Speaker Bio Information
Keynote Speakers
Opening Keynote Speaker
Wendy Chapman, PhD
Wendy Chapman, PhD is the new Associate Dean for Health Informatics and Chief Learning Health Officer at UT Southwestern. She recently moved from the University of Melbourne where she directed the inaugural Centre for Digital Transformation of Health and was previously the chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Utah. She is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Medicine. Her research began in natural language processing of clinical notes, and she is now dedicated to helping develop an informatics-powered learning health system. She moved with her husband and three huskies to Dallas to chase that dream.
Closing Keynote Speaker
Lisa Bazis, CISSP, HCISPP, CHISL
Lisa Bazis is a distinguished cybersecurity leader with over two decades of experience in IT and more than 15 years dedicated to information security, particularly within the healthcare sector. As the Chief Information Security Officer for the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and Nebraska Medicine since 2018, Lisa has been at the forefront of protecting critical health information systems and driving strategic security initiatives.
Her expertise spans governance, risk management, compliance (GRC), and security architecture, while she also oversees a comprehensive security program that includes malware defense, digital forensics, and enterprise-wide cybersecurity operations.
Lisa holds multiple industry certifications, including CISSP, HCISPP, and CHISL, and she brings both technical depth and strategic vision to her role. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Master of Science in Cybersecurity, underscoring her commitment to continuous learning and leadership in the evolving threat landscape.
A passionate advocate for building resilient healthcare systems, Lisa brings a wealth of insight, practical experience, and thought leadership to every stage she steps on.
Presentations
Nora Cox
Nora Cox is regarded as one of the most knowledgeable and effective health care advocates in Texas and beyond. She spent five years in the Texas capitol helping shape health care policy, representing then-Governor Rick Perry in collaborative conversations
with legislators, private sector health care concerns and the Texas Health & Human Services Commission. In that capacity, she is credited with leading major reform efforts in Medicaid, overseeing the creation of the state’s health information exchange, and playing a key role in reorganizing the state’s fractured health and human services system.
Since then, she has been an incredibly effective advocate for the modernization of health care delivery in her role as Chief Executive Officer of the Texas e-Health Alliance. She founded TeHA as a non-profit advocacy group in 2009 to give health information technology stakeholders a voice in public policy. Under Nora’s insightful guidance, the Alliance has grown into the state’s leading advocate, for the use of information technology to improve the health care system for patients at every level, from local communities to national level policy.
During the 2017 session of the Texas Legislature, Nora helped broker a cease-fire in a longstanding dispute over the legality of telemedicine in Texas, resulting in the passage of Senate Bill 1107 that removed the final barriers to widespread adoption of the life-saving technology. She followed that up in 2019 with the passage of SB 670 and HB 1063, which significantly expanded Medicaid reimbursement for telemedicine, telehealth, and remote patient monitoring. In 2021, Nora led the passage of HB 4, which made permanent many of the telemedicine and telehealth services that were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic a permanent part of the state’s regulatory framework.
Nora also holds national roles as the Chair of the Sequoia Project’s Emergency Preparedness Workgroup and as a member of the Advisory Committee for the Center for Telehealth and e-Health Law.
Nora is a highly sought after speaker and commentator on healthcare issues, consulting with entities in numerous states and at the federal level. Her expertise in the utilization of health information technology and the manner in which governments contract for essential services has proven invaluable for state and national leaders struggling to craft effective health care policy.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin and owns a hardcover first edition of Dune and Game of Thrones.
Panel Speakers
Syed AbuMusab, PhD
Syed AbuMusab is an Assistant Professor of philosophy at the University of Texas-Arlington, where he specializes in the philosophy and ethics of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. His research examines how AI systems impact fundamental social
institutions, including education, healthcare, law, art and human relationships. In addition to traditional analytic philosophy, Syed draws on feminist philosophy and religious thought, bringing a distinctive multidisciplinary perspective to addressing contemporary challenges in AI ethics. His doctoral work examined the social ontological status of chatbots and their implications for societal structures. His current work explores the metaphysics of AI and the issues of value alignment from a global perspective. Through his research in the philosophy of mind and computation, Syed aims to ensure that emerging technologies contribute positively to communities in the United States and worldwide, while remaining grounded in both philosophical rigor and ethical considerations. Examples of his recent work can be found at www.syedmusab.com.
Phil Beckett, PhD
Phil came to Houston in 1991 as a post-doctoral fellow to study protein metabolism at the Children’s Nutrition Research Center. At Texas Children’s Hospital he developed a rapid amino acid assay used to perform protein clamps and measure insulin sensitivity in children with diabetes.
Phil kickstarted his informatics career in the neonatal ICU writing interfaces to capture data electronically from monitoring systems around the concept that quality is driven by data. He co-founded a startup, RosettaMed as a developer for patient data capture applications with interfaces to electronic health records. He led the sale of the company to Kryptiq Corporation before joining Baylor College of Medicine to lead their clinical information systems implementation (Epic, iSite PACS). Phil joined Greater Houston Healthconnect (an HIE) in May 2012 and served as a pioneer for interoperability in Houston and the Southeast Texas region. Phil introduced and integrated diagnostic image sharing with the goal of reducing duplicate tests and reducing patient exposure to unnecessary radiation. As CEO of C3HIE he continued to expand HIE services across Texas through collaboration with community partners and a focus on value and delivery through account management. Since January 2025 Phil is CEO of Texas Health Services Authority, a statutory organization to promote and enable interoperability across Texas.
Phil has a major focus on usability after many years working with physicians – if it isn’t easy they won’t use it – and on patient engagement. He believes that consumers will drive the future of healthcare.
In his spare time, Phil is a sailor (on Galveston Bay), Vice Chair of Close to Home, the Homeless CoC in San Antonio; Chair of the Homeless Management and Information System and Data in San Antonio; on the eHealth Advisory Committee for Texas; Deans Advisory Committee UTSA School of Health, Community and Policy; and Co-Chair for the
Civitas national conference. All of these efforts tie together the factors that affect our health – policy, environment, community and medicine.
Sharon Blackerby, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, NI-BC, CPHQ, serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor and Lead Faculty for Nursing Informatics for the Academic Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Program in the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) College of Nursing and Health Innovation (CONHI). She also serves as a faculty member in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, teaching courses in Clinical Information Systems, Project Proposal, and Practicum. In addition, her full-time appointment is in the UTA CONHI, serving as the Accredited Provider Program Director and Professional Development Director for nursing continuing professional development. With over 40 years of experience as a Registered Nurse, she has experience in various areas, including education, informatics, project management, quality management, auditing, case management, and direct patient care. Her patient care experience includes Women’s Services and Medical-Surgical Nursing. Dr. Blackerby received a DNP, MSN in Nursing Administration, and a Nursing Education Certificate from the UTA CONHI. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio. She holds certifications in Nursing Professional Development (NPD-BC), Nursing Informatics (NI-BC), and as a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ). Dr. Blackerby was recognized as a recipient of the 2021 D Magazine Nursing Excellence Award for Education.
Susan H. Fenton, PhD, RHIA, CPHI, FAMIA, FAHIMA, is an Associate Professor and the Associate Dean for Academic and Curricular Affairs at the University of Texas School of Biomedical Informatics in Houston, TX. She is responsible for their graduate certificates, master’s and doctoral degree programs. Dr. Fenton recently led the development of the nation’s first practice doctorate in health informatics (DHI). She is a 2019 recipient of the UT Regents’ Outstanding Teacher Award and the 2019 Texas Health Information Management Association Legacy Award.
Dr. Fenton is a member of the UT Shine Academy of Master Teachers and named a UT System Distinguished Teaching Professor. Dr. Fenton has received more than $10 million in grant funding and is currently the project director for the Gaining Equity in Training for Public Health Informatics and Technology award from the ONC. She also serves on a variety of regional and national professional association committees and boards. Dr. Fenton has more than 30 years experience in health informatics and health information management and holds a B.S. in health information management from UTMB in Galveston, an MBA from the University of Houston and a PhD in health services research from Texas A&M.
Herman Oosterwijk, MSc, MBA
Herman Oosterwijk, MSc, MBA, is a teacher/consultant in Healthcare Informatics. He has published several textbooks in this field, especially about Healthcare communication standards. He has traveled and taught in more than 20 countries to thousands of students. He is currently advising healthcare AI companies on strategy and connectivity.
Joni Padden, DNP
Dr. Joni Padden is a board-certified Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Health and in Informatics Nursing. Dr. Padden is a board member for the DFW ANIA Chapter, and a past member of the HIMSS Nursing Informatics Committee. In her current role as a Chief Nursing Information Officer at Texas Health Resources, which she has been in since 2020, Dr. Padden works with front line staff and clinical leadership to develop best practices to support superlative patient care and outcomes. Dr. Padden began her nursing career as a Trauma Intensive Care nurse in 1992.
Carolyn Petersen, MS, MBI, FAMIA
Ms. Petersen is Assistant Professor in the Department of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She has master’s degrees in biomedical informatics and in exercise and movement science, and is an American College of Sports Medicine-certified exercise physiologist. Ms. Petersen is a past co-chair of the ONC Health Information Technology Advisory Committee, a former consumer representative on FDA medical device advisory panels, and a former member of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute’s Advisory Panel on Healthcare Delivery and Disparities. She is a member of the American Medical Informatics Association’s Ethics and Journals & Publications Committees, a past chair of AMIA’s Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues Working Group, and Senior Editor of Applied Clinical Informatics journal. She is also a senior editor in Mayo Clinic’s Health Education and Content Services group, where she leads a team focused on the consumer health information website MayoClinic.org.
Krish Purushothaman
Krish Purushothaman is the Head of the Implementation Services practice at CitiusTech Healthcare, where he leads the delivery of cutting-edge healthcare solutions using AI based platforms, product implementations, robotic process automation. With over 20 years of leadership experience in health informatics and digital transformation, Krish specializes in the practical application of artificial intelligence to enhance clinical workflows and improve patient outcomes. His work focuses on the responsible and scalable adoption of AI, helping healthcare organizations drive measurable impact and future-ready innovation.
Lightning Talk Abstract Presenters
Estefanie Garduno-Rapp, MD, MS
Dr. Garduno-Rapp is a physician informaticist and scholar at the Informatics for Multidisciplinary Advancement, Guidance, and Innovation for the Neurosciences (IMAGINe) Lab at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from Westhill University and a master’s in health informatics with a focus on Artificial Intelligence from UT Southwestern’s School of Health Professions.
Her research and professional efforts are dedicated to harnessing the power of multimodal data to drive improvements in patient outcomes, optimize healthcare delivery, and advance computable biomedical knowledge. Operating at the intersection of science, technology, and medicine, she has led innovative projects in algorithm development, machine learning and quality improvement. By integrating cutting-edge informatics methodologies with real-world clinical applications, her work contributes to the evolution of data-driven healthcare solutions that enhance both patient care and system efficiency.
Dr. Garduno-Rapp is the associate director of the Master of Science in Health Informatics at the School of Public health at UTSW and is an active member of the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) and Women in AMIA, where she advocates for gender equity and supports initiatives that empower women in informatics and medicine. She has also served as a member of the Student and Early Career Editorial Board for Applied Clinical Informatics, furthering scholarly engagement in the field. Beyond her contributions to informatics, she is a multidisciplinary artist and the founder of Women in Art at UTSW, a community-driven initiative dedicated to promoting artistic expression and fostering connections among women in science and healthcare.
Katherine Kries, MSN, RN, CHSE
Katherine Kreis, MSN, RN, CHSE, is a dedicated nursing educator and simulation specialist with extensive experience in prelicensure nursing education and research. She serves as the founding director of the RELEASE Lab (Research to Empower Learning and Enhance Aptitude via Simulated Experience), where she focuses on advancing patient safety and clinical competency through innovative simulation-based education. Katherine is actively involved in professional organizations, including INACSL and Sigma Theta Tau, and has presented her work at national and international conferences. Her research interests include medication safety, health technology integration and enhancing learning outcomes through immersive simulation. She is particularly passionate about AI-driven case development, virtual simulation, and extended reality simulation to transform nursing education and practice.
Karina Lupercio, MBA
I turn complexity into clarity, designing scalable, high-impact solutions that transform operations and deliver extraordinary results. I thrive at the intersection of vision and execution, where strategy becomes impactful action. My expertise lies in process design, workflow optimization, and operational transformation, helping organizations build resilient, efficient systems that drive growth, agility, and strategic success.
With a data-driven and people-centric approach, I build scalable operational frameworks that eliminate inefficiencies while optimizing workflows and automation to enhance performance and decision-making. I lead cross-functional teams and vendor strategies to execute bold ideas, integrating AI and analytics to streamline complex business functions.
I develop structures that turn vision into lasting impact, ensuring organizations thrive at scale. Whether refining internal structures, managing large-scale data migrations, or driving enterprise-wide process improvements, the focus is always on creating sustainable, adaptable systems that align strategy with execution for the organization.
Poster Abstract Presenters
Ian Abeyta, MPH
I obtained my Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Exercise Science from Colorado State University. I spent nearly a decade working as a personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach, although I always found great insight in working with data. After my career in fitness, I found a wonderful spot studying epidemiology at the University of Colorado Health Science Center. After earning my MPH, I left Colorado for California to work in medical devices for 2 years. I later moved to Texas where I would formally start my career in data analytics. After many years of working my way up to become a data scientist, I am now honored to study health informatics, machine learning, and exercise science once again at the University of North Texas.
Sultan Alanzai, MS
Sultan Alanazi is currently pursuing a PhD in Health Informatics at the University of North Texas. He has over 17 years of diverse experience in emergency medical services and disaster management. Prior to beginning his doctoral studies, Sultan served as the Director of Disaster and Crisis Management at Dammam Medical Complex and led the Centralized Medical Transport operations at the Eastern Health Cluster in Saudi Arabia.
Throughout his career, Sultan has led several key initiatives, including the establishment of hospital emergency planning units and digital systems that improved the response time for interfacility transfer of critical cases. His leadership has been instrumental in advancing crisis preparedness, emergency coordination, and operational readiness in complex healthcare environments.
He holds a master’s degree in emergency management from the University of New Haven and a bachelor’s in emergency medical care from Utah Valley University. Certified in multiple international disaster training programs, Sultan is now focused on research that explores how health information systems can strengthen emergency response and healthcare system resilience.
Kinza Alizai, PhD
Kinza Alizai is a doctoral candidate in the College of Information Science at the University of North Texas. Initially from Balochistan, Pakistan, she is deeply engaged with issues affecting rural and indigenous diaspora communities in underdeveloped regions of South Asia. Her research focuses on health-seeking behaviors among marginalized populations, particularly displaced Afghan women living in refugee camps across Pakistan. Kinza is also dedicated to preserving traditional herbal knowledge through the creation of digital archives, such as online dictionaries. Her work addresses the urgent need to safeguard indigenous biomedical wisdom that is increasingly at risk due to climate change and the persistent digital divide across Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.
S. M. Saiful Islam Badhon, BS
S M Saiful Islam Badhon is a Ph.D. student in Information Science at the University of North Texas, with a research focus on healthcare analytics, machine learning, and clinical decision support. His primary work involves early prediction of acute kidney injury (AKI) using time-series data, deep learning models, and explainable AI (XAI) to support timely and transparent decision-making in critical care.
Badhon aims to bridge the gap between complex algorithms and real-world clinical needs by developing interpretable models that offer both predictive accuracy and clinical insight. His research incorporates temporal dependencies, domain knowledge, and patient-specific information to create systems that help clinicians make informed decisions.
His broader interests include sequence modeling, multi-modal data integration, and ethical AI in healthcare. He is driven by the vision of building patient-centered, data-informed solutions that are not only effective but also transparent and fair.
Through his research, Badhon hopes to contribute to the development of AI systems that improve care outcomes and support a more proactive and personalized healthcare future.
Lauri Bilingsley, MPH, BSN, RN
Lauri Billingsley, MPH, BSN, RN, is a passionate and research-driven registered nurse committed to advancing maternal health in underserved and rural communities. She holds a Master of Public Health and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, blending clinical expertise with a strong foundation in public health and health equity. With two years of diverse nursing experience, including roles as an OR Circulator, Dialysis Nurse, School Nurse, and Graduate Assistant at the Center for Rural Health and Nursing. Lauri brings a holistic and community-focused approach to care.
In 2025, Lauri earned a certificate in Nursing Informatics and is actively pursuing her CAHIMS and CPHIMS certifications to strengthen her impact in healthcare innovation and data-driven care delivery. She is recognized for her academic and research contributions, having been presented at local, national, and international conferences on topics related to rural maternal care and health disparities.
Lauri also serves her community as a volunteer nurse at large-scale public events such as the Hotter’N Hell 100 and Trinity Baptist Church’s annual Fourth of July celebration. She is an active member of professional organizations including the American Nurses Association, HIMSS, and the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.
With a heart for advocacy and a growing voice in nurse education, Lauri is dedicated to educating future nurses and improving maternal outcomes in care deserts across the country.
Laxmigayathri Challa, MS
Laxmigayathri Challa is a doctoral student in Information Science with a concentration in Data Science at the University of North Texas (UNT), where she also earned her Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering in December 2022. With a background bridging life sciences and computational research, she is passionate about using technology to thoughtfully reform and reimagine healthcare—especially in cancer monitoring, diagnosis, and data-driven research.
Her current work explores the use of artificial intelligence, natural language processing (NLP), and large language models (LLMs) to generate synthetic oncology data, enhance clinical decision support, and analyze patterns of miscommunication in healthcare settings. She is particularly interested in closing information gaps through sense-making frameworks and is currently engaged in projects focused on point-of-care cancer diagnostics and at-home monitoring solutions. Laxmigayathri’s biomedical background includes laboratory experience in molecular biology techniques and a strong foundation in bioinformatics, with proficiency in a range of analytical tools and databases.
Beyond her research, she serves as a teaching assistant for graduate-level machine learning courses and has held leadership roles supporting student innovation at UNT Libraries’ Spark Makerspace. She has also contributed as a peer reviewer for national biomedical engineering conferences and values interdisciplinary collaboration, equity in healthcare, and responsible AI integration in medicine.
Outside academia, she enjoys writing about healthcare and feminism, playing tennis, and experimenting with new recipes
Cassandra Davila, MS
Cassandra Davila is a first-generation student pursing a master’s degree in public health with a concentration in Urban Health for the University of Texas at Arlington. Cassandra obtained her Honors Bachelor of Science in Public Health from UTA December 2024. She has been working as a research assistant for the Hernandez Lab at the Center for Innovation in Health Informatics (CIHI) since January 2023, under Dr. Denise Hernandez. Cassandra’s interest lies within health administration and emergency management. She is passionate about breaking down and understanding barriers and challenges of underserved populations and areas, especially when faced with emergency events. She is currently working under the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program as a Community Resilience Specialist for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. She is prepared to graduate with her Masters in Fall 2026.
Junhua Ding, PhD
Dr. Junhua Ding is the Reinburg Endowed Professor and founding chair of the Anuradha and Vikas Sinha Department of Data Science at the University of North Texas. His research integrates data-centric AI, software engineering, and trustworthy AI, with real-world applications in biomedicine, cybersecurity, smart transportation, and STEM education. He leads projects funded by federal agencies and industry partners, advancing methods in AI validation, data quality, and intelligent system testing. His recent work focuses on generative AI, human-centered machine learning, and ethical AI deployment. A recognized leader in the field, Dr. Ding has authored over 120 peer-reviewed publications and secured more than $7 million in research funding. He holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Computer Science.
Sai Donepudi, BS
Sai Sri Donepudi is a senior undergraduate student at the University of North Texas, where she is pursuing a dual major in Computer Science and Data Science. Her academic and research interests lie at the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and health informatics, with a particular focus on the development of responsible and trustworthy AI systems that can be applied in real-world clinical or decision-support settings.
She is currently a research student at the Intelligent Data Engineering and Analytics (I.D.E.A.) Lab, where her work involves designing and evaluating taxonomy construction methods using large language models (LLMs). This research explores knowledge representation, semantic similarity, and interpretability in AI-driven systems, contributing to ongoing efforts in explainable and ethical AI.
In addition to her academic research, Sai has gained applied experience through internships and fellowships with organizations including Aurum Tek USA, HyperAnalytics, Break Through Tech AI at Cornell University, and AI4ALL. Her work has involved full-stack development, machine learning model deployment, and cloud-based analytics, particularly using AWS tools and modern AI frameworks. She has contributed to several projects with real-world impact, including an AI-powered pet health assistant that uses retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines for emergency triage support.
Sai is proficient in a wide range of technical tools and frameworks including Python, React, Flask, AWS, TensorFlow, and LangChain. She has completed multiple industry-relevant certifications, including the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner and a Postgraduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning from the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business.
Vy Duong
Vy is an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Arlington pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biology with a strong focus in healthcare and medicine. She is currently working in Dr. Ghaffari’s lab whose branch of research centers around the role of immune cells and their interactions under different immunological contexts. Vy’s experience in immunology research enabled her to develop advanced laboratory techniques, reflecting her contributions in enhancing therapeutic applications for tissue repair and regeneration. Outside of her academics, Vy also holds positions of leadership in science and cultural organizations. These roles align with her passions to enhance the collective health of the community and promote healthcare to others. Inspired by her mother’s long history with cardiovascular disease, Vy aspires to contribute to meaningful and long-lasting research that fosters the improvement of biotechnology and treatment care in the medical industry.
Mikyoung Lee, PhD, RN
Dr. Mikyoung Lee is a professor and the Doswell Endowed Chair for Informatics and Healthcare Transformation at Texas Woman’s University College of Nursing. She brings expertise in theory, research processes, data analysis, leadership, systems, and informatics, and taught students across baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels. Her research centers on designing, building, and testing the health information technology capacity for nursing data acquisition, outcomes measurement, big data analytics, and information exchange. Dr. Lee has also led and collaborated on studies addressing healthcare access, health literacy, information-seeking behaviors, and health promotion in underserved populations. Nationally, she has worked with the Big Data Nursing workgroups and NIMHD’s Science Collaborative for Health Disparities and AI Bias Reduction team. She has served as the chair for the Texas Health Informatics Alliance Research Working Group and as award committee of AMIA Nursing Informatics Working Group. She also contributed to the AACN Research-Focused Doctoral Program Pathways to Excellence Task Force to enhance PhD nursing curricula. She has served as an active reviewer for grant proposals, manuscripts, and conference abstracts. Her community impact includes monthly health education broadcasts on a Dallas radio station for enhancing health literacy and health promotion. Globally, she showed unwavering dedication to advancing the nursing profession as General Secretary of the Global Korean Nursing Foundation. She currently serves as chairman of the North Texas Korean Nurses Association. Dr. Lee’s accomplishments have been recognized, including the 2021 DFW Excellence in Nursing Research/Education Award and recognition as one of the 2021 DFW 100 Nurses.
Sylvia Ramirez
Hello, my name is Sylvia Ramirez, and I have been a registered nurse since 2008. I am a proud graduate of UT Arlington, where I began my journey in healthcare. My career started in pediatrics, a field that taught me the importance of empathy, adaptability, and teamwork.
Over time, my curiosity led me to explore a new path in nursing informatics at UT Southwestern. Since then, I have developed a deep passion for nursing informatics, data, process improvement, and teaching others how to work more efficiently and safely. I truly enjoy helping clinicians discover smarter ways to care for patients.
I have had the privilege of presenting this topic at two other conferences, and each time, I’m inspired by the excitement and curiosity it sparks. It is an honor to share the steps we took to implement this innovative tool—developed by our EMR vendor and thoughtfully adopted by our institution.
Being part of the ever-evolving world of informatics is both exciting and rewarding, and I am grateful to contribute to a field that’s shaping the future of healthcare.
Adrian Reyes
Adrian Reyes is a microbiology undergraduate at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he conducts research in Dr. Ghaffari lab. His current work focuses on the non-classical MHC class I molecule and its role in tumor immune evasion. Adrian is involved in discovering new non-canonical peptides presented by MHC-E across various murine and human cancer cells. The research aims to contribute to the development of personalized immunotherapies.
Before entering the scientific field, Adrian worked for nearly a decade in oil fields, refineries, and aerospace logistics engineering, where he led teams and managed complex technical systems. These experiences reflect a lifelong commitment to hands-on problem-solving and teamwork.
Adrian’s shift to cancer research was inspired by his own battle with cancer. Surviving cancer gave him a personal understanding of the value of medicinal advancement and a desire to contribute to it. Through research, he aims to support the progress that once saved his life and help advance therapeutic strategies for others facing similar diagnoses.
Kewei Sha, PhD
Dr. Kewei Sha is an Associate Professor of Data Science and the Director of Graduate Program within the College of Information at the University of North Texas (UNT). Prior to joining UNT, he held the position of Associate Professor with an approved promotion to Full Professor of Computer Science at the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL). Before that, Dr. Sha has served as Department Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Software Engineering at Oklahoma City University (OCU). His research interests include Data Management and Analytics, Security and Privacy, Edge Computing, Blockchain, and Internet of Things. As a PI or co-PI, he has successfully secured over 5 million dollars in research funding from NSF, NASA, UNT, UHCL, and OCU. Dr. Sha has published more than 80 publications in prestigious peer-reviewed journals and conferences. Dr. Sha has served as Associate Editors for renowned journals like IEEE IoT Journal (IEEE), Smart Health (Elsevier), Computing (Springer), and Multimedia Tools and Applications (Springer). He has also acted as General Chair and Technical Program Committee (TPC) Chair at many prominent conferences such as NSF CISE MSI Aspiring PI Workshop 2024, ACM/IEEE SEC 2023, ACM/IEEE CHASE 2021, IEEE MOST 2024, IEEE ICCCN 2015, etc. Dr. Sha is a recipient of UHCL President’s Outstanding Research Award, UHCL University Faculty Fellowship Award, IEEE Outstanding Leadership Award, and Anthony and Barbara Lekkos Endowment Faculty Fellowship. He is a senior member of both ACM and IEEE
Julie Tran
Julie Tran is an undergraduate student at The University of Texas at Arlington, majoring in Biological Chemistry on the pre-medical track. She has been working as an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Weidanz’s lab, where her project focuses on developing TCRm antibodies targeting MHC molecules presenting non-canonical peptides for targeted tumor immunotherapy. Through this work, Julie has developed an interest in the mechanisms of immune evasion in cancer and the potential for targeted therapies to improve patient outcomes. Her research has shaped her aspiration to become a physician who not only treats patients but also drives innovation at the intersection of science and medicine. She hopes to integrate translational research into her future clinical practice to better serve those in need.
Harichandra Vennelakanti, PhD, PT
Hari Vennelakanti is a seasoned physical therapist recognized for his expertise in rehabilitative care across diverse clinical environments, including skilled nursing facilities, outpatient clinics, home health, and acute care. Currently practicing at the Cancer Care Outpatient Building, UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, Hari brings a broad skill set that encompasses patient assessment, individualized treatment planning, and collaborative multidisciplinary care.
Hari holds a Doctor of Physical Therapy from Utica College, New York, and is advancing his education with a Master of Science in Health Informatics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. His formal training further includes a master’s in safety (Occupational Safety and Emergency Management) from the University of Tennessee, certificate in gerontology, and credentials in hospital administration from leading institution in India.
Specializing as a certified lymphedema and wound therapist, as well as a compression specialist, he has played pivotal roles in workflow development for Electronic Medical Records (EMR), managed therapy programs, and supervised therapy assistants in multiple leadership positions. Hari’s teaching experience spans university-level instruction and clinical education, emphasizing a deep commitment to advancing healthcare knowledge.
Beyond clinical practice, Hari is highly engaged in research, professional organizations, and community service. He has contributed to peer-reviewed publications in emergency management and has presented them at international conferences. His leadership and innovation have been recognized through awards at UTSW AI challenges and digital health hackathons such as the Cancer informatics society and Health Universe, MIT COVID-19 Turn the Tide Challenge and Hacking Dermatology. Additionally, he is an active member of organizations including the American Medical Informatics Association, American Red Cross, National Safety Council, and Indian Physiotherapy Association.
Passionate about patient-centered care and continuous professional development, Hari Vennelakanti exemplifies dedication, leadership, and interdisciplinary excellence in the healthcare sector.
Hari Vennelakanti is an accomplished physical therapist with a rich background in rehabilitative care across diverse clinical environments. He currently serves at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, where he applies his extensive knowledge in patient assessment, treatment planning, and collaborative multidisciplinary care.
Hari’s academic credentials are robust, including a Doctor of Physical Therapy from Utica College. He is further enhancing his expertise by pursuing a Master of Science in Health Informatics at UT Southwestern. His educational portfolio also encompasses a master’s in safety, a gerontology certificate, and specialized credentials in hospital administration, demonstrating a commitment to holistic healthcare understanding.
As a certified lymphedema and wound therapist, and a compression specialist, Hari has been pivotal in advancing EMR workflow development and managing therapy programs. His contributions extend to academia, where he instructs at the university level and provides essential clinical education.
Hari is deeply engaged in research, professional organizations, and community service. His scholarly work includes contributions to peer-reviewed publications and presentations at international conferences. His innovative spirit and leadership have been acknowledged with awards in both AI and digital health challenges. He maintains active memberships in prestigious organizations such as the American Medical Informatics Association and the American Red Cross.
Hari Vennelakanti exemplifies a profound dedication to patient-centered care and continuous professional growth, embodying leadership, and interdisciplinary excellence within the healthcare sector.
Gowtham Vuppaladhadiam, MS
Gowtham Vuppaladhadiam is an accomplished data scientist originally from India, where he lived for 32 years before moving to the United States to pursue a Master of Science in Data Science at the University of North Texas. With over a decade of professional experience, Gowtham has developed a strong foundation in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cloud technologies. His academic and professional journey reflects a deep commitment to innovation, technical excellence, and real-world problem solving.
Before relocating to the U.S., Gowtham held several prominent roles in India, including at Robert Bosch GmbH, Cognizant Technology Solutions, and Wipro Technologies. His career spans data science, database administration, and cloud engineering, with major contributions to projects in generative AI, chatbot development, financial analytics, and biomedical data processing. He has implemented advanced AI systems like voice-assisted mental health chatbots, EEG-based classifiers, and market signal extractors.
Gowtham is not only technically proficient in tools like Python, TensorFlow, and Azure AI but also demonstrates leadership through his role as the founder and president of the UNT Action AI Club, where he mentors peers and leads innovation-driven initiatives.
A continuous learner, he holds multiple certifications in Azure AI, data science, and generative AI, and is currently expanding his expertise through advanced academic training. Gowtham brings a global perspective and a passion for leveraging data science to drive impactful solutions in health, finance, and cloud-native applications.
Janet Webb, MD, FAAP
Janet Webb, MD is a general pediatrician and clinical informatics fellow at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Her work focuses on leveraging health IT to improve clinical workflows, documentation quality, and the user experience.
Yuhan Zhou, MS
Miss Yuhan Zhou is a Ph.D. student in Information Science with a Data Science concentration at the University of North Texas (UNT). She earned her B.S. in Information Management from Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, in 2022, and her M.S. in Business Analytics from the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China, in 2023. Her research focuses on data quality, including developing evaluation frameworks, dimensions, and metrics. In addition, Miss Yuhan Zhou is actively engaged in interdisciplinary work in the fields of data science and health informatics. Leveraging Large Language Models and data fusion, she explores the methods for curating large-scale and high-quality datasets for the Medical Concept Normalization (MCN) task, which could reduce dataset curation costs and improve accuracy in electronic health record management, drug discovery, and other medical applications. Related work has been presented in the South-Central Chapter of the Medical Library Association (SCC/MLA) Conference, Doswell Health Informatics Conference, and so on.