TRANSLATIONAL HISPANIC HEALTH
RESEARCH INITIATIVE
HEALTH INFORMATICS BROWN BAG SEMINAR
Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Cancer Disparities in Texas:
Applications of Public Health Informatics in Health Disparities Research
This seminar will focus on the roads traveled and lessons learned by Dr. Hsu and his team in
conducting spatio-temporal analyses for health disparities research. He will present his experience
using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in AIDS program evaluation and Avian Influenza human
case surveillance. He will discuss the development of a potential health disparities surveillance system,
illustrated by spatio-temporal analysis of colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer disparities in Texas. Dr
Hsu will elaborate on the strengths and weaknesses associated with using spatial-temporal analysis in
cancer disparities and translational research, opportunities and challenges, and future directions of
informatics in health disparities research.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26
12:00-1:00
EDUCATION BUILDING Room 402
Chiehwen Ed Hsu, PhD, MPH is Assistant Professor of Public Health Informatics at the University of Maryland (UMD)
College Park, and adjunct faculty at the University of Texas School of Public Health. Hsu coordinates the UMD Graduate
Certificate Program in Public Health Informatics, and is the former director of the MPH Program in Health Informatics at
the University of North Texas Health Science Center. His research focuses on the application of public health informatics,
specifically geographic information systems, spatial and temporal analyses, epidemiological and survey techniques for
health disparities, minority health, and public health preparedness and response. In these areas he has completed several
federal and state funded projects, and co-authored a dozen papers on the use of informatics methods. His work has been
published nationally in such journals as the
Journal of National Medical Association,
Southern Medical Journal, International
Journal of Health Geographics, Advances and
Applications
Disaster
Management and Response, and Biosecurity and
He is a member of several
national and state health disparities expert
panels, a consultant to a major media agency
(the ABCNews Medical Unit), and has been an
invited speaker at the National Press Club.
Hsu completed his doctoral studies at the UT
Houston School of Public Health and
his
Medicine at Fujen Catholic University
Medical College in Taipei, Taiwan.
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