USC Big Data Health Science Center

Big Data Health Science Center Annual Retreat 2023
2023-09-29 09:00 - 13:00 UTC | Campus Room, Capstone Hall, 902 Barnwell St, Columbia, SC, 29208, United States
Please join us for the 2023 BDHSC Annual Retreat. See below for full details. Please help us to get an accurate head count for food by registering here.

This retreat is geared towards faculty. Post docs and doctoral candidates welcome.

The Rhino Federated Computing Platform Unlocks the World's Data Silos for Collaborative Research
2023-10-25 11:30 - 12:30 | Virtual
Please join us for our October 25th (11:30-12:30) Big Data seminar featuring Dr. Malhar Patel, Director of Clinical Engagement at Rhino Health.
Register for this free virtual event at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yYq0S83RT0693cpOXjkiig

Place Matters: Utility of Geospatial Data in Health Research
2023-11-29 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
Registration required. Register here. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_899MmYukTsSvvV5RYkRDkg.

The increasing focus on health equity research will require projects that examine and address the geographic contexts where we live, work, and play. Such contexts are important drivers of health inequities given that the characteristics of neighborhoods and other spaces have been driven by historic and current structural inequities. This seminar will provide an orientation to spatial framing and methods, including traditional and emerging spatial methodologies such as global positioning systems (GPS) and location aware technologies.
Dr. Katherine Theall is a Professor at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Senior Director of the Tulane Violence Prevention Institute and Director of the Mary Amelia Center for Women’s Health Equity Research. As a social and spatial epidemiologist, her research focuses on reducing health inequities by understanding and altering neighborhood environments and social policies in underserved populations locally, nationally, and internationally. She has been PI or co-PI of more than 25 federally- and privately-supported research and training awards and has a highly interdisciplinary background, with educational and practical experience in social/spatial epidemiology and community health and prevention sciences. Her work involves close collaboration with both state and city governments as well as international partners, where she has been involved in research, programming, and translational efforts to improve health equity and well-being.

A Bayesian Machine Learning Approach for Estimating Heterogeneous Survivor Causal Effects: Applications To a Critical Care Trial
2023-12-07 10:00 - 11:00 | Koger Center for the Arts, Gallery Room, 1051 Greene St, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
Registration is required. Please register here.

National Big Data Health Science Student Case Competition 2024
2024-01-26 - 2024-01-28 | Virtual

National Big Data Health Science Conference 2024
2024-02-02 - 2024-02-03 | Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, 1101 Lincoln St, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
Funding for this conference was made possible (in part) by R13LM014347 from the National Library of Medicine. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention by trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Deadline for Big Data Analytics Emerging Scholar Training Program for URM Undergrads in SC
2024-03-01 | SC
The USC Big Data Health Science Center is now accepting applications for the BDHSC’s newly funded training program, Big Data Analytics Emerging Scholar Training Program for URM Undergrads in South Carolina (1R25AI172761-01). Please click for full details about the program, including eligibility, application process, FAQ, etc. The application deadline is March 1, 2024.

Deadline for Big Data Health Science Fellow Program
2024-03-14 | SC
Supported by NIAID (R25AI164581-03), the USC Big Data Health Science Center (BDHSC) has been implementing a Big Data Health Science Fellow (“Big Data Fellow”) program since 2021. The program will recruit around 4 USC junior faculty per year and provide them with salary support (25%) to participate in the training program. Please click to see the call for applications to the 2024-2025 Big Data Health Science Fellow program. Details about program requirements, eligibility, and deadlines can be found in the Request for Applications. Apply by March 14, 2024.

Geospatial Modeling for Disease Vector Surveillance in Brazil and Beyond
2024-04-11 15:00 - 16:00 | Discovery Room 259, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
Please join the Big Data Health Science Center for its 37th seminar featuring Dr. Gabriel Z. Laporta from Centro Universitário FMABC.

Geospatial Modeling for Disease Vector Surveillance in Brazil and Beyond
Thursday, April 11 | 3:00-4:00pm
Discovery Room 259
To receive a link for virtual attendance, register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SWwAHafFQgqMbqBb7VDOpg.

NSF ACCESS HPC Monthly Workshop on “Machine Learning and Big Data”
2024-07-31 - 2024-08-01 | Innovation Center Building Room 1400, 550 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
The USC Research Computing, Division of Information Technology, and Big Data Health Science Center will host a remote site for the NSF ACCESS NSF ACCESS HPC Monthly Workshop on “Machine Learning and Big Data” presented by the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center. The workshop will be held on July 31 and August 1, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Room 1400 of the Innovation Center Building, 550 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC 29201. This will be an in-person event hosted by various satellite sites; there WILL NOT be a direct-to-desktop option for this event.
This workshop will focus on topics including big data analytics, machine learning using Spark, and deep learning using Tensorflow.
The deadline to register for this event is July 26, 2024. Interested applicants must first set up an access ID. For instructions on how to set up your ACCESS ID and register for this workshop, please visit the “HPC Monthly Workshop: Machine Learning and Big Data” webpage at https://www.psc.edu/resources/training/hpc-workshop-big-data-july-2024/.

Deadline to apply for Community Scholar (c-Scholar) Training Program
2024-08-23 08:00 - 17:00 | SC
Read more about the c-Scholar program at https://bigdata.sc.edu/r25-c-scholar-program/
The NIH Strategic Plan for Data Science suggests that a Big Data approach will uniquely advance our understanding of disease prevention, identification, control, and treatment in the coming decades and will be a key to reducing national and global health disparities. Despite rapidly increased efforts in the application of Big Data and advanced data analytics for health science research, the progress of translating Big Data research findings to effective public health and clinical practices for improved health outcomes has been slow due to many challenges. Such challenges include the limited participation of community members in Big Data health science research and a lack of effective communication between data science researchers and communities. As a multi-stakeholder effort, health data science crosses boundaries between research and practice, as well as between science and health policy. The involvement of and communication with members of local communities is critical to actualizing the benefits of data science research.
To address this critical need for community involvement in Big Data health science research, we offer data science training and mentored hands-on research experience to a group of community scholars through the R25 Community Scholar (“c-Scholar”) program. Guided by a citizen science model, the c-Scholar program provides structured support to four community scholars from various governmental and community organizations in South Carolina each year. Specifically, the R25 c-Scholar program (1) identifies and recruits community members interested in participating in Big Data infectious disease research and utilizing Big Data research findings to improve the health outcomes of their communities; (2) implements a multi-module training program that provides mentoring, curriculum-based training, and hands-on research experience to better equip c-Scholars with necessary knowledge, skills, and competence for Big Data infectious disease research; and (3) trains and supports c-Scholars to promote and utilize Big Data research in their communities by developing or improving their necessary professional skills (e.g., health communication, presentation of scientific findings to the public, community outreach and engagement).
Interested individuals should attach their resume or CV to an email expressing their interest in the program and their desire to promote and utilize Big Data infectious disease research in their community to Dr. Banky Olatosi (olatosi@mailbox.sc.edu) by close of business on August 23, 2024.
The R25 Executive Committee will evaluate all applications and contact finalists for additional documentation, including a letter from their employer or supervisor stating their approval and agreement for the applicant to participate in this one-year program.
Important Dates (subject to change)
Application deadline: August 23, 2024
Selection of finalists: September 2, 2024
Formal acceptance of offer and submission of follow up documentation: September 9, 2024
Program start: October 8, 2024

Big Data Health Science Center 2024 Retreat
2024-09-27 09:00 - 13:00 | SC
Please join us for the 2024 BDHSC Annual Retreat
Friday, September 27
9am-1pm (with a networking luncheon from 12-1pm)
Campus Room, Capstone Building, USC Columbia Campus

Connect with USC leadership and representatives from government agencies and community partners
Identify opportunities for collaboration with faculty engaged in Big Data research
Network via round table discussions and a networking luncheon

This retreat is intended for USC faculty. Postdocs and doctoral candidates must receive prior approval from BDHSC before registering. Email Miranda Nixon at mc95@mailbox.sc.edu with inquiries.
Registration required. Register today at https://forms.gle/h9X2h9grdL1UqhCz8

Vector-Borne Diseases in Colombia: Current Situation of Dengue Fever and Chagas Disease and the Potential use of Big Data in the Solution of these Problems
2024-10-09 10:00 - 11:00 | SC
Vector-Borne Diseases in Colombia: Current Situation of Dengue Fever and Chagas Disease and the Potential use of Big Data in the Solution of these Problems
Dr. Omar Cantillo-Barraza,
Institute of Biology, Biology and Infectious Disease Control Laboratory, University of Antioquia
October 9 | 10-11am
Discovery Building Rm 331 (915 Greene St)
This seminar will be conducted in a hybrid format, with in-person attendance encouraged. Online attendance via Teams

2025 National Big Data Health Science Conference Abstract Submission Deadline
2024-11-29 17:00 | SC
Abstract Submissions Deadline
2025 National Big Data Health Science Conference
February 13-14, 2025, Columbia, SC
The University of South Carolina Big Data Health Science Center invites you to submit abstracts for oral and poster presentations at the 6th National Big Data Health Science Conference, to be held February 13-14, 2025, in Columbia, SC.
Abstracts may be submitted for,

In-Person Poster Presentations
Delegates will hang their poster in the poster hall during a designated hour and engage in Q&A with an in-person audience. Delegates will also have the option to participate in the virtual poster hall on the conference app, Whova to boost engagement for their poster.
Virtual Poster Presentations
Delegates will upload their poster and an optional video presentation to the conference app, Whova. This option is intended for individuals who cannot travel to this in-person conference.
15-Minute Oral Presentations
Delegates will have 15 minutes to present their abstract in a relevant breakout session.

Abstracts must be responsive to the theme “Unlocking the Power of Big Data in Health: Transforming Data into Actionable Intelligence.” Abstracts may be research- or program-based, regardless of presentation format.
Research-based abstracts describe empirical studies or methodological studies. They may focus on data or data analytics in the following areas, among others: Big Data analytics and emerging methodologies; Big Data policy, ethics, cyber infrastructure and cybersecurity; Big Data for public health and community health; Big Data for biomedical research; Big Data for clinical practice and patient care; Other
Program-based abstracts must describe problems or lessons learned from program development and implementation or policy issues related to Big Data analytics and their application in health science research in the following areas, among others: Infrastructure and capacity development; Professional development; Community/industry engagement; Academic training; Policy, law and regulation; Other
Authors will have the option of publishing their abstract in the 2025 Conference Proceedings (with Biomedical Central, a part of Springer Nature) at no cost. The deadline for submission is November 29th, 2024, by COB.
Visit https://www.sc-bdhs-conference.org/ for more information

2025 National Big Data Health Science Student Case Competition
2025-02-07 08:00 - 2025-02-09 17:00 | SC

6th National Big Data Health Science Conference
2025-02-13 - 2025-02-14 | Pastides Alumni Center, Columbia, SC, 900 Senate St, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States

Deadline to apply for T35 Training Program
2025-02-18 17:00 | SC
The NIH-funded T35 Research Traineeship Program is designed specifically for master’s and pre-dissertation doctoral students in physical and/or quantitative sciences from across South Carolina and the United States. This is an 11-week, full-time intensive course-based training program to work alongside established clinical scientists on one or more Big Data Health-related studies. In addition to formal classroom training (at no cost to the student), each student will receive accommodations and a stipend to be involved in a specific research project, actively participating in a hands-on manner in a research laboratory currently conducting studies related to Big Data Health Science. As you prepare for a career in Big Data Science, you can learn about research that involves Big Data and work alongside well-known established researchers in a full-time, hands-on setting. For commonly asked questions, feel free to visit our Q&A page.
Program Overview:
The University of South Carolina Big Data Health Science Center is requesting applications from master’s and pre-dissertation doctoral students for a 3-month, full-time (40 hours per week) program to work alongside established clinical scientists on one or more Big Data Health-related studies. Each student trainee will be involved in a specific research project, actively participating in a hands-on manner in a research laboratory currently conducting studies related to Big Data Health Science. Investigators, laboratories, and brief descriptions of areas of research are provided in the T35 mentor page.
Students will be matched with a mentor according to the students’ interests and mentor availability. In addition, each trainee will receive formal classroom training (at no expense to the trainee), participate in discussions on responsible conduct in research, participate in a specifically designed T35 seminar series presented by many of the T35 preceptors, attend journal groups, attend campus-wide activities of interest as part of their training experience, and will have opportunities to present their work.
This is an excellent opportunity for students to obtain training and significant exposure to research in an active laboratory conducting research related to ongoing NIAID-funded Big Data research projects that utilize 1 or more of 5 large existing data sources.
Eligibility:
This program is for masters or pre-dissertation doctoral students in physical and/or quantitative sciences. Students participate full time for 3 consecutive months. The preferred time period is from mid-May through mid-August. The following is a full list of eligibility requirements:

Must be a full-time masters or pre-dissertation graduate student from a quantitative or physical science department with a minimum GPA of 3.5
Must have completed at least one year (two semesters) of study before the summer training begins
Must express interest in exploring independent research in Big Data in infectious disease and/or healthcare
Must receive a formal agreement from home department/school for summer release to attend the training
Must commit to the 3-month formal 40-hours-per-week training engagement in the T35 program
Must commit to submitting a publishable manuscript in an area of Big Data infectious disease research no later than one year after the summer training
Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (per NIH rules)

Benefits:

A stipend up to $2,068 for each of the three months that they participate in the program (up to $6,204 total)
Support to travel to campus (See Travel Reimbursement Policy linked here)
Up to $1,000 of travel support per trainee to present their research at national and local conferences
Support for health insurance (if uninsured), tuition, and subject fees
Housing will be provided during the training period
Funding to publish a manuscript
Up to $200 funding for necessary computing software
Invitation to present on your experience to NIH program officers at our annual Big Data Health Science Conference (in early February)
Matched with a mentor
Participation in a funded Big Data research project
The opportunity to network with influential people in Big Data Science

If you would like to apply, please:

Discuss your interest in participation in this program with your faculty advisor.
Correspond via email with Dr. Bankole Olatosi and Ms. Audrey Auen, indicating an interest in applying for the program.
Complete the application form and required documents (details below).

The following is a list of required documents to submit online alongside your application:

An essay (1-2 pages) describing your research interests and career objectives. This will help us get you started on a project that interests you and match you with the right mentors to help
An up-to-date curriculum vitae
A letter from the home school/department advisor (secondary mentor) confirming the home institutional support for you to participate in the T35 program as a trainee.
A personal statement describing your future professional goals and how this experience will contribute to your future goals. (Please limit to 1 page)

For questions about the application process or the T35 experience, please visit our Q&A page or contact Dr. Banky Olatosi at olatosi@mailbox.sc.edu or Ms. Audrey Auen at akkuhn@email.sc.edu
All application materials must be received by February 18, 2025
Traineeship offers will be awarded on March 6, 2025

Deadline to apply for R25 Emerging Scholars Training Program
2025-03-03 23:30 | SC
Are you interested in gaining hands-on experience in data science and infectious disease research? The NIH-funded R25 Big Data Analytics Emerging Scholar (e-Scholar) Training Program offers underrepresented undergraduate students the opportunity to build valuable skills and work alongside faculty members on cutting-edge research projects over the course of a year-long training program.
Benefits of the Program:

Fully Funded Summer Institute: Campus housing and a $1,790 stipend provided for a 6-week in-person training camp at the USC Columbia campus, so you can focus on learning and making the most of the experience!

$3,000 Research Stipend: Earn $1,500 per semester.

Conference Travel Support: Up to $1,500 to attend and present at a regional or national conference.

Interdisciplinary Mentoring: Receive one-on-one guidance from experienced researchers and career mentors.

Hands-on Research Experience: Participate in a year-long project focused on Big Data and infectious disease research.

Networking Opportunities: Connect with professionals, attend retreats, and present your work at the program’s graduation retreat.

Program Overview:
This NIAID-funded program recruits up to 12 undergraduate students each year from institutions across South Carolina such as USC, Clemson, College of Charleston, South Carolina State University, Claflin University, and Benedict College. Students from other SC institutions are also encouraged to apply. Participants will focus on data science research in areas like HIV, COVID-19, and other infectious diseases and gain valuable skills in data analytics and research methods. The program will provide students with interdisciplinary mentoring (including team and peer mentoring), comprehensive curriculum-based training, and hands-on research exposure and experience.
This year-long training program includes a 6-week, full-time, in-person summer training institute held on the USC Columbia campus. After completion of the summer institute, students will continue their training under the guidance of faculty mentors, work with established research scientists on Big Data related infectious disease studies, gain research and professional development experience, and develop confidence in pursuing a postgraduate program or career in Big Data-focused infectious disease research.
This program is designed to create a more diverse research community across South Carolina. It encourages undergraduate students who are underrepresented in the biomedical sciences to pursue data science research focused on preventing, treating, and understanding diseases like HIV, COVID-19, and other infections, as well as immune and allergy-related conditions.
All R25 trainees must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Be enrolled at a university/college in South Carolina;
Be an undergraduate student from any discipline with an expected graduation date after May 2026;
Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and have completed at least on year of college by May 2025;
Identify as an underrepresented minority or a disabled or disadvantaged individual as defined by the NIH;
Have an academic advisor at your home institution;
Be a US citizen or permanent resident; and
Be at least 18 years old.

How to apply:
Students interested in the R25 e-Scholar program should complete an application via the application portal by 11:59pm on March 3, 2025. The application will request additional supplemental information including:
1. A personal statement (max 2 pages double spaced) describing their interest in data science infectious disease research and their career and educational goals;
2. A recent resume or curriculum vitae;
3. A letter of support from their home school/academic advisor (on official university letterhead); and
4. A copy of their unofficial transcript.
Applications should be submitted via the application portal by 11:59pm on March 3, 2025.

May 13-14: NSF ACCESS HPC Workshop "Big Data and Machine Learning"
2025-05-13 11:00 - 2025-05-14 17:30 | Innovation Center Building Room 1400, 550 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
Greetings,
The Big Data Health Science Center and Research Computing will be hosting a remote site for the NSF ACCESS HPC monthly workshop titled “Big Data and Machine Learning” to be presented by the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center on May 13-14 from 11AM-5:30PM In Room 1400 of the Innovation Center.
This workshop will focus on topics including big data analytics and machine learning with Spark, and deep learning using Tensorflow.
This will be an IN-PERSON event, there WILL NOT be a direct to desktop option for this event.
Registration Required
Interested applicants must first have an ACCESS ID. If you do not have an ACCESS ID, please visit this page to create one:
ACCESS USER REGISTRATION
Once you have an ACCESS ID, please register for the workshop by Friday, May 9 at Noon Eastern time.
We look forward to seeing you at the workshop!
Link to register again, https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.psc.edu%2Fresources%2Ftraining%2Fhpc-workshop-big-data-may-13-14-2025%2F&data=05%7C02%7CMC95%40mailbox.sc.edu%7C34e3c822dd124de3777208dd841cfbbb%7C4b2a4b19d135420e8bb2b1cd238998cc%7C0%7C0%7C638811982198151188%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=hlAB0Y97jo04%2BmUNNBH3OAURFDLRryiyI9QzvVlzmxM%3D&reserved=0

Deadline to apply for Community Scholar (c-Scholar) Training Program
2025-09-01 17:00 | SC
Read more about the c-Scholar program at https://bigdata.sc.edu/r25-c-scholar-program/
The NIH Strategic Plan for Data Science suggests that a Big Data approach will uniquely advance our understanding of disease prevention, identification, control, and treatment in the coming decades and will be a key to reducing national and global health disparities. Despite rapidly increased efforts in the application of Big Data and advanced data analytics for health science research, the progress of translating Big Data research findings to effective public health and clinical practices for improved health outcomes has been slow due to many challenges. Such challenges include the limited participation of community members in Big Data health science research and a lack of effective communication between data science researchers and communities. As a multi-stakeholder effort, health data science crosses boundaries between research and practice, as well as between science and health policy. The involvement of and communication with members of local communities is critical to actualizing the benefits of data science research.
To address this critical need for community involvement in Big Data health science research, we offer data science training and mentored hands-on research experience to a group of community scholars through the R25 Community Scholar (“c-Scholar”) program. Guided by a citizen science model, the c-Scholar program provides structured support to four community scholars from various governmental and community organizations in South Carolina each year. Specifically, the R25 c-Scholar program (1) identifies and recruits community members interested in participating in Big Data infectious disease research and utilizing Big Data research findings to improve the health outcomes of their communities; (2) implements a multi-module training program that provides mentoring, curriculum-based training, and hands-on research experience to better equip c-Scholars with necessary knowledge, skills, and competence for Big Data infectious disease research; and (3) trains and supports c-Scholars to promote and utilize Big Data research in their communities by developing or improving their necessary professional skills (e.g., health communication, presentation of scientific findings to the public, community outreach and engagement).
Interested individuals should attach their resume or CV to an email expressing their interest in the program and their desire to promote and utilize Big Data infectious disease research in their community to Dr. Banky Olatosi (olatosi@mailbox.sc.edu) by close of business on September 15th, 2025.
The R25 Executive Committee will evaluate all applications and contact finalists for additional documentation, including a letter from their employer or supervisor stating their approval and agreement for the applicant to participate in this one-year program.

2026 National Big Data Health Science Conference
2026-02-12 08:00 - 2026-02-13 17:00 | SC
The National Big Data Health Science Conference is a signature annual event of the USC Big Data Health Science Center (BDHSC). The theme of the 2026 conference is “Unlocking the Power of Big Data in Health: Bridging the Gap Between Discovery and Delivery.” Highlights of the 7th national conference included keynote and panel speakers from diverse areas of the health sciences, government, and academia as well as poster sessions, networking events, and breakout sessions in areas of Big Data Analytics and Emerging Methodologies, Big Data for Public Health and Community Health, Big Data for Biomedical Research, Big Data for Public Health and Community Health, Big Data Policy, Ethics, Cyber Infrastructure and Cybersecurity, and Big Data for Clinical Practice and Delivery of Care. The Conference will be held on February 12-13, 2026. More detailed information about speakers, panels, workshops, and other conference details is available at https://www.sc-bdhs-conference.org/.
