The Informatics Core of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) is part of an overall aim to support data access at UT Southwestern and its affiliated institutions. The core has three broad goals:

Fueling workforce development  

Data scientists are in high demand. UT Southwestern now offers a newly formed Master of Science in Health Informatics in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and, since October 2021, an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Clinical Informatics Fellowship at UT Southwestern. These will aid in developing a skilled informatics workforce for the institution and the North Texas region.

Establishing an Informatics Coordinating Office  

For many clinicians and researchers, gaining access to electronic health record data is a challenge. The CTSA supports the creation of an Informatics Coordinating Office to assist researchers and clinicians with their research needs including: overviewing investigator aims and feasibility, estimating resource effort required, and connecting researchers with skilled informatics personnel from Bioinformatics, Clinical Informatics, Research Informatics, Data Warehouse, Information Resources, and Population and Data Sciences.  

Supporting Access to Larger Standardized Databases  

Researchers often require EHR data from multiple health systems that have different coded data elements and definitions. The CTSA Informatics Core will work on applying a common data model across UT Southwestern and its affiliated hospitals. Additionally, UT Southwestern will be joining the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (or OHDSI, pronounced "Odyssey") project, which is a multi-stakeholder collaborative to leverage health data from millions of patients globally. By becoming part of the OHDSI effort, new opportunities for research and discovery will be opened to UT Southwestern. 



For more information, contact Drs. Gaudenz Danuser, DuWayne Willett, or Christoph U. Lehmann.  

The Texas Health Resources (THR) Clinical Scholars Program supports the career growth of up-and-coming scientists who desire to create societal impact through research. 

Scholars have the opportunity to advance the effectiveness of UT Southwestern and THR clinical research programs while scientifically examining the quality and efficiency of the care we provide to the North Texas community.

The program provides up to 70% protected research effort as well as resources to promote the scholars’ early career development and their specific research projects. THR Clinical Scholars receive up to $750,000 for research and salary support for three years.  

Eligible candidates within the UTSW and THR systems must be in their first five years of faculty appointment. Clinician and non-clinician nominees with demonstrated interest in clinical research – including translational biology, epidemiology and population health, survey and behavior studies, clinical trials, implementation science, and health policy – will be considered. Particular attention will be paid to past research experience, current research infrastructure and mentorship team, and the quality of the proposed science.  

Nominations may be submitted by Department Chairs or Center Directors at any time. For more information, contact Dr. Eric Peterson, THR Clinical Scholars Committee Chair.  

Early career physician scientists with a clear need for additional assistance due to caregiving responsibilities exacerbated by COVID-19 may apply to the UT Southwestern Funds to Retain Clinical Scientists (UT-FOCUS) program. Awardees will receive $50,000 in supplemental flexible funds, career development, and wellness support. 

The program is funded by a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation/American Heart Association, awarded to 22 medical schools in the nation, and support from the UT Southwestern Dean's Office.  

Applications are due Dec. 1. For more information contact Dr. Susan Hedayati (program PI/PD), Dr. Susan Matulevicius (program co-director), or Bridgette Larkin-Perkins (program manager). 

Clinical Informatics Research Colloquium

This event brings clinical informatics, research informatics, and other data and informatics scientists together to exchange ideas, collaborate, and develop grants, papers, and projects.

• Featured speaker and topic: Carolyn Petersen, Senior Editor at Mayo Clinic, “Patient Advocacy in Health IT: Where It Has Been, and Where It Is Going”
• Tuesday, Nov. 30, at 1 p.m. Contact Katherine Flannery to register.

Clinical and Translational Research Forum

This interactive forum provides an opportunity for trainees to meet with established investigators in clinical and translational research to share their ideas and experiences. 

• Featured speaker and topic: Dr. Lina Chalak, “A Scholar’s Journey in Neonatal Asphyxia: From Translational Studies to Clinical Trials to Program Development” 
• Thursday, Dec. 9 at noon. Join via Zoom; meeting ID 918 5345 2714, passcode 361531