Talks and Lectures
The Journey of Digital Health to Date
In my talk, I explored the evolution of digital health, emphasizing its potential to address critical challenges in healthcare delivery. I highlighted the role of artificial intelligence in facilitating decision-making, drawing on my extensive experience in medical informatics and personal journey as a long-term patient.
Pushing Against Ignorance: Medical Informatics, Artificial Intelligence, and the Quest to Improve Healthcare
In my talk, I explored how medical informatics and artificial intelligence can combat ignorance and uncertainty in healthcare, emphasizing the role of quantitative imaging and natural language processing in enhancing medical knowledge. I argued that by pushing against "vincible ignorance," we can significantly improve patient outcomes and advance the field of healthcare.
Values, Metrics, and Impactful Medical Imaging Research
In my talk, I emphasized the critical role of medical imaging in advancing healthcare outcomes, using historical examples to illustrate its impact. I argued for the importance of aligning research values and metrics with real-world clinical needs to drive meaningful progress in medical imaging.
Prometheus and the Patient: Epistemic Rights and Epistemic Duties
In my talk, I argued that patients, like the nurse in Homer Warner's early medical informatics work, are often overwhelmed with data but lack the knowledge to understand it. I advocated for the development of epistemic ecosystems that empower patients to acquire knowledge, express values, and exercise agency within their care, thereby treating them as persons rather than just biological entities.
Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: Context and Controversies
In my talk, I highlighted the critical role of artificial intelligence in addressing the complex and challenging landscape of modern healthcare. I emphasized the need to balance the potential benefits of AI with the ethical considerations and controversies that arise from its implementation, drawing from my extensive experience and personal journey as a long-term patient and cancer survivor.
Sharing is Caring: A Patient Perspective
In my talk, I argued for the importance of recognizing patients as persons with epistemic rights, emphasizing the need for healthcare systems to foster environments that promote understanding and advocacy. I highlighted the historical and ongoing challenges of medical exceptionalism and epistemic injustices, advocating for a shift towards greater transparency and patient empowerment in medical care.
Thinking about thinking with AI
In my talk, I explored the multifaceted concept of artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications for how we think about thinking. I argued that understanding AI requires a nuanced perspective that goes beyond mere marketing hype, delving into its historical roots and various definitions to appreciate its true potential and limitations.
The Informatics Rebellion and the Patient Experience
In my talk, I argued for viewing informatics as a radical enterprise that challenges the status quo in healthcare, drawing inspiration from historical figures like Benjamin Franklin and Homer Warner. I encouraged the audience to consider the philosophical underpinnings of their careers and to prioritize the individual patient experience in their research and practice.
The varieties of healthcare experience: Pluralism, informatics, and consumer empowerment
In my talk, I argued for the recognition of diverse healthcare experiences and the importance of pluralism in medical informatics. I emphasized the need to empower consumers by acknowledging their unique perspectives, values, and epistemic rights, thereby enhancing their agency in healthcare decisions.
Throw Some More Rights on the Barbie: A View from Down Under on Epistemic Rights and Informatics
In my talk, I argued that the Australian healthcare system, while robust, faces significant challenges due to its fragmented structure and outdated informatics infrastructure. I highlighted the need for better coordination and empowerment of patients through improved epistemic rights and informatics, drawing from my personal experiences and observations as a medical informatics professional and four-time cancer survivor.
Knowledge is Power; France is Bacon: Tackling medicine's paternalism problem
In my talk, I argued for the necessity of empowering patients through access to their medical records, challenging the paternalistic attitudes that have historically dominated medicine. I emphasized that controlling what patients know can be as harmful as it is subtle, and I advocated for a more transparent and equitable relationship between patients and healthcare providers.
Punk Informatics
In my talk, I argued for the importance of "punk informatics" as a means to empower health professionals to take control of their technological environments. I highlighted the need for a do-it-yourself approach to informatics, encouraging clinicians to engage in creative rebellion and collaboration to address the limitations of generic electronic health record systems and the top-down mandates that often stifle innovation.
A Last Lecture for Biomedical Informatics Students
In my talk at AMIA 2019, I shared insights and advice for biomedical informatics students, emphasizing the importance of kindness, humility, and perseverance in their academic and professional journeys. I encouraged students to embrace their unique backgrounds and to approach learning with patience and courage, reminding them that their true value lies in their accomplishments and contributions, not just their titles or grades.
From Radio Waves to Gamma Rays: A Spectral Analogy for Biomedical Data Science
In my talk, I argued that biomedical data science can be understood through an analogy with the electromagnetic spectrum, where different frequencies require distinct skill sets and tools. I emphasized the importance of creating human and artificial systems that facilitate rational decision-making for clinicians and patients, highlighting the need for a diverse, task-driven approach to teaching and practicing biomedical data science.
Biomedical Data Science Education at the University of Utah: Designing a Transfer Function from Novices to Professionals
In my talk at AMIA IEF 2018, I discussed the development of a comprehensive biomedical data science education program at the University of Utah designed to transform novices into professionals. I emphasized the importance of a structured curriculum that builds foundational skills and fosters a deep understanding of programming languages, ensuring that students can effectively transition into the field of biomedical data science.
Books for Big Thinking: What Should Informatics Students Be Reading?
In my talk at AMIA IEF 2018, I emphasized the importance of reading broadly to foster critical thinking and challenge conventional notions of science in the field of biomedical informatics. I shared a curated list of books designed to inspire big thinking and provide essential context for my students, encouraging them to explore ideas from various disciplines and historical perspectives.
Rapidly Reaching Threshold Concepts in Short-term Biomedical Data Science Training
In my talk, I explored the challenge of efficiently teaching threshold concepts in short-term biomedical data science training. I argued for a strategic approach to prioritize what should be taught directly and what can be learned independently, tailoring the curriculum to the diverse backgrounds and goals of trainees. My goal is to reimagine educational strategies to better prepare students for transformative learning experiences in this field.
Creating an Open Source Infrastructure for Image Phenotyping in Clinical Research
In my talk at SIIM 2017, I presented our efforts to create an open-source infrastructure for image phenotyping in clinical research. I emphasized the use of virtualization and tools like Docker, Orthanc, Girder, and Jupyter to build a lightweight, shareable environment that supports both cloud and traditional desktop computing.
Biomedical Informatics and Rebellion
In my talk, I argued that biomedical informatics represents a rebellion against the established norms of the healthcare system, challenging who controls information, how it is utilized, and what data is deemed important. I highlighted the cyclical nature of revolutions, where successful upheavals eventually become the new status quo, necessitating further rebellion. Through the example of Homer Warner, I illustrated how informatics pioneers have historically driven this rebellion, leveraging technology to quantify and enhance medical decision-making.
Eratosthenes, Hypatia, and Friends: Ruminations on Potential Patron Philosophers of Biomedical Informatics
In my talk, I explored the potential influence of historical philosophers and thinkers on the field of biomedical informatics, envisioning how figures like Eratosthenes, Hypatia, and others might contribute to our contemporary programs and research. I argued for the importance of integrating diverse intellectual traditions to advance our understanding and practices in biomedical informatics.
Measuring How Perceived Meanings of Uncertainty Cues Differs with and without Sentence-level Context in Radiology Reports
In my talk at RSNA 2013, I explored how the perceived meanings of uncertainty cues in radiology reports vary with and without sentence-level context. I found that while overall context did not significantly alter cue probability assignments, assertion cues were more affected by context than negation cues, suggesting that evaluating these cues may not always require contextual display.
Measuring Expressions of Uncertainty in Radiology Texts for Natural Language Processing Applications
In my talk at RSNA 2013, I presented an analysis of expressions of uncertainty in radiology texts to enhance natural language processing (NLP) applications. I demonstrated that while radiologists exhibit high consistency in assigning probabilities to linguistic cues, there is significant variability, suggesting that our current model of uncertainty could be refined by introducing an additional category to better capture ambiguous cases.
Image Sharing with iDASH: Disrupting Data Ownership to Facilitate Imaging Research
In my talk, I argued for the disruption of traditional data ownership models to facilitate imaging research. I presented the iDASH platform as a solution to enhance data accessibility, foster collaboration, and accelerate research progress while addressing the liabilities and challenges associated with data sharing and privacy.
Pythagoras, Plato and Eratosthenes: Greek Models for Imaging Informatics
In my talk, I argued for the importance of integrating classical Greek models of thought into modern imaging informatics to address contemporary challenges in radiology. I emphasized the need to move beyond mere classification and towards quantitative, mathematically-driven approaches to enhance the reliability and transparency of imaging studies, ultimately improving patient care and reducing costs.