The Computational Health Science (CHS) Lab focuses on addressing public health challenges through a union of data science and public health. Co-led by Dr. Carl Hanson from the Department of Public Health and fellow faculty members, Dr. Quinn Snell from the Department of Computer Science and Dr. Shannon Tass from the Department of Statistics, this interdisciplinary team of experts utilizes machine learning to uncover patterns in data. Their work aims to illuminate predictive factors behind health issues such as suicide, depression, anxiety, and targeted violence.
Building on data-driven insights, the lab turns research into actionable strategies to improve public health outcomes for individuals and communities. By promoting stronger family dynamics through research, they tackle issues like bullying and suicide prevention to foster safer, more supportive environments for youth. Beyond its research mission, the lab also invests in student development, offering valuable experiences to prepare them for impactful careers in public health.
“There have been opportunities to participate in essentially every step of the research process,” Carson Ordyna (STATS ’27) shares, who joined the lab to prepare for medical school. He worked on analyzing emergency room data to better understand mental health-related visits. Through this work, he has sharpened his coding and data analysis skills, while also learning to collaborate, develop literature reviews, and create data visualizations. Most recently, he contributed to a project analyzing TikTok videos to understand how misinformation regarding prevalent health issues is spread.
“It has been amazing learning from Dr. Hanson and collaborating with other departments,” adds Caroline Tembo (MS ’26, PH). While in the lab, she worked on the AI in healthcare and health promotion projects and assisted with managing their website. Through her experience, Tembo has strengthened her skills in research design, coordination, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. She encourages prospective students to stay curious, take initiative, and volunteer for projects.
Hanson also leads the students with an emphasis on integrating faith into research. “We’re always trying to involve the Lord in the work that we do,” he says. This spiritual foundation, expressed through prayer and seeking divine guidance, shapes their mission to improve public health and uplift humanity. “It’s about making a difference in the communities we live in,” Hanson emphasizes.
Students in the lab recognize how faith influences their research. Hanson is intentional about inviting the Lord into their work, seeing that spiritual foundation as interwoven with their commitment to love their neighbors and make a meaningful difference in the communities that they live in. Ordyna echoes this idea, noting that their “work is imbued and driven by a spirit of care and compassion.” At its core, their research reflects a shared desire to help people live safer, healthier, and happier lives.
If you would like to get involved, contact Professor Hanson here.
Between 8 and 10
A student would be a good fit for this lab if they:
- Are studying public health.
- Have experience processing and analyzing data.
- Are familiar with Python.
- How to formulate research questions.
- How to design and conduct studies.
- How to collect and manage data.
- How to interpret results.
- How to draw evidence-based conclusions.
- How to analyze data using traditional statistical techniques and machine learning methods.