Newswise — Stephan G. Erberich, PhD, has been appointed to the newly created position of Director of Biomedical Informatics at The Saban Research Institute of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. In his new role, Dr. Erberich will lead the team’s efforts to apply the principles of computer science and information technology to biology and medicine to quickly move cutting-edge research into clinical use.
“With this appointment, we are demonstrating our commitment to establishing a state-of-the-art environment where data-driven research translates into evidence-based clinical practice and personalized medicine,” said D. Brent Polk, MD, director of The Saban Research Institute.
Dr. Erberich returns to Childrens Hospital from the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering where he was appointed Division Director at the Information Sciences Institute (ISI) in Health Informatics. In his leadership role he founded the new Medical Information Systems Division and the Center for Health Informatics for the USC Viterbi School of Engineering at ISI.
As Professor of Research Radiology and Biomedical Engineering at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Dr. Erberich led a project that allowed electronic sharing of clinical data, including diagnostic imaging data, among 40 national and international hospitals. What was unique about this project was that instead of the days typically required to share imaging data, the transfer occurred in near real time, allowing more accurate and timely patient treatment.
“Biomedical informatics is an interdisciplinary science,” said Steven R. Garske, vice president and chief information officer of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “Dr. Erberich brings an expertise in the analysis and transmission of medical data to the strong computational infrastructure that exists at Childrens Hospital.”
"Healthcare is transitioning from paper to digital records, revolutionizing the way we do both research and clinical practice,” explained Dr. Erberich. “The scale of this change compares to the impact of the internet. These times are truly the dawn of data collecting, data mining, and supporting physician's decisions directly through biomedical informatics methodologies encompassing all available information about the individual patient's health and the research evidence. Childrens Hospital is uniquely positioned to drive this revolution in pediatric medicine given the large and diverse population we serve and our position at the nexus of research and clinical practice."
The Saban Research Institute of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles is among the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States, with 100 investigators at work on 186 laboratory studies, clinical trials and community-based research and health services. The Saban Research Institute is ranked eighth in National Institutes of Health funding among children’s hospitals in the United States.
Founded in 1901, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles is one of the nation’s leading children’s hospitals and is acknowledged worldwide for its leadership in pediatric and adolescent health. Childrens Hospital Los Angeles is one of only seven children’s hospitals in the nation – and the only children’s hospital on the West Coast – ranked for two consecutive years in all 10 pediatric specialties in the U.S. News & World Report rankings and named to the magazine’s “Honor Roll” of children’s hospitals.
Childrens Hospital Los Angeles is a premier teaching hospital and has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932.
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