PhD in Biomedical & Health Informatics

Two doctors review brain scans on computer screen

The Biomedical & Health Informatics doctoral program trains researchers in biomedicine, population health, and clinical care domains. Program trainees will acquire a core set of skills spanning computing, biostatistics, and biomedical research through a combination of course work as well as participation in research in the Population and Quantitative Health Sciences (PQHS) department.

The PQHS department reflects the vision of the next generation of data-driven biomedical research that leverages a unique combination of faculty members who have expertise in basic science, clinical care, computer science, mathematical statistics, community healthcare, and epidemiology.

Current faculty research projects include the analysis of clinical data for early markers of kidney disease, the use of big data technologies for processing streams of seizure data, and applying machine learning to analyze libraries of information to identify new applications for existing therapeutics. This gives students in the BHI program a unique opportunity to define and address highly inter-disciplinary research themes, which is a valuable component of a BHI researcher.

The curriculum for the doctoral program is designed for students to acquire skills in the three areas of concentration:

  • Data Analytics with a focus on statistics and data wrangling
  • Biomedical Health with a focus on systems biology, clinical, and health issues
  • Computational and System Design with a focus on knowledge representation, information retrieval, and Big Data

The core curriculum of the doctoral program involves seven courses – four required courses and three electives. All first-year students admitted to the doctoral program are fully funded by the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, including stipend, tuition, and health insurance. During the first year, students perform research rotations with different faculty members, which helps them select a research advisor. After the conclusion of the first year, students will be supported by their research advisor for the remainder of their doctoral program.

Learn more about program options: