Several members of our McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics Community have recently earned special recognition or contributed to the informatics community. We want to congratulate those individuals on these accomplishments.

• Luke Rasmussen, PhD student, was named the winner of the Paul C. Boyle Research award for fall 2025. His poster titled “A Literature Review of Knowledge Management Resources for Computable Phenotype Definitions” won this month’s Poster Session.
• DHI Student Fares Alahdab has two new articles that were recently published.
  • Potential risks of GenAI on medical education
  • A Foundation Transformer Model with Self-Supervised Learning for ECG-Based Assessment of Cardiac and Coronary Function

The 3rd Annual Texas Medical Center (TMC) AI Summit 2026 will take place February 18-20 at Duncan Neurological Research Institute (NRI). The summit also has a call for participation and the deadline is January 10, 2026.

To encourage our McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics students to attend, there are two unique opportunities for students.

• The student registration fee is $50 but the school is willing to cover the cost for our students.
• D. Bradley McWilliams Chair ProfessorHongfang Liu, PhD is covering the cost of poster printing if students are presenting and need assistance with that expense.

For more information on these opportunities, please email Dr. Hongfang Liu. Details on the summit can be found at https://tmc-ai-summit.org/.

The AIM-AHEAD FHIR Collaborative Training Program is now accepting applications for a national initiative designed to develop a skilled workforce in FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) technologies and health data interoperability across research and healthcare settings. This fully online program offers three training tracks tailored to different levels of technical experience and professional goals. All trainees begin together in Track 1, which provides a foundation in FHIR concepts, common data elements, and research applications, before advancing to Tracks 2 or 3 depending on their interests and experience.

• Track 1 introduces participants to the fundamentals of FHIR and its role in accelerating access to and use of clinical data. Trainees who complete Track 1 milestones will receive a stipend of$1,000. This track is ideal for those who want a solid overview of FHIR and related technologies without a major time commitment, allowing participants to explore the field while building foundational knowledge.
• Track 2 provides a deeper, more technical understanding of FHIR and related tools, including SMART on FHIR, CQL, and CDS Hooks. Participants in Track 2 will receive a$4,000 stipend, disbursed in two installments upon completion of program milestones. This track is designed for those looking to expand their technical expertise and apply FHIR concepts in real-world research or clinical contexts.
• Track 3 combines the technical content of Track 2 with hands-on experience through team projects, coaching, and “train-the-trainer” activities. Track 3 participants will receive an$8,000 stipend, disbursed in two installments, plus a$2,000 travel allowanceto attend the AIM-AHEAD Annual Meeting in July 2026. This track is best suited for individuals seeking intensive applied experience and the opportunity to lead or teach others in using FHIR technologies.

Applications are due January 5, 2026, by 11:59 PM ET, and selected trainees will be notified by February 11, 2026. The program is set to begin on February 16, 2026, and ends on July 15, 2026. For more information or to apply, visit the AIM-AHEAD website.