Data Science Work Group

The mission of the Data Science Work Group is to support standardization, integration and sharing data to advance the field of pain research.

Chair or Co-Chairs:

Robert R. Edwards, PhD

Steve Luther, PhD

Project Consultants:

Joseph Erdos, MD, PhD

Kalyn Jannace, PhD

Michael Raffanello, BS

Project Manager:

Mary Geda, RN, MSN

Work Group Goals

• Provide a forum for discussing Electronic Health Record (EHR) data, phenotyping and data and resource sharing.
• Promote data standardization, harmonization, and collaboration across trials.
• Optimize use of EHR data and support integration, collection and sharing of patient reported data.
• Maintain and disseminate PMC recommendations for phenotyping.
• Identify best practices and resources for EHR data use and resources for EHR data use and data and resource sharing.

Work Group Co-Chairs – Qualifications and Experience

Robert R. Edwards, PhD is an Associate Professor of Anesthesia and a licensed clinical psychologist in the Pain Management Center at Brigham & Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School.

Steve Luther, PhD is a Health Services and Informatics Researcher and Assistant Director at the Tampa HSR&D Center of Innovation on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.  He is also an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida, College of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Management.  His research interests focus on outcomes, measurement of veteran populations, particularly those with disabilities in chronic condition.

Work Group Consultants – Qualifications and Experience

James Erdos, MD, PhD  has experience in VistA, Cerner, Epic, CHCS, AHLTA and other EHRs and systems used over the years.  He was the VACHS Chief Information Officer from 1995-2011 and member of the VA Chief Information Officer Council.  He advises PRIME investigators in the appropriate use of VA data to achieve their goals.  If data do not exist in the CDW he provides tools and develops methods to obtain them.

Kalyn Jannace, PhD is a Senior Scientist & Research Epidemiologist, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Uniformed Services University, Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine collaborating with the Center for Rehabilitation and Pediatrics.  Her research interests include traumatic brain injury, occupational exposures and injuries, special pathogens, and rehabilitation.

Michael Raffanello, BS is a military leader and Information Technology (IT) manager with over 40 years of experience in IT project management, data management, information assurance, system security and compliance.  He has experience with DoD IT security and in formation systems as well as commercial experience and  most recently VA experience.  He has worked with VA EHR data security, privacy and software solutions for the East Coast, and led information security strategies, security architecture, data management and coordination of security efforts related to patient, provider, employee and other confidential and sensitive information