On March 1, 2025, Dr. Joanna Abraham became director of I2DB’s Center for Applied Health Informatics (CAHI). She brings a wealth of experience and a visionary approach to using informatics in clinical care and population health. An associate professor with WashU Medicine Anesthesiology dually appointed with I2DB, she holds a Doctorate in Information Sciences and Technology from Pennsylvania State University and has a rich interdisciplinary background in human factors and biomedical informatics.
Research focus and dissemination
Abraham’s research program aims to develop and implement health information technologies that deliver effective patient-centered care and enhance patient safety. Her research, conducted “in the clinical wild,” translates into practical tools and innovative theoretical frameworks that advance the field of clinical informatics. Her work has led to successful implementations of evidence-based tools, telemedicine programs, and handoff training initiatives at multiple hospitals.
Her research is disseminated through over 90 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals. She has a strong track record as a principal investigator securing extramural funding from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, National Science Foundation, National Institute of Mental Health, National Library of Medicine and the Foundation for Barnes Jewish Hospital, in addition to several other collaborative projects.
She is an associate editor for the Journal of Applied Clinical Informatics, an assistant editor for the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Biomedical Informatics, and a co-editor for the JAMIA Student Editorial Board.
Recognition and regard
Nationally and internationally recognized for her expertise in biomedical informatics, Abraham regularly receives accolades from prestigious organizations such as the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the Leapfrog Institute, and the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation’s National Multi-Center Handoff Collaborative.
The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) has honored her with multiple awards, including the Distinguished Paper Award (2012), the Diana Forsythe Award (2010, 2021, 2023), the New Investigator Award (2019), and the fellowship titles FAMIA and FACMI.
Academic leadership
She is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of scientists and has mentored over 80 undergraduate students, graduate students, post-graduate research and clinical fellows, residents, and junior faculty members from interdisciplinary backgrounds at WashU and other universities.
“We are confident that under Dr. Abraham’s leadership, CAHI will continue to advance the frontiers of health informatics and contribute significantly to improving clinical and population health outcomes,” said I2DB Director Dr. Philip Payne.
Learn more about the Center for Applied Health Informatics.