About IMDS
Medicine and human health are becoming increasingly data-rich and data-driven. The University of Washington continues to grow as an international leader in artificial intelligence, medicine, training at all levels, and biomedical research.
Established in 2021, the Institute of Medical Data Science (IMDS) is an important strategic step toward becoming a national and global leader in this space jointly between the Schools of Medicine and Public Health and the College of Engineering, including the Allen School for Computer Science and Engineering.
The IMDS unifies our medical research, technology innovation, and public health community around shared goals and provides the collective wisdom to become a global leader in AI and health. The IMDS fits into the University community’s academic mission by leveraging our strengths in data science, the health sciences, and engineering.
Our Mission
Our mission is to lead the development and implementation of cutting-edge AI and data science methods in medical data science (MDS). We strive to overcome regulatory, ethical, clinical, and operational barriers to integrate AI into healthcare practice, study its long-term effects, and explore new data modalities. By harnessing the power of AI across diverse health determinants, we aim to improve patient health, provider satisfaction, and healthcare operations, particularly in the Pacific Northwest region.
Our Vision
As a joint collaboration between the schools and colleges, the IMDS is building a cross-disciplinary ecosystem of faculty and trainees aimed at improving health and healthcare through data.
Our AIMS
The overarching aims of the Institute are to implement AI and machine learning into healthcare and to focus on the patient. The IMDS specifically plans to achieve the following four aims through research, education, and application:
- Develop new curated medical datasets for research and education.
- Build new innovative artificial intelligence and data science technologies aimed at improving the health of patients, improving diagnosis, and improving clinical care through better use of real-world data.
- Implement new artificial intelligence, data science, and digital health technologies and study them over time.
- Reduce health disparities through better use of medical data.
IMDS is supported by the Schools of Medicine and Public Health, the College of Engineering and the Allen School for Computer Science and Engineering