Higher Education CoP - Project Management in Health Data Science: Experiences from Duke AI Health

Abstract

Health data science relies on many traditional project management methods, but also has additional complexities of technological complexity, cutting-edge methods, and a rapidly-evolving landscape. In this panel discussion, you’ll hear from several senior staff members of Duke AI Health about their experiences in project management and program management. Duke AI Health (https://aihealth.duke.edu/) connects, strengthens, amplifies, and grows multiple streams of theoretical and applied research on artificial intelligence and machine learning in order to answer the most urgent and difficult challenges in medicine and population health. This discussion will be especially relevant to anyone who manages technical projects or is considering the landscape of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Learning Objectives

In this panel discussion, we will explore the landscape of artificial intelligence and machine learning in health data science and you will learn:

• Challenges to expect
• Best practices to consider
• Lessons learned

Panelists

Shelley Rusincovitch, MMCi, Associate Director of Informatics

Shelley Rusincovitch is an informaticist and technical leader who specializes in healthcare data for secondary research and data science experiential learning, with focus in artificial intelligence and machine learning. She is currently serving as the Interim Managing Director for Duke AI Health, a group focused on advancing ethical and equitable data science at Duke and beyond.

Nicoleta Economou-Zavlanos, PhD, Program Director, Algorithm-Based Clinical Decision Support (ABCDS) Oversight

Nicoleta J Economou, PhD, serves as the program director for the Algorithm-Based Clinical Decision Support (ABCDS) Oversight leading the operations and framework design effort for the governance, evaluation, and monitoring of ABCDS software at Duke; this ABCDS Oversight is a Duke Health synergistic effort between the SOM and the Duke University Health System. Before assuming this role, Nicoleta led projects supporting a learning health system at Duke working alongside faculty and health system leadership to bring together people, processes, technologies, and data streams required to drive evidence-based continuous improvement and innovation in health care delivery and operations. Before joining Duke, she worked in the life-science and pharmaceutical industry, where she managed clinical analytics portfolios to drive data-informed decisions for drug development with key focus on clinical data review, clinical safety review, and clinical operations. Additionally, she developed, validated and deployed risk models and helped design and define metrics for monitoring clinical trials using analytics software. Nicoleta did her postdoctoral training at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy and received her PhD from Drexel University College of Medicine.

Andrew Olson, MPP, Associate Director, Policy Strategy and Solutions for Health Data Science

Andrew Olson, MPP, is a health policy specialist and experienced project leader. In his role with AI Health, he helps develop demonstration projects and other initiatives that address or inform critical health policy issues, and facilitates the translation of health data science discoveries to a policy audience. Prior to joining AI Health, he worked as a Project Leader for initiatives with the Duke Clinical Research Institute and the Margolis Center for Health Policy, specializing in analyses related to end-of-life care, payment and delivery reforms, and state health policy reforms. Before coming to Duke, he served as a public sector management consultant on engagements with state Medicaid and Health and Human Services agencies. He is a graduate of the Duke Sanford School’s Master of Public Policy program with a concentration in health policy, and received a degree in English from the University of Michigan.

Ursula Rogers, Senior Informaticist

Ursula Rogers is Senior Informaticist for AI Health, where she brings 25 years of experience in data management and software development. Her role at Duke AI Health brings expertise in understanding, extracting and curating data from the electronic health record and other clinical data sources for the purposes of clinical research, quality improvement, and operations. Ursula’s broad healthcare data knowledge has been key to many successes across the Duke University Health System and in programs such as Data+, AI Health, Duke Crucible and Learning Health Units. Prior to joining AI Health, she led curation of the Southeastern Diabetes Initiative Datamart and was lead data analyst at the Duke Clinical Research Institute's Center for Learning Healthcare, where she led all aspects of Clinical Research data management (database design, programming, report writing, survey and eCRF design, user experience and electronic patient-reported outcomes). Ursula graduated from Clarkson University (NY) with a degree in Computer Science.

 

This is a joint event between NCPMI Higher Education Community of Practice (HECoP), and the Duke Project Management CoP. The event is free and open to anyone interested in project management.

Notes:

1. This event is a Zoom-Only event
2. After registering and upon approval by the host, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions for joining the session. Please join the session shortly before 12:00 pm.