Center for Bioinformatics and Data Analytics in Oral Health

The Center for Bioinformatics and Data Analytics, led by Joseph Finkelstein, MD, PhD, develops, evaluates and implements innovative technologies supporting delivery of personalized dental care in the context of learning healthcare system. Our research is focused on improving oral health and optimizing costs of dental care delivery using big data analytics, predictive modeling and deep phenotyping for precision medicine. Multidisciplinary approaches from basic sciences, biomedical informatics and engineering, computer and data sciences, medicine and dentistry, and system biology are employed to support improved ability to collect, reason upon, and utilize heterogeneous data streams related to oral health. Successful integration of currently disparate sources of information and knowledge facilitates creation of innovative solutions for personalized oral healthcare delivery.

The research projects at the Center for Bioinformatics and Data Analytics are aligned with three major domains of biomedical informatics including translational informatics, clinical informatics, and public health informatics as described below.

Translational informatics projects include big data analytics, predictive modelling, knowledge management, precision medicine, deep phenotyping, computerized analysis of genetic variation and microbiome, examination of links between oral health and systemic conditions, exploration of multi-system resilience and pain/stress responses to nociceptive stimuli.

Clinical informatics projects include innovations in dental EMR, real-time asset management using RFID tagging, clinical decision support, quality improvement, patient safety, personalized care delivery, and value-based care systems.

Population health informatics projects include development and evaluation of innovative approaches for oral health literacy, health decision aids, oral health outcomes research, risk stratification, and population surveillance.