Elizabeth Campbell
MS data science ’20, PhD information science ’22
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Columbia University Irving Medical Center Department of Biomedical Informatics (New York City)
Age 30
My Greatest Accomplishment
Prior to beginning my PhD at Drexel’s College of Computing & Informatics, I had a background in local and global public health. I was interested in learning to use a data science approach to conduct health equity research but didn’t have the technical skillset to do so. I’m very proud to have stepped out of my comfort zone and challenged myself to pursue a PhD in a completely different field than my prior educational training (as well as being the first student in my program to complete a MS in data science along the way). In doing so, I have been able to do research that I’m passionate about and that contributes meaningfully to society and I am uniquely positioned to work within interdisciplinary research teams in the health informatics domain.
How Drexel Helped Me
I appreciate that Drexel saw my potential as an individual and allowed me the space to take classes I was interested in and develop my own research and professional interests. I really appreciate that I had the opportunity to grow into the best version of myself that I could be within my life chapter as a PhD student, instead of trying to fit into a preconceived role or advance someone else’s research agenda. Additionally, Drexel facilitated my relationship with the Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where I did my doctoral research. I am still very close with my colleagues there and continue to collaborate with them on research projects!
Where I Hope to Be in Five Years
During my postdoc, I’ve been working on merging my interests in data science and public health to develop my research agenda as an independent investigator in the global health informatics domain. In five years, I hope to be working on research projects that use informatics to advance equity and improve health outcomes amongst vulnerable populations in the U.S. and abroad. However, I feel like we overestimate what we can accomplish in one year and underestimate what we can accomplish in five to 10 years. My life at a certain point in time never looks like what I imagined it would be five years before, so I guess we will see what path unfolds in my next career step.
How I Pay It Forward
Apart from my passion and research that I conduct concerning health equity and social justice, I’ve also had the opportunity to mentor students at Drexel. I was a TA and eventually became an instructor of record for health care informatics courses as a PhD student and am still an adjunct for the College of Computing & Informatics. In addition to didactic instruction, I hope to instill critical thinking within my students and encourage them to pursue their own individual interests and career path.