Top Women From Columbia, FDA, CDC and J&J Set To Speak At Women Of OHDSI Leadership Forum

Four high-ranking women in the fields of health and observational science will speak during the Women of OHDSI Real-World Analytics Leadership Forum Sunday, Sept. 15, in a highly anticipated event that takes place on the eve of the 2019 U.S. Symposium.

The scheduled speakers for the event are:

• Noémie Elhadad, PhD, Co-interim Chair, Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics; Graduate Program Director at Columbia University
• Violanda Grigorescu, MD, MSPH, Chief, Partnerships and Evaluation Branch in the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Janet Woodcock, MD, Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) at the Food and Drug Administration
• Joanne Waldstreicher, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Johnson & Johnson

This open event is free and will take place from 6-8 pm in the Brookside Room (lower level) of the Bethesda North Marriott in North Bethesda, Md. This hotel will also host the OHDSI Symposium on Monday, Sept. 16, and will include results from a Women of OHDSI study on “Predicting breast cancer to improve screening” during the Community Evidence in Action session. More details on the 2019 OHDSI Symposium, including registration, agenda and tutorial information, is available here.

This is the first Leadership Forum hosted by the Women of OHDSI, and all involved seem to appreciate the value of this opportunity.

Noémie Elhadad, PhD

“I’m looking forward to taking part in the first Women of OHDSI Leadership Forum at the OHDSI 2019 Symposium,” said Noémie Elhadad, PhD. “OHDSI’s focus on inclusivity and diversity is critical and exciting. Research innovation is greater when diverse individuals are part of the research process, from asking new questions to contributing new methodologies. I am proud to represent Columbia, the central coordinating center for OHDSI, in this effort.”

“We are at a pivotal moment for health care research driven by the advances in science and analytics that will impact patient-centered care and transform how care is provided,” said Joanne Waldstreicher, MD. “Ensuring that women researchers are engaged and actively contributing our perspectives and ideas on utilizing real world data to drive better, more efficient and targeted medical care is critically important. Through the Women of OHDSI workgroup and the Women in Real-World Analytics Leadership Forum, our voices are clearly part of the solution as we work collaboratively with a diverse group of researchers to innovate new ways to utilize health care data.”

Joanne Waldstreicher, MD

Hors d’oeuvres will be available during the 6 pm opening session, while the talks will begin at 6:30 pm. Following the talks, there will be a brief closing reception that will last until 8 pm. While the forum is free to attend, organizers ask that you RSVP for the event.

“We are thrilled to have such prominent women in our field join us at the OHDSI Symposium for our Leadership Forum,” said Women of OHDSI project leader Maura Beaton. “Our group is proud of the work on breast cancer we will present at the symposium, and to have our efforts validated by these leaders in the scientific community is very special and gratifying. We’re excited to hear about their own journeys, as well as any advice they may have as we continue ours.”

To help with the planning of the event, please complete the RSVP form below. Should you need to cancel, kindly email us at symposium@ohdsi.org by Thursday, September 12.

RSVP