College of Health Solutions faculty member recognized for work in the field of biomedical informatics

Associate Dean of Research Matthew Scotch was recently named a Fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics.

ACMI is a collective of elected fellows who have made significant and lasting contributions to the field of biomedical informatics. To become a fellow, members must have made major contributions to the field, achieve national recognition, and be dedicated to the advancement of ACMI’s charitable, scientific, literary and educational purposes.

Scotch’s research focuses on the influenza virus. He leads a team studying the genetic and environmental factors contributing to influenza A and B.

“I was fascinated with the diversity of the virus,” said Scotch. “You have some viruses that infect humans and some that infect birds, swine and other animals. Then, you have some that have zoonotic potential and might be transmitted between animals and humans.”

Through his work at the College of Health Solutions, Scotch is excited to do his part in helping the college achieve the goal of reaching $100 million in research expenditures, which is a key resource for tracking research productivity.

Question: What is medical informatics?

Answer: The field is now called "biomedical informatics." Biomedical informatics is an interdisciplinary science aimed at optimizing the use of data, information and knowledge to advance human health. It integrates aspects of computer science, data science, biology, medicine and healthcare to create methods and systems for managing and analyzing biomedical data, ultimately improving both individual and population health outcomes.

Q:  What was your “aha” moment when you realized you wanted to study Biomedical Informatics?

A:  Funny story. My parents kept telling me that I should go to graduate school. I was living in NYC working at a consulting firm that did not really interest me. Google was not really Google back then (1999) so I guessed that a website named 'graduateschools.com' would be a useful resource. I read about a master’s program at Columbia University in Medical Informatics. It was exactly what I was looking for: data, programming and health. I called Columbia, and they said to apply as soon as possible, because I was nearing the deadline. I got in, did the program and I loved it so much that I decided to get my PhD from the University of Pittsburgh.

Q:  What is your most prized career accomplishment today?

A:  I will always cherish my first [National Institute of Health] award, which was a Pathway to Independence Award. They are very competitive and designed to facilitate junior scientists in securing assistant professor positions. The K99 part supports your postdoc training, which I did at Yale. The R00 can be used as your first grant as a new faculty member, which I did at ASU.

Q:  What drew you to the College of Health Solutions?

A:  Another funny story... When I arrived in 2010, the Department of Biomedical Informatics had no college. They used to be in Engineering but were no longer part of it. So, for a few years, we were an island on our own. When the College of Health Solutions started, we found our academic home. So technically, I had no choice! But I love being here and am thankful for how things played out.

Q:  What is your role as a newly named Fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics?

A:  No formal role other than to get to know the other fellows and explain to them my research. The fellows have a meeting once a year, and next year, it will be in Puerto Rico!

Q:  What is the best advice, professional or otherwise, you ever received and continue to carry with you?

A:  Recognize the value in learning from others—it’s how you expand your own expertise and achieve success as a team.

Q: What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of work?

A:  I am a birder! I enjoy spending time outside identifying birds, appreciating them and connecting with nature. I relish the challenge of identifying them either visually or audibly. I can also meet some really interesting people.