At the LA CaTS Center Annual Retreat, we recognized the Biomedical Informatics (BMI) Core as the first recipient of the LA CaTS “Core of the Year” Award. This past year, the BMI Core has demonstrated exceptional productivity, making significant contributions to both the scientific community and public health. Notably, their work has led to the publication of four high-impact manuscripts on critical issues such as COVID-19 outcomes and gestational diabetes. In addition, their leadership in groundbreaking research, including studies on SARS-CoV-2 variants and post-acute sequelae, showcases their commitment to advancing biomedical informatics.

The BMI Core Team's work is highly collaborative, and they are currently engaged in six multi-institutional collaborations that span across two or more institutions, both among and outside of LA CaTS members. Notable examples include their partnership with the LSU-LCMC Cancer Center to expand research in precision oncology via the GENIE initiative, and their collaborative work between LSU Health New Orleans, Ochsner Health, and Pennington Biomedical on cancer epidemiology in Cancer Alley, which is now preparing an NCI R01 proposal.

In addition to their external collaborations, the BMI Core has worked in some capacity with every LA CaTS Center core. For example, they have contributed to the NIH RECOVER initiative and assisted the Biostatistics, Epidemiology, & Research Design (BERD) Core with joint project development teams for new investigators.