Biomedical Informatics (BMI)

Overview and Objectives: The Delaware Valley Resource for Biomedical Informatics (DVR-BMI) recognizes that its role is not only to apply biomedical informatics to facilitate T1 and T2 translational research (the familiar bench-to-bedside paradigm and clinical research), but also to focus on the support of T3 translational research, and practice-based research into the dissemination of research findings into day-to-day clinical care. Biomedical informatics approaches to be deployed for T1 and T2 translational research support include the creation of federated research data warehouses and biospecimen annotation databases, the deployment of recognized research electronic data capture systems, and a novel translational bioinformatics resource for the analysis of "omics" data generated from Delaware Valley Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (DVICTS) systems biology studies. We will also leverage the unique data source presented by the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN). These resources will be developed in keeping with the external interoperability, communication, data security, and human subjects protection requirements mandated by the CTSA program. Compliance with CTSA biomedical informatics goals will be achieved, for example, by deploying the Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2) framework for our data warehouse, and the REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) applications for acquiring study data. DVR-BMI support for DVICTS T3 translational research will require innovative informatics strategies. These strategies will include providing T3 researchers with the opportunity to study community-based translational research information communication by providing a Clinical and Translational Science Patient Registry data mart, developing an innovative Translational Research Automated Communication System (TRACS), and the deployment of Personal Health Records (PHRs), including the portal offered by Google Health. While the DVR-BMI will interact with all DVICTS units, it will particularly work with Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (DVR-BERD), Novel Clinical and Translational Methods (DVR-NCTM), Community Engagement in Research (DVR-CER), and Regulatory Knowledge and Ethics (DVR-RKE) to support their projects.

To accomplish these goals of the DVR-BMI, we have identified 3 specific transformational objectives and associated enabling strategies:
  • Objective 1: Transform the clinical and scientific data and biospecimen resources at DVICTS institutions into an integrated, interoperable, regional informatics resource that can support projected clinical and translational science activities


  • Objective 2: Close the translational research loop by enabling the participation of community physicians and populations in clinical and translational research while innovatively facilitating interaction between DVICTS investigators and community target audiences, utilizing best practices to secure data and protect participant privacy


  • Objective 3: Provide educational and mentoring opportunities in clinical and translational science informatics for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students as well as for community physicians and other healthcare professionals


The director of the DVR-BMI is Jack London, PhD, Research Professor of Cancer Biology and the Director of the Informatics Shared Resource of Thomas Jefferson University's Kimmel Cancer Center. He has over 35 years experience in biomedical informatics, including work in the simulation of complex biochemical pathways, radiographic image analysis, radiology and hospital information systems, telemedicine, clinical trials management, pathology informatics, and many database projects in support of basic science and clinical investigations. He has a number of publications and presentations in these areas. Dr. London was the TJU co-investigator in the Pennsylvania Cancer Alliance Bioinformatics Consortium, and he has been the Principal Investigator for Jefferson's projects in the caBIG® Tissue Bank and Pathology Tools, Integrative Cancer Research, and Clinical Trial Management Systems Workspaces. He is co-chair of the caBIG® Clinical Trials Planning and Monitoring Task Force, and a member of the Data Sharing and Intellectual Capital work group. Given the similar commitment to interoperability, data sharing, and informatics best practices of the CTSA and caBIG® programs, Dr. London has the experience to represent the DVICTS at the National CTSA Informatics Steering Committee. Dr. London's major challenge and responsibility as director of the DVR-BMI will be to coordinate and monitor the various DVICTS biomedical informatics projects.

The DVR-BMI co-director is Cathy H. Wu, PhD, the Edward G. Jefferson Professor in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, and the Delaware Biotechnology Institute at UD. Dr. Wu is also the director of the UD Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, the director of the Protein Information Resource (PIR), and an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Medical Center. She has conducted bioinformatics research for 20 years, and is the PI/Co-PI of many large NIH-funded consortium projects, including the UniProt, Protein Ontology and NIAID Biodefense Proteomic Resource Program. She serves on several advisory boards, including the NIGMS/NIH Protein Structure Initiative Advisory Committee, NSF TeraGrid User Advisory Committee, NRC Board on Research Data and Information, US HUPO (Human Proteome Organization) and Protein Data Bank (PDB). She has served on over 30 program committees for international conferences and workshops, published about 140 peer-reviewed papers and three books, and given more than 100 invited lectures. Dr. Wu will work with Dr. London in coordinating and monitoring the various DVICTS biomedical informatics projects

The DVR-BMI three Associate Directors will be Edward Ewen, MD, Director of Clinical Computing, CCHS, and Stephen Lawless, MD, MBA, Vice-President Quality and Safety, Nemours/AIDHC, and Bruce Metz, PhD, Chief Information Officer, TJU. The DVR-BMI staff will be organized into four function-based groups, while the teaching and mentoring activities will involve all DVR-BMI faculty and professional staff.