Karima Lalani, PhD, MBA, FACHE, RHIA

Associate Professor

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Department of Clinical and Health Informatics

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Contact

[email protected]

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ORCID

Google Scholar

Dr. Karima Lalani is an Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical and Health Informatics and leads Community Development initiatives for the Center for Behavioral Emergency and Addiction Research (C-BEAR).

A multidisciplinary leader, educator, and strategist operating at the intersection of healthcare, education, and technology, Dr. Lalani brings more than 15 years of experience spanning academia, industry, and workforce development. Prior to joining UTHealth Houston, she served as Associate Teaching Professor and Director of the Health Informatics and Health Information Management programs at the University of Washington School of Public Health in Seattle. In recognition of her contributions to global engagement and workforce development, she was named a finalist for the University of Washington's 2024-2025 Global Engagement Excellence Award.

Dr. Lalani's research focuses on workforce readiness and applied health informatics. She has authored or co-authored more than 20 peer-reviewed publications in journals including Health Information Management Journal, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, and JMIR Medical Education. She is also co-editor, with Dr. James Langabeer, of AI-Driven Innovations in Healthcare: Best Practices and Case Studies (Routledge, 2025).

Dr. Lalani earned her PhD in Health Policy and Management from UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA).

• Tell us about your research center and/or what research/work you are currently working on?
  Through my affiliation with C-BEAR, I would like to explore how emerging technologies can be harnessed within behavioral health informatics to not only improve patient outcomes, but also save lives. I am also passionate about health informatics workforce development and continue to publish in this area.
• What type of student or Postdoctoral Fellow are you looking for to work in your center?
  If you have an interest in exploring how informatics can be applied to improve patient outcomes, we would love to hear from you.
• What does the future of your research look like?
  With the implementation of AI across various sectors, I would like to work toward ensuring the career readiness of health informatics professionals, as well as harnessing digital health tools to improve patient outcomes.
• What does the future of informatics look like?
  The future of informatics is quite exciting. Health informatics professionals are poised to augment their work by harnessing emerging technologies to improve population health.