SE Valley Times

Jyotishman Pathak, a noted figure in biomedical informatics and population health sciences, has been appointed as the inaugural dean of the School of Technology for Public Health at Arizona State University. His tenure begins on July 1.

Pathak's role involves building and launching this pioneering school that aims to integrate technology with public health challenges at various levels. The school is part of ASU Health and plans to create an innovative space for digital technology and data-driven decision-making, focusing on local impacts within public health. It expects to welcome its first cohort of students in the Master of Public Health and Master of Public Health Technology programs in fall 2025.

The new school was designed through collaboration with national industry leaders who assessed needs in public health. Dr. Susan Blumenthal, a retired rear admiral and former U.S. assistant surgeon general, alongside Sir Malcolm Grant, chancellor of the University of York and founding chairman of England’s National Health Service, co-chaired this effort.

ASU Executive Vice President and University Provost Nancy Gonzales expressed confidence in Pathak's leadership: “Dr. Pathak is an ideal leader for our new School of Technology for Public Health. He has been leading an extremely productive and well-funded program of research utilizing medical informatics and digital health technologies, including AI, to design and deploy solutions to a range of critical health problems."

Gonzales also highlighted Pathak's reputation as a researcher, educator, innovator in informatics and behavioral health, as well as his mentorship capabilities.

Pathak currently holds multiple roles at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, including Frances & John L. Loeb Professor of Medical Informatics. His research primarily focuses on analyzing electronic health records among other data sources to study mental health service utilization.

His work has garnered support from numerous organizations like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) among others. Additionally, he co-founded Iris OB Health Inc., a startup developing digital solutions for perinatal mood disorders.

Pathak stated his enthusiasm about joining ASU: “I am truly honored and humbled to serve as the inaugural dean... I am excited to partner with faculty, students, staff and communities across Phoenix and Arizona.”

In addition to authoring over 275 peer-reviewed publications among other works, Pathak advises the director at NIH's National Advisory Mental Health Council following his appointment by the U.S secretary for health services in 2023.

Sherine Gabriel from ASU Health welcomed Pathak: “We are delighted that Dr. Pathak will be joining ASU Health... Jyoti's academic quantitative administrative talents along with exceptional track record make him an ideal choice.”