About Biomedical Informatics
What is biomedical informatics? Definitions for the field differ widely. Some use a narrow definition: the collection and storage of biomedical data using computers in order to increase the efficiency and scope of biomedical data management, analysis and visualization. Examples include the development of visualization platforms to model human anatomy or molecular structures which replace cumbersome, expensive plastic models, or the development of software suites which automate analysis of large data sets allowing expansion and increasing depth of biomedical analysis.
Others use a broader definition: the development of mathematical models of biomedical problems implemented with the best principles of computer science. These biomedical models represent original approaches to understanding the problem and are complementary approaches to traditional or experimental methods of scientific analysis. Examples of this approach include methods developed to understand macromolecular motion or predictions of the effect of mutations on organisms which are difficult or impossible to measure experimentally.
The Stanford-South Africa Biomedical Informatics program uses the broader definition of the term, recognizing that the broader definition encompasses the narrow.
Careers in Biomedical Informatics
Biomedical informatics is a young rapidly-developing field propelled by the growth in biomedical data. Development of automated high-throughput methods to sequence DNA data (the Human and other genome projects), measure mRNA concentrations (microarray data), determine macromolecular structure (structural genomics projects), measure protein concentration (proteomics), measure disease biomarkers (microarrays, mass spectrometry, etc) drives the need to develop methods to collect, manage and analyze larger and more complex biomedical data sets. The world is increasingly vulnerable to epidemics as infectious organisms rapidly develop resistance to antibiotics and spread without geographic boundaries. Research and development in biotechnology and biomedicine based on the new biology is seen as the only solution to these and other medical crises.
Biomedical informaticians are primarily employed in informatics departments in the biotechnology or health care sectors. A significant number of graduates go onto academic careers in Universities as new programs continue to grow.
This work supported by the NIH/Fogarty International Center under grant D43 TW00699