Biomedical Informatics

The course in Biomedical Informatics is focused on the study of computerized and information-driven techniques for an improved management of biomedical data and databases that are related with an efficient storage, retrieval, exchange, standardization and usage, and with appropriate aspects of security, privacy and confidentiality of biomedical data and databases. The four main fields of biomedical informatics are introduced, namely the public health informatics (population studies, epidemiology), clinical informatics (information systems for clinical decision support), imaging informatics (biomedical image acquisition and analysis) and bioinformatics (sequence analysis in molecular biology). In addition, the course also introduces the most established methods from biostatistics that are used for statistical analysis of biomedical data, and the basics of deep learning for application on biomedical data leveraging the use of artificial intelligence in biomedical informatics.

The course objective is to obtain knowledge in the field of biomedical informatics, which is extremely interdisciplinary, merging approaches from biomedical, electrical and computer engineering, informatics, medicine, pharmacy, biology, management, sociology and economy, and is primarily concerned with optimal storage, retrieval, security, transport, standardization and usage of biomedical data and information. Practical laboratory work consists of implementing computerized and computer-assisted techniques that adhere to the existing standards and established techniques in biomedical informatics that are used for protection, storage, transport and retrieval of biomedical data and information. 

During lectures, theoretical aspects of techniques, existing standards and established methods are given, which are additionally supported by descriptions of practical examples from different fields of application. During laboratory practice, techniques for computer-and information-based protection, storing, transport and retrieval of biomedical data and information are developed and implemented.