Digital Medicine.

READ MORE

Funding Opportunity: Research in Health Data Science

Close-up photograph of a person holding a lightbulb in their cupped hands; the lightbulb is illuminated by a string of smaller lights threaded inside of it.

In collaboration with Duke AI Health and Duke Forge, the Duke Department of Medicine is seeking proposals for research in health data science. This request for proposals is designed to fulfill two missions: 1) to grow Department of Medicine faculty involvement in health data science; and 2) to support research that will then be used to improve the quality of care for patients at Duke Health.

The Department is particularly interested in proposals that utilize data from the Duke University Health System. We plan to fund several 1-year awards.

The deadline for submitting proposals has been extended to 5:00 PM Eastern time, Thursday, April 30th, 2020.

READ MORE

Now Accepting Applications for 2020 Health Data Science Postdoctoral Scholar

Photograph of a bundle of fiber optic strands glowing with blue light against a dark background.

Duke Forge, in collaboration with Duke AI Health, announces a new scholarship opportunity for research at the intersection of quantitative science and health. This program is open to postdoctoral researchers in quantitative science programs. This program funds innovative, strategic, and creative researchers to develop and apply new analytical tools to solve challenges in human health and the delivery of healthcare. Successful applicants will show evidence of outstanding research ability and strong interest in health data science.

READ MORE

 

Introducing AI Health

Photograph of AI Health Co-Director Lawrence Carin, PhD, and Duke Forge and Duke Crucible Director Erich Huang, MD, PhD, introduce Duke AI Health at the Fall 2019 Duke Health Data Science Showcase.

Duke Vice President for Research Lawrence Carin, PhD, and Forge Co-Director Erich Huang, MD, PhD,  recently introduced AI Health, Duke’s new multidisciplinary, campus-spanning organization dedicated to enabling research into applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning in healthcare, and to effectively translating that research into techniques and technologies that will improve health outcomes for patients and communities. AI Health will also have a strong presence in education and workforce development as it builds training programs to equip students, quantitative scientists, and clinicians for a future that will increasingly be shaped by data science.