The University of Minnesota School of Public Health (SPH) Division of Biostatistics is officially changing its name to the “Division of Biostatistics and Health Data Science (BHDS),” effective October 24, 2023. According to Division Head Joe Kooopmeiners, the new name better reflects the division’s research and educational offerings.
“This isn’t just semantics,” Koopmeiners says. “While we remain a leader in clinical trials and our other traditional areas of strength, the addition of “Health Data Science” to our division’s name captures the full scope of our work and the research that we’re doing every day. We currently have people in our division doing tremendous work in biomedical imaging, wearable technology, and mobile health — all areas that fit under the health-data-science umbrella. We felt our name should reflect these emerging areas in quantitative health research.”
While biostatistics often focuses on statistical analysis within the context of biological and health-related data, health data science encompasses a broader set of skills and methodologies, from machine learning to data analytics to data visualization. In addition to more aptly capturing the division’s work and research, the name change better reflects recent enhancements in its educational offerings. Last year, the division launched the Public Health Data Science MPH program, making SPH one of only a handful of schools in the country offering this degree program.
“We expanded the scope of our educational offerings with this new degree and in just over a year, our MPH in health data science has become one of SPH’s most popular degree programs,” Koopmeiners says. “That tells us that embracing health data science is key to broadening the appeal of the division and helping us attract a wider pool of students and researchers. Along with the new degree program, the updated division name sends a message to prospective students who are excited to pursue careers in the dynamic and rapidly evolving field of health data science.”
While the name of the division is changing, no existing degree programs within the division will change. Students, faculty, or staff with questions about the name change should contact BHDS division administrator Beth Olson at bmo@umn.edu.
