Leveraging the Power of Data to Accelerate Scientific Discovery and Improve Health in the Bronx
NEW YORK, May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Albert Einstein College of Medicine has announced the launch of a new Data Science Institute, a dynamic, state-of-the-art resource that will strengthen researchers’ ability to harness vast amounts of data to drive biomedical breakthroughs and innovations in scientific discovery and patient care. Mimi Kim, Sc.D., professor and head of the division of biostatistics in the department of epidemiology & population health and associate director of the Harold and Muriel Block Institute for Clinical and Translational Research at Einstein and Montefiore, has been named the institute’s inaugural director.
With seed funding from a $7 million anonymous philanthropic gift, Einstein joins other top medical institutions that have invested in establishing academic data science units to foster interdisciplinary collaborations and house an increasing variety of expertise, resources, and tools.
“The growing field of medical data science uses advanced statistical, computational, and informatics methods, as well as expertise in the relevant biological and clinical fields, to extract valuable knowledge and insights from data,” said Dr. Kim. “Increasingly massive datasets—such as those generated from high-throughput “-omics” technologies, electronic health records, medical imaging, pathology, remote health monitoring devices, and publicly available databases—offer immense opportunities for advancing research, education, and healthcare. Our new institute will support the infrastructure and offer cutting-edge tools and academic knowledge that will make this possible.”
From Hub to Institute
Einstein’s Data Science Institute grew out of efforts to find data science experts, resources, and educational programs across Montefiore Einstein through the data science hub, an online information platform for the research community. Researchers, students, and trainees have used it to connect with like-minded collaborators and to access services and training opportunities.
“The Data Science Institute brings the hub to life and expands the tools our scientists, clinicians, students, and trainees need to explore complex biomedical data with the goal of preventing disease and accelerating the development of treatments,” said Marla Keller, M.D., executive dean and the Jacob A. and Jeanne E. Barkey Chair in Medicine at Einstein. “The institute’s enhanced programs, resources, and educational offerings will spark the creation of interdisciplinary research teams and propel innovative, data-driven approaches to addressing healthcare challenges, particularly those in the Bronx.”
Planned features of the Data Science Institute include:
- Key focus areas in biostatistics, bioinformatics, health research informatics, and artificial intelligence/machine learning
- Collaborative research opportunities through data science working groups, seminars, and conferences
- Training and educational opportunities, including new courses, workshops, tutorials, and certificate programs to develop data science skills
- Initiatives to spur data science innovations, such as pilot awards for data science projects and collaborative grant proposals
- Support and consultation services to assist investigators and students in navigating available data science resources and expertise.
Accelerating Innovation
Dr. Kim, who also holds the Harold and Muriel Block Chair in Epidemiology & Population Health, has led the division of biostatistics, which includes more than 20 faculty members, for over two decades. A fellow of the American Statistical Association (ASA), she has also held major leadership positions in national and international professional organizations including chair of the ASA Council of Chapters Governing Board, chair of the ASA Lifetime Data Science Section, vice chair of the National Institute of Statistical Sciences Board of Trustees, and president of the Korean International Statistical Society. She has been the lead statistician for large national clinical trials and epidemiological studies, and a member of numerous NIH grant review panels and committees. She holds a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering from the University of California, Berkeley and a doctorate in biostatistics from Harvard University.
Dr. Kim noted that Einstein researchers are already using large-scale data sets, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to develop new treatments and improve care for patients in the Bronx and beyond. For example, electronic health records data from thousands of patients with chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease are being mined to assess how different health care interventions perform in real-world settings. Machine learning methods are also used with clinical and laboratory data to build risk calculators that predict health outcomes such as pregnancy complications in patients with autoimmune diseases.
“This is a great time to leverage our expertise, accelerate the pace of discovery, and inspire further collaboration among our faculty,” said Dr. Kim. “In a rapidly evolving data-driven environment, the institute positions Montefiore Einstein to remain at the forefront of scientific discovery and innovation.”
About Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Albert Einstein College of Medicine is one of the nation’s premier centers for research, medical education and clinical investigation. During the 2024-25 academic year, Einstein is home to 712 M.D. students, 226 Ph.D. students, 112 students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program, and approximately 250 postdoctoral research fellows. The College of Medicine has more than 2,000 full-time faculty members located on the main campus and at its clinical affiliates. In 2024, Einstein received more than $192 million in awards from the National Institutes of Health. This includes the funding of major research centers at Einstein in cancer, aging, intellectual development disorders, diabetes, clinical and translational research, liver disease, and AIDS. Other areas where the College of Medicine is concentrating its efforts include developmental brain research, neuroscience, cardiac disease, and initiatives to reduce and eliminate ethnic and racial health disparities. Its partnership with Montefiore, the University Hospital and academic medical center for Einstein, advances clinical and translational research to accelerate the pace at which new discoveries become the treatments and therapies that benefit patients. For more information, please visit einsteinmed.edu, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and view us on YouTube.
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