Research News

Meharry and Alabama A&M to partner on NIMHD-funded artificial intelligence research

Meharry School of Applied Computational Sciences and Alabama A&M will work together to identify artificial intelligence biases and educate others in ethical and responsible AI. The partnership is possible through funding from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD).

Sarker is awarded NSF HBCU EXCELLENCE in Research grant

Bishnu Sarker, Ph.D., assistant professor, computer science and data science, has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Historically Black Colleges and Universities – Excellence in Research (HBCU-EiR) grant. The $533,752 award will fund the project, “Developing a Knowledge Graph Driven Integrative Framework for Explainable Protein Function Prediction via Generative Deep Learning.”

Meharry and Fisk introduce high school students to innovative technologies used by NASA

Meharry School of Applied Computational Sciences and Fisk University introduced 21 high school students to some of the innovative technologies used by NASA during the Collaborative Interactive Data Science Academy. The program, held July 17 – 21, used interactive, engaging activities to build statistical and critical thinking skills.

Shillingford named chair of Data Science and Computer Science Department

Dean Fortune S. Mhlanga announces Nadine Shillingford, Ph.D., as chair of the Computer Science and Data Science Department. “Dr. Shillingford combines extensive academic experience with several administration and security engineering roles in retail, health care, and other industries,” says Dean Mhlanga. “That background, and her passion for graduate education, makes her an excellent fit for…

Meharry SACS joins CHAI – Coalition for Health AI

At a time when AI seems poised for exponential growth, deep conversations about responsible use of AI in health care, especially in terms of health equity, are vital. By joining CHAI, the Coalition for Health AI, Meharry School of Applied Computational Sciences is now an active participant in those discussions with leading industry members like Duke AI Health, Stanford and MITRE.

Grant to fund new lab and classroom for cybersecurity in health care

New treatments, early disease detection and improved patient care are all benefits of the digital, interconnected health care system. But that data ecosystem is also susceptible to cybersecurity threats. Meharry SACS seeks to prepare Biomedical Data Science Ph.D. students to tackle these challenges. A $60,000 grant from the CAE-Cybersecurity Education Diversity Initiative will create a…

Taylor speaks on race and risk at National Big Data Health Science Conference

When Loni Taylor presented at the National Big Data Health Science Conference at the University of South Carolina, she expected to contribute important insight into race and Alzheimer’s Disease. Instead, the Biomedical Data Science Ph.D. student experienced much more. She met students and faculty from several institutions who share her research interests. But she also had the new experience of providing the lead presentation for an entire session.

Ghosh helps develop an intelligent resource management technique for 5G and beyond communication networks

5G and beyond technology has great potential to positively impact smart health care networks, the Internet of Things for disaster management, and other areas of health care. However, the dynamic resource management of these complex networks must be improved to achieve those benefits. Dr. Uttam Ghosh, associate professor of cybersecurity, and colleagues have proposed a solution.

Tech Giant Oracle Establishes $500,000 Scholarship Fund for Meharry SACS

While black workers account for just 5% of engineers and architects and 7% in computer occupations today, Oracle is looking to help close this disparity gap. Recently, the tech leader granted Meharry Medical College – School of Applied Computational Sciences (SACS) $500,000 in scholarship funds as a part of its Diversity and Inclusion “Inspire Your Future (IYF)” initiative.

Meharry SACS receives $400,000 to develop leaders to eliminate health disparities

Direct Relief has awarded Meharry School of Applied Computational Sciences $400,000 to develop diverse leaders with the expertise to eliminate heath disparities. Their support will fund a comprehensive effort including scholarship support, internships and hiring a biomedical data science faculty member with expertise in health disparities research. The grant will provide partial funding for 10…

Meharry SACS student Brittany City speaks at NTC Analytics Summit

M.S. Data Science student Brittany City gave the presentation, 100 Days of Data Analytics, at the Nashville Technology Council 2022 Analytics Summit. Her engaging presentation provides a roadmap for anyone interested in transitioning to the field of data analytics. City herself has taken full advantage of the hands-on projects in her coursework to build a…

NIH R25 award funds Meharry, Fisk and VUMC partnership to engage diverse students in research

Meharry Medical College, Fisk University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) have received an NIH R25 award to engage diverse undergraduate and graduate students in meaningful biomedical informatics and biomedical data science summer research experiences.

Dr. Ghosh to develop edge-cloud interplay platform for efficient data communication and processing for Intelligent Medical Systems

The National Science Foundation CISE-MSI program has awarded Dr. Uttam Ghosh, associate professor of cybersecurity, a $360,000 grant to develop an edge-cloud interplay platform that will provide efficient data communication and processing for Intelligent Medical Systems.

Astronaut Dr. Sian Proctor visits Meharry Data Science Summer Academy students

Students attending the Meharry Data Science Summer Academy spent two weeks learning coding, robotics and NASA applications of programming and data science. On July 28, they enjoyed the unforgettable experience of meeting astronaut Dr. Sian Proctor, the first Black woman to pilot a spacecraft.

Novartis fellowship provides Sanders important experience in health care and data science

Wajehah Sanders, an M.S. Biomedical Data Science candidate, is a recipient of the Beacon of Hope Summer Fellowship at Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research. The Beacon of Hope Summer Fellowship is a 10-week, paid summer program for 17 Historically Black Medical School students to learn drug discovery, data analytics and clinical research practices. Dr. Qingguo…

SACS student Brittany City inspires students at Meharry Data Science Summer Academy

The Meharry Data Science Summer Academy, held by the School of Applied Computational Sciences, introduced 17 high school students, mostly from underrepresented backgrounds, to applying coding and data science to robotics. On July 26, Brittany City, an M.S. Data Science student, gave an engaging presentation about her passion for data science to those students.

Lockett named to Instructional Learning Network Steering Committee for TETA

The Tennessee Educational Technology Association has named David Lockett, grants proposal development and awards management specialist, to its Instructional Learning Network Steering Committee. He is among ten members who help Tennessee educators increase their knowledge of technology and use it to impact teaching and learning.

Ghosh helps develop SoftDrone technology to improve UAV service for health care and emergency situations

UAV- guided service delivery, combined with 5G communication networks, provides new methods to supply real-time services for disaster management systems and e-healthcare monitoring. However, the networks that serve UAVs still face issues of low service and delays due to limited resources. Dr. Uttam Ghosh, associate professor of cybersecurity, and colleagues used machine learning techniques to develop a solution.

Nguyen helps develop model that can quickly streamline treatment and resources for COVID-19 patients

Dr. Long Nguyen and colleagues used wearable technology data and introduced a model withlong-short term memory and deep neural network to identify and predict COVID-19 stages. Their work helps identify patients that will need hospital treatment, prioritizing hospital resources, while still caring for other patients at home.

Jumpstart Nova launches as first venture fund to invest exclusively in Black founded and led health care companies in the U.S.

Jumpstart Health Investors, alongside leading limited partners, announce the launch of Jumpstart Nova, the first venture fund in America to invest exclusively in Black-founded and led companies at the forefront of health care innovation.

Lockett helps present White House with recommendations for equitable future of science and technology

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) recently asked the American public to help make science and technology inclusive and benefit all Americans. David Lockett, grants proposal development and awards management specialist, is among a group of early career voices that accepted the challenge.