Biomedical Informatics & Data Science

The new Human Genome Sciences track in the Biological & Biomedical Sciences (BBS) PhD program, open for applications this fall, is an interdisciplinary initiative at the intersection of human genomics, genetics, and informatics.

The track, launched as a collaboration between the Departments of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science (BIDS) and Genetics under the leadership of Lucila Ohno-Machado, MD, MBA, PhD, chair of biomedical informatics and data science, and Valerie Reinke, PhD, chair of genetics, benefits from exceptional contributions from BIDS faculty members. Ira Hall, PhD, professor of genetics, and Hoon Cho, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical informatics & data science and of computer science, serve as the inaugural directors of the track. Their work in cutting-edge research harnessing rapid advances in sequencing technologies and large-scale biological data directly enhances the track's curriculum and student training in research.

Learn about BIDS faculty contributions

The Yale Computational Biology and Biomedical Informatics (CBB) program is thrilled to welcome its largest incoming class to date this fall! The program welcomed 24 MS students and 16 PhD students. The incoming doctoral students represent diverse academic backgrounds from leading institutions including MIT, Harvard, Brown, Tufts, Technion, and École Normale Supérieure de Lyon.

During the comprehensive orientation, students met their academic advisers, faculty, staff, and fellow classmates. A highlight was the combined welcome lunch, which brought together more than 85 PhD and MS students, faculty, and staff—providing an excellent opportunity for the new students to connect and build community within the program.

Meet the incoming CBB PhD students

BIDS hosted a special international potluck lunch where participants were placed on teams and assigned a specific cuisine. Teams collaborated to prepare or purchase an appetizer, entrée, and dessert that reflected their assigned cuisine—a wonderful way to celebrate the diverse cultures and flavors within our community!

This voluntary, team-led event brought everyone together over delicious food from around the world. The event also featured fun games, making it a fantastic celebration of the diversity within our team!

The BIDS Bulldogs made a phenomenal debut at the Hartford Riverfront Dragon Boat Festival, competing against more than sixty teams from research labs, insurance companies, and cultural centers. Despite most team members sitting in a dragon boat for the first time just two weeks prior—and racing with empty seats—the team brought home bronze medals in Division C, beating many veteran teams.