The University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health is changing the name of one of its longstanding departments. The Department of Biostatistics will become the Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science to reflect the increasing growth of complex data and biotechnology now being employed in the field of public health.
Faculty research in the department—one of four when the school was founded in 1948—initially focused on the health of workers at the many Pittsburgh-area plants and factories. Indeed, the first major study conducted by department investigators compared the health of workers in coke ovens to those elsewhere in the same plants, establishing an excess of lung cancers in the former. With support from the University of Pittsburgh and the School of Public Health, the department has grown into a top-ranked national program.
Building on its rich history, the Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science will strengthen multidisciplinary efforts around data science with the formation of new collaborations across the University of Pittsburgh and beyond.
“The field of biostatistics has undergone significant changes in recent years, with the integration of biostatistics and data science becoming increasingly important,” said Department Chair and Professor Yan Ma, PhD. “The new name better reflects our mission to lead data-driven science in public health with innovative methodology, interdisciplinary collaboration and impactful education.”
The name change is effective immediately and will be incorporated throughout the school and University in a phased approach over the coming weeks. It will not affect the department’s current degree offerings.
“Incorporating health data science into our biostatistics department’s name exemplifies our school’s focus on precision public health as a key strategic imperative to use data-driven strategies to counter the most urgent and intransigent public health threats,” said School of Public Health Dean Maureen Lichtveld, MD, MPH. “As the field of data science grows, we have an obligation to equip our graduates with the most contemporary knowledge and skills so they can serve communities locally, in Pennsylvania and globally.”
-Clare Collins