about us health outcomes and biomedical informatics
At HOBI, we conduct innovative research and leverage data to promote population health, improve health care delivery and outcomes, advance health research, and address health disparities.
UF HOBI
The frontier of data-driven health research
Our multidisciplinary faculty includes health services researchers, epidemiologists, biomedical informaticians, economists, epidemiologists, psychologists and social scientists. They provide leadership and expertise in prevention science, health promotion, policy evaluation research, quality of care, health disparities, data analytics and implementation science. The department is also the home of the UF Institute for Child Health Policy, which conducts innovative studies and intervention trials to promote the health of children, adolescents and young adults.
FActs at a glance
$30 Million Estimated Fiscal Year 2024 annual research funding
$3 million Growth in research expenditures annually
210 Active research projects
Cancer screening
Cancer Center
Mobile cancer screening
Our faculty serve as leaders in the UF Health Cancer Center. Its new mobile cancer screening bus is outfitted with leading-edge technology to bring a range of cancer screening and health care services directly to communities in North Central Florida.
Research divisions
The department has three major research divisions:
Implementation Science and Health Interventions
Health outcomes researchers use medical records, insurance databases, patient questionnaires and other data to evaluate the overall effectiveness of medical treatments or health interventions, including clinical outcomes, financial impact and patient-reported quality-of-life and satisfaction. Implementation science involves the study of methods to promote the successful integration of research findings and evidence into health care policy and practice.
Biomedical Informatics and Data Science
Defined as “the study of information at the intersection of computer science, biology and health,” biomedical informatics is the new frontier of health research. The biomedical informatics team at HOBI asks critical questions about the very nature of data and its integrity in an effort to leverage the ever-increasing amount of health data available today to improve health outcomes, health care delivery and health policy.
Clinical and Population Health Integration
This division conducts clinical and population-based research that integrates biomedical informatics and implementation sciences while supporting educational programs that improve health outcomes across the lifespan. With a team approach, it supports large, interdisciplinary projects and medical interventions in patients intended to improve public health.
Collaboration in research
Our faculty are recognized for their leadership and service in state and national organizations such as the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the National Institutes of Health, and the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA). HOBI faculty also hold major leadership roles in the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute, the UF Institute for Child Health Policy, the UF Health Cancer Center, and the OneFlorida+ Clinical Research Network.
Our annual extramural funding portfolio includes current funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration—Maternal and Child Health Bureau, the State of Florida, State of Texas, and the National Cancer Institute.
Integrity in Research
Community Scientist Program
Community Scientists are members of the community who contribute their life experiences to the research process. We coordinate this program in collaboration with the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute.
Quality of CARE
Institute for Child Health Policy
This institute examines factors that contribute to disparities in health and health care outcomes for children and youth and develops strategies to address these issues.
Big Data
OneFlorida+ Clinical Research Network
The network’s partners include many systems or universities across several states. Combined, these partners provide health care to more than 26 million patients.
Hobi Administration
Department chair
Elizabeth Shenkman, Ph.D.
Dr. Shenkman is the chair of HOBI, co-director of the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), director of UF’s Institute for Child Health Policy, and associate director for community outreach and engagement for the UF Health Cancer Center.
Director
Ricky Whitney
Ricky Whitney is the Director for Administrative Services of HOBI.
Associate Chair
Stephanie Staras, Ph.D.
Dr. Staras is the Associate Chair of Faculty Development. She supports the mentoring of HOBI faculty and works closely with HOBI’s leadership team on strategies to create a range of faculty development initiatives that support our mission areas of research, teaching, and service.
Associate Chair
Carma Bylund, Ph.D.
Dr. Bylund serves as Associate Chair of Education. She provides leadership on strategic educational initiatives, including improving student experience and success. She is HOBI’s liaison to the College of Medicine’s new Quality and Patient Safety Initiative.
Division Director
Todd Manini, Ph.D.
Dr. Manini is the Division Director of Clinical and Population Health Integration. This division supports multi-disciplinary and population level approaches. He support the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center at HOBI. He also directs an NIH postdoctoral training program focused on Translational Research on Aging and Mobility.
Division Director
Ramzi G. Salloum, Ph.D.
Dr. Salloum is Division Director of Health Outcomes and Implementation Science (HOIS). He helps experts apply innovative methods and approaches to translate evidence-based practices into real world clinical and population health settings to achieve health equity. Dr. Salloum also serves as the Director of the UF CTSI Learning Health System Program. He will provide leadership for the division’s degree and certificate programs and for its robust research portfolio.
Division Director
Yi Guo, Ph.D., FAMIA
Dr. Guo is an Associate Professor and Interim Division Director of Biomedical Informatics and Data Sciences. He also serves as the Director of the Cancer Informatics Shared Resource and the Associate Director of the Cancer Quantitative Sciences Division for the UF Health Cancer Center, as well as the Associate Director of the Office of Data Science Research for the OneFlorida+ Clinical Research Network.
Video from UF Health
administrative support
HOBI's Administrative Support
Need help with a grant submission? Got a question for the fiscal team? Don't know who to ask or where to go? We’re happy to help!