	Andrew McWilliams, MD, MPH Medical Director Associate Professor Dr. McWilliams is an experienced clinician-researcher and faculty member in internal medicine and pediatrics. He promotes building Atrium Health into a learning healthcare system and works across departments to facilitate research and innovation. He has a special interest in research that leverages new technologies to change healthcare delivery paradigms and advance the quality of care. Medical School: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Explore Dr. McWilliams' research: PubMed Publication Google Scholar

	Yhenneko Taylor, PhD Assistant Vice President Associate Professor Dr. Taylor is a health equity researcher and the founding director of CORE’s Health Services Research Program. Her research focuses on access to care and outcomes of pregnancy, health outcomes in early childhood, social determinants of health and health care needs of vulnerable populations. She has been a principal investigator or co-investigator on multiple studies aimed at improving population health and has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles. Dr. Taylor is adjunct faculty in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she serves on the Public Health Programs Advisory Board. Graduate School: PhD, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Graduate School: MStat, North Carolina State University Explore Taylor's research: PubMed Publication

	Marc Kowalkowski, PhD Lead Scientist, Clinically Integrated Research Associate Professor Dr. Kowalkowski leads an integrated research team of data scientists who closely collaborate with clinical teams to answer system-critical questions. Using clinical epidemiology, econometrics, data technology and machine learning approaches, Dr. Kowalkowski aims to better understand how patient and clinical characteristics can inform care delivery and improve patient outcomes. He also collaboratively directs an Atrium Health research initiative to improve care and outcomes for patients hospitalized with suspected infection, including the development of risk models to better align system resources for high-risk patients. Graduate School: PhD, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Graduate School: MS, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Explore Dr. Kowalkowski's research: PubMed Publication

	Tara Eaton, PhD, MA Lead Scientist, Qualitative Research Assistant Professor Dr. Eaton is an applied anthropologist whose research interests include new care delivery models, culturally targeted health information technology development and evaluation, telehealth, implementation science, organizational change, health disparities and ethnography in health services research. With over 20 years conducting qualitative research in a wide range of settings and industries, she has worked on numerous grants and research projects and presented her work at many local, national and international conferences and venues. Graduate School: PhD, Wayne State University Graduate School: MA, Wayne State University Explore Dr. Eaton's research: Google Scholar

	Henry Bundy, PhD Health Services Researcher Assistant Professor Dr. Bundy’s primary research interests concern how sociocultural factors and economic inequity inform the experience and distribution of health and illness in the American South. He recently concluded a two-year ethnographic project to understand how uninsured working-poor South Carolina residents manage their chronic health conditions with safety-net care that is meant to be temporary and conditional. He is a Fulbright scholar, a Daniel R. Reedy Quality Achievement Award Fellowship recipient, and has had papers recognized for awards by the Society for Medical Anthropology’s Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Study Group and the Society for Economic Anthropology. Graduate School: PhD, University of Kentucky Explore Dr. Bundy's research: Google Scholar

	Shih-Hsiung Chou, PhD, MS Senior Data Scientist, Acute Care Assistant Professor Dr. Chou is an industrial engineer whose research interests include big data analytics, multivariate statistical process control, high dimensional data visualization, data mining, machine learning and artiﬁcial intelligence. As a data scientist at CORE, he has participated in several projects involving new technologies, algorithms, exploratory applications, predictive modeling, data analysis, dashboard development and data mart construction. Examples of predictive models in development include hospitalization predictive models and inpatient/30-day mortality and 30-day readmission predictive models for suspected infection, asthma exacerbation, congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Graduate School: PhD, Kansas State University Graduate School: MS, National Taipei University of Technology Explore Dr. Chou's research: Google Scholar

	Tsai-Ling Liu, PhD, MSPH Data Scientist Assistant Professor Dr. Liu’s educational background is in health services research with an emphasis on quantitative outcomes research. Her experience includes analyzing survey data, claims data and electronic medical records via Atrium Health’s electronic data warehouse. Dr. Liu’s research interests include telehealth, health disparities and chronic disease management. Her most recent work involves mixed methods research to evaluate the effectiveness of a navigator program for patients with dementia, including those in a rural setting. Graduate School: PhD, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School: MSPH, National Yang-Ming University Explore Dr. Liu's research: PubMed Publication Google Scholar

	Rohan Mahabaleshwarkar, PhD Senior Data Scientist Assistant Professor Dr. Mahabaleshwarkar joined CORE in 2014. His research endeavors have been in using secondary datasets, including electronic medical records and Medicare and Medicaid claims data, to answer important research questions related to quality of healthcare and treatment patterns. He has an interest in conducting prospective cohort studies to examine the impact of interventions on health outcomes. Graduate School: PhD, University of Mississippi Graduate School: MS, St. John’s University Explore Dr. Mahabaleshwarkar's research: Google Scholar

	Jennifer Priem, PhD, MA Senior Data Scientist Associate Professor Prior to joining CORE in 2019, Dr. Priem worked as an associate professor in the Department of Communication at Wake Forest University and studied the interplay between interpersonal communication, stress and health. Currently at CORE, she provides statistical and methodological support for infectious disease and disease prevention, working with multi-disciplinary teams of healthcare professionals to address issues related to multi-drug resistant organisms and antibiotic stewardship. Graduate School: PhD, Penn State University Graduate School: MA, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Explore Dr. Priem's research: Google Scholar


	Jason Roberge, PhD, MPH Senior Data Scientist, Population Health Assistant Professor Dr. Roberge has been at Atrium Health since 2013. He has designed, managed and analyzed epidemiologic studies for more than 13 years. In his current role at CORE, he focuses on assessing initiatives that seek to improve outcomes for patients. Acting as co-principal investigator, recent studies included assessing standardized care plans for hospitalized COPD patients and evaluating virtual follow-up care among behavioral health patients seen in the emergency department. Presently, he is the principal investigator on a study that aims to reduce Vitamin D orders among the general population as part of a strategic initiative to lower wasteful testing and procedures. Graduate School: PhD, The University of Arizona Graduate School: MPH, Emory University Explore Dr. Roberge's research: PudMed Publication

	Melanie Spencer, PhD, MBA Professor Emeritus Dr. Spencer is a researcher and academic leader at Atrium Health. Her research interests are the application of bacterial genomics to human health, antibiotic stewardship and implementation science. Her postdoctoral research focused on the human gastrointestinal microbiome, including the analysis of the relationships among human-associated microbes, disruptions to the microbial system, nutrition and chronic disease. Graduate School: PhD, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Graduate School: MBA, Queens University of Charlotte Fellowship: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Explore Dr. Spencer's research: PubMed Publication Google Scholar

	Kamala Swayampakala, PhD Data Scientist, Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute Assistant Professor Prior to joining CORE, Dr. Swayampakala worked as a health services researcher supporting Atrium Health’s Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute. Currently at CORE, she provides statistical and research methodology support for Sanger. She also works with a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals to develop and implement research methods to assess the safety and effectiveness of drugs, devices and the impact of healthcare programs on patient outcomes. Graduate School: PhD, University of South Carolina Explore Dr. Swayampakala's research: Google Scholar

	Jing Zhao, MD, PhD, MS Senior Data Scientist Assistant Professor Dr. Zhao specializes in phase II-IV clinical trials and real-world evidence outcome studies. Serving as the lead statistician for ongoing research grants and several clinical projects, she applies a broad range of statistical, epidemiological and pharmacoepidemiology methods to support various trials. These trials include stepped-wedge cluster randomized trials, interrupted time series, and effectiveness-comparison studies utilizing propensity score analysis. She employs advanced statistics for large-scale data analyses of longitudinal data applying tree analysis and mixed, multilevel and predictive models. She also works with a multidisciplinary team to execute data coordinating center functions, including the collecting and preprocessing of data along with establishing and maintaining databases. Medical School: Tianjin Medical University Graduate School: PhD, Vanderbilt University Graduate School: MS, Memorial University of Newfoundland Explore Dr. Zhao's research: PubMed Publication

Collaborating Faculty

	James Kearns, MD Assistant Professor of Urology Dr. Kearns is a physician-scientist and faculty member in the department of urology and CORE. He is particularly interested in characterizing recent local trends in prostate cancer care with an eye toward identifying and addressing healthcare disparities. His goal is to use this information to develop and study tools that can be integrated into the electronic health record and used at the point of care to reduce disparities while increasing care delivery for all. Dr Kearns also maintains a clinical practice at Levine Cancer Institute, where he primarily cares for men with prostate cancer. Medical School: Columbia University Explore Dr. Kearns' research: PubMed Publication

	Caroline E. Reinke, MD, MSPH, MSHP, FACS Associate Professor of Surgery Surgery Quality Officer Dr. Reinke is a clinician-researcher and a faculty member in surgery at Atrium Health’s Carolinas Medical Center. Her research interests focus on surgical outcomes, quality improvement and pragmatic clinical trials. Dr. Reinke leads the Atrium Health NSQIP Collaborative and works across Atrium Health to improve patient care. Medical School: Duke University Graduate School: MSPH, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School: MSHP, University of Pennsylvania

	Samuel Ross, MD, MPH Assistant Professor of Surgery Dr. Ross is an Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Acute Care Surgery, at Carolinas Medical Center. He is also NSQIP Surgeon Champion at Carolinas Medical Center and has research interests in EGS, trauma, hernia, MIS and surgical public health with over 35 peer- reviewed publications and 5 book chapters. He is the recipient of multiple international, national and regional research awards including the Raymond H. Alexander, MD Resident Research Award from EAST, Karl Storz Award from EAES, SAGES resident research award, ACS Committee of Trauma resident paper competition national finalist and three-time winner of the NC ACS COT Resident Paper Competition. Additionally, Sam is the recipient of the EAST ORIENS award and Leadership Development Scholarship. He was recently named Co-Director of EGS Public Health Research at Atrium Health as well as receiving a career research development grant. Medical School: The University of North Carolina Graduate School: MPH, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

	Stephanie Taylor, MD Associate Professor of Internal Medicine Dr. Taylor is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at Carolinas Medical Center. Dr. Taylor’s research interests focus on applying health services methods and "big data" analytics to granular clinical data to advance the learning hospital system and improve outcomes for patients with sepsis and other acute conditions. Along with CORE faculty Marc Kowalkowski, PhD, she leads an R01-funded dissemination and implementation study evaluating the effects of a sepsis transition and recovery program on reducing readmissions and mortality among sepsis survivors. Medical School: University of South Florida

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