Data Scientists Discuss Digital Health Equity at Yale Conference

In March, the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) hosted a two-day conference focusing on digital health equity and health innovation. The event brought together prominent figures from universities and the health care sector to explore how data science can drive equitable public health decisions and outcomes.

The conference, "Digital Health Equity: Local Empowerment, Global Alignment," was held on March 4-5, 2025, at Kline Tower. It was organized by YSPH's Data Science and Data Equity program in collaboration with the Yale Institute for the Foundations of Data Science (FDS) and supported by the Yale MacMillan Center.

Experts shared insights on the transformative role of data science in public health, emphasizing its potential to promote fairness and social impact beyond traditional analysis. Discussions highlighted innovative approaches to using data for informed policy decisions, inclusive scientific discoveries, and equitable health care practices.

The conference aimed to disseminate knowledge, tools, and resources essential for fostering a fair and just public health landscape. By aligning local empowerment with global efforts, participants sought to create a more fair and innovative data-driven future for public health.

Dr. Bhramar Mukherjee, PhD, is the first senior associate dean of Public Health Data Science at YSPH. She led the conference with YSPH faculty Dr. Brian Wahl, PhD, MPH; Dr. Terika McCall, PhD, MPH, MBA; Dr. Forrest W. Crawford, PhD; and Kaakpema Yelpaala, MPH.

Dean Megan L. Ranney, MD, MPH, welcomed the attendees and highlighted the importance of information and data in health today. Using this information is powerful, but it comes with responsibilities. FDS Director Dan Spielman acknowledged the collaboration between YSPH and FDS in combining data science and human health.

“The expertise, insights, and discussions reaffirmed a key principle: data science innovations are stronger when they include all of us,” Dr. Mukherjee said.

The Digital Health Equity conference covered four main themes introduced by a YSPH faculty member. An invited speaker expanded on a theme with a keynote, followed by a panel discussion.

1. How do we make sure digital health solutions are fair in their design and use?
2. What are the compromises between privacy, representation, and accuracy in health data?
3. How can AI and digital health data create significant benefits for communities?
4. How can we expand data-driven interventions while keeping them ethical and inclusive?

Dr. McCall, assistant professor of biostatistics (health informatics) introduced the first session about data equity and digital health solutions.

Dr. McCall said distorted, biased, and incomplete data risk making existing health disparities worse. Data should represent people from diverse groups. It should also show their health issues and daily lives accurately, she said.

Keynote speaker Dr. Jessica Jackson, PhD, MA, of Mental Health America, said people who do not have access to reliable internet or devices, and individuals with disabilities get overlooked in discussions about digital health data. Communities that have been excluded from research and product development also get overlooked in advancing digital health.

In the discussion that followed, panelists talked about data equity and poor measurement of social factors. “Who creates these tools of measurement is key,” said Dr. Karen Wang, MD, MHS.

“How are we measuring what people in the community think about how their data are being used” Dr. Wang asked. She is an assistant professor of biostatistics (health informatics) at YSPH and assistant professor of internal medicine at Yale School of Medicine.

Dr. Crawford is an associate professor of biostatistics at YSPH. Crawford introduced a session on privacy in digital health. He discussed how data collection in health care and public health has intensified with wearable data and data from smart devices, making protection of individual identities a challenging task.

Digital medical records hold a lot of personal data, he said. Other personal data comes from cellphones, Apple Watches, health trackers, and GPS devices.

Lance A. Waller, PhD, gave a keynote address about data privacy. Waller is a professor of biostatistics and bioinformatics at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. He discussed a privacy challenge when companies use and share geographic data from smartphones.

At the end of Day 1, there was a student panel about the future of digital health. The students shared their commitment to using their public health skills for social and global solutions. They requested more training in critically discussing data science innovations and products and engaging in conversations about data.

Here is some of what they said:

Mike Binney
Executive MPH ’25

“Attending the Digital Health Equity Conference reinforced the urgent need to bridge gaps in access, literacy, and technology infrastructure. As a student in the YSPH Executive MPH program, I was inspired by the amazing speakers and innovative solutions discussed during the panels (and even more during the breaks and evening events). The future progress towards digital health equity depends on continued collaboration between researchers, policymakers, and most importantly, communities to make sure technology serves everyone equitably.”

Shannon Dhindsa, MPH ‘25
(Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases)

"As digital health advances rapidly and privacy regulations continue to be developed, it's important to prioritize the protection of confidential information. Ensuring equitable access to digital health resources must coincide with rigorous standards to safeguard privacy. True digital equity includes involving the communities that benefit from these resources in the decision-making process, recognizing their voice as essential to shaping an inclusive digital health tool that represents community needs."

Cathy (Yin) Jian, MPH ‘25
(Health Policy and Management; Health Policy Concentration)

"Digital health holds transformative potential for the future of public health, and the Goldilocks approach to getting this innovation 'just right' requires a thoughtful balance of both innovation and regulation. When approached with foresight – which requires careful attention to the social, economic, and structural factors that influence health care access and delivery – this innovation can bridge gaps and create opportunities to improve health outcomes, enhance efficiency, and drive sustainable change. Ultimately, the true promise of harnessing digital health innovations lies in its purposeful and thoughtful application – unlocking a healthier, more equitable future for all."

Reed Mszar, PhD candidate
(Chronic Disease Epidemiology)

“As a student and trainee, the opportunity to learn from thought leaders in data science and digital health was unparalleled. Hearing from and speaking alongside fellow YSPH students and alums broadened my understanding of current and emerging approaches to enhancing data equity in both public health pedagogy and research. As data sources and methodologies continue to advance, so too must our considerations of data access, equity, and privacy.”

Melody A. Owens, PhD candidate
(Biostatistics)

"The Digital Health Equity Conference provided a wonderful opportunity for current and future leaders in public health to come together and discuss the ways in which our work can better account for the inequities that exist in population health science. It’s our responsibility to ensure that our research is benefiting everyone, and the conference was enlightening, making space for important topics such as data equity, privacy, AI, and products and services. I’m optimistic that the attendees will share what they’ve learned with their communities and reflect on how they can integrate these practices into their day-to-day work."

Kerry Conlin, PhD candidate
(Chronic Disease Epidemiology)

"We're currently amassing unprecedented amounts of data. This offers an incredible opportunity to undertake health research that would not have been possible before, but also represents an important responsibility to require the equitable use of health data at every juncture. I think it's important that advances in tools and technology benefit everyone."

Dr. Wahl introduced a discussion about the emerging landscape of digital health and artificial intelligence (AI) in India.

Some countries, like India, are emerging as leaders in digital health infrastructure. But we need guidelines and guardrails, Wahl said. Universities can provide frameworks around health data, added Wahl, assistant professor of epidemiology (microbial diseases) at YSPH.

The next keynote speaker was Dr. Milind Tambe, PhD, Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science at Harvard University. Dr. Tambe discussed a mobile health intervention program for new and expecting mothers in India powered by machine learning algorithms. Over two million women have benefitted from weekly automated health messages, he said.

Dr. Ruchit Nagar, MD, MPH ’16, is a resident physician at Yale New Haven Health. He is also the CEO of Khushi Baby, a digital health nonprofit that he started as a YSPH student. The goal of Khushi Baby is to improve immunity against disease, “so babies grow up to be happy and healthy.”

Khushi Baby builds digital health tools with India’s community health workers and health officials. Dr. Nagar said the large amount of public health data helps identify vulnerable communities. This way, we can better meet their health needs, he said.

Yelpaala is a senior fellow and lecturer in public health at YSPH. Yelpaala introduced a session about how scalable data products and services can help health innovation.

Dr. Sema Sgaier, PhD, gave the final keynote address. Sgaier is the co-founder and CEO of Surgo Health, a public benefit corporation. Surgo Health’s mission is to improve health outcomes by deeply understanding people.

Dr. Sgaier said that we need innovation to support precision public health and personalized medicine by improving how we process, connect and analyze disparate data sets. She gave examples of interventions Surgo Health has implemented globally. She talked about using behavioral science and data to help reduce maternal mortality. Panelists discussed ways for businesses and universities to work together to support data equity.

In closing, Dr. Mukherjee reflected on YSPH's strategic priority to strengthen data science and digital health capabilities in public health. That priority aligns closely with the goal of the Data Science and Data Equity Task Force: to reduce barriers in utilization of data science and AI in public health training, research, and practice.

“Today’s sessions have reinforced the need for diverse and inclusive collaboration, as well as the commitment to building a sustainable digital health ecosystem that serves all populations,” Dr. Mukherjee said.

• Mark Abraham, MPH ’23, executive director of DataHaven, a non-profit organization in New Haven, Connecticut
• Dr. Viknesh Sounderajah, PhD, clinical scientist at Google Health
• Dr. Karen Wang, MD, MHS, assistant professor of biostatistics (health informatics) at YSPH and of internal medicine at Yale School of Medicine
• Dr. Hoon Cho, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical informatics and data science, and assistant professor of computer science at Yale School of Medicine
• Dr. Joshua Snoke, PhD, a statistician at RAND
• Dr. Mayank Garg, PhD, early career faculty fellow, Koita Center for Digital Health-Ashoka University
• Dr. Padmini “Mini” Murthy, MD, MPH, MS, FAMWA, professor, New York Medical College, and the global health lead for the American Medical Woman’s Association
• Dr. Ruchit Nagar, MD, MPH ’16, a resident physician at Yale New Haven Health and the CEO of Khushi Baby
• Dr. Neil Lewis, Jr., PhD, associate professor of communication, medicine, and public policy at Cornell University and Weill Cornell Medicine
• Perfecto Sanchez, co-founder of Equity Quotient

• Cathy (Yin) Jian, MPH ‘25 (Health Policy and Management), and Shannon Dhindsa, MPH, ‘25 (Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases)
• Mike Binney, Executive MPH, ‘25
• Kerry Conlin, PhD candidate (Chronic Disease Epidemiology), Reed Mszar, PhD candidate (Chronic Disease Epidemiology), and Melody A. Owens, PhD candidate (Biostatistics)

Christina Cabading, MPH '25, contributed to this article.

The conference was made possible by the contributions of the DSDE staff: Shelby Golden, Matthew Schlager, and Sohani Sirdeshmukh; Holly Zoeller from the YSPH Office of the Dean; and Ephemia Nicolakis from the YSPH Office of Communications.