Medical Informatics – UCLA

Introductory Slideshow

Recent Publications

Zhuang L, Tabatabaei SMH, Salehi-Rad R, Tran LM, Aberle DR, Prosper AE, Hsu W. Vision-language model-based semantic-guided imaging biomarker for lung nodule malignancy prediction. J Biomed Inform. 2025 Oct 27:104947. Paper | Code

Redekop E, Wang Z, Kulkarni R, Pleasure M, Chin A, Hassanzadeh HR, Hill BL, Emami M, Speier WF, Arnold CW. Zero-shot medical event prediction using a generative pretrained transformer on electronic health records. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2025 Oct 8:ocaf160. Paper

Rahrooh A, Garlid AO, Petousis P, Funnell A, Bui AAT. MedPromptEval: A Comprehensive Framework for Systematic Evaluation of Clinical Question Answering Systems. Stud Health Technol Inform. 2025 Oct 2;332:262-266. Paper

Fu M, Sankararaman S, Pasaniuc B, Vossel K, Chang TS. Identifying common disease trajectories of Alzheimer’s disease with electronic health records. EBioMedicine. 2025 Aug;118:105831. Paper | Code

Pelletier AR, Ramirez J, Sankar BS, Adam I, Yan Y, Steinecke D, Wang W, Watson KE, Ping P. Evidence-based Knowledge Synthesis and Hypothesis Validation: Navigating Biomedical Knowledge Bases via Explainable AI and Agentic Systems. J Vis Exp. 2025 Jun 13;(220). Paper & Video | Code

Akre S, Cohen ZD, Welborn A, Zbozinek TD, Balliu B, Craske MG, Bui AAT. Comparing self reported and physiological sleep quality from consumer devices to depression and neurocognitive performance. NPJ Digit Med. 2025 Feb 9;8(1):92. Paper | Code

Student Research

Explore some of the current research being done by students in the Medical Informatics Home Area

Rotation Projects

Learn about research rotations and read about projects done in the first year of the Ph.D. program.

Learn about the application process and the programs offered in the Medical Informatics Home Area

Director’s Welcome

The Medical Informatics Home Area, one of three home areas within the Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Graduate Program, serves as the nexus for interdisciplinary training, preparing the next generation of scientists to lead in biomedical informatics and data science.

UCLA has been at the forefront of medical informatics for decades. Since the 1980s, our faculty have pioneered breakthroughs in clinical and imaging information systems, laying the foundation for today’s transformative technologies. From conceptual frameworks to applied research, our work spans the full spectrum of informatics, driving advances that reshape biomedical research and healthcare delivery.

Why UCLA? We offer a Ph.D. in Medical Informatics, a rigorous program that bridges informatics theory with real-world clinical impact. As of Fall 2025, we have 26 trainees and 5 graduates, all contributing to a vibrant community focused on leveraging multimodal data, advanced computational techniques, and human-centered design to advance patient outcomes. Our alumni thrive in the healthcare, biotech, tech, academic, and government sectors, leading the innovative development and deployment of artificial intelligence/machine learning applications wherever they go.

At UCLA, we help create the future of healthcare: What will healthcare look like in 10 years? How can technology make it better? If these questions pique your interest, we invite you to join us and be part of a growing community that’s shaping the answers. Connect with us and discover what we have to offer!

William Hsu, PhD
Director, Medical Informatics Home Area
Graduate Programs in Bioscience, UCLA

Contact

Part of the Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Graduate Program:

168 Boyer Hall Box 951570
611 Charles E. Young Drive East
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1570

Questions about the program:

BioinformaticsPhD@lifesci.ucla.edu

Please indicate that the message is regarding the Medical Informatics Home Area