Historically Black Meharry Medical College in Nashville has announced that it is establishing a new School of Applied Computational Sciences. The new academic unit will offer master’s degrees in data science and biomedical data science. A doctoral degree program in biomedical data science is planned to begin next year.
The School will be focused on creating impactful academic research programming that will enhance health care and technology communities and solve complex problems in health care — especially those that impact underserved populations. The first students are expected to enroll this fall.
“Data science will play an increasingly important role in health care delivery and the discovery of new interventions,” said Dr. James E.K Hildreth, president of Meharry Medical College. “The new school, part of a transformative strategic plan, will allow us to equip our students and faculty to apply the power of data science to the goal of achieving health equity.”
“The School of Applied Computational Sciences will foster a culture of discovery, learning, and engagement that will expand the impact of our research enterprise beyond Meharry’s campus,” added Fortune Mhlanga, founding dean of the School of Applied Computational Sciences. “Our initiatives in research, combined with our developing partnerships in many industries, will enrich the academic experience with opportunities for students to apply their learnings to solve real business problems.”