Jessica S. Ancker, PhD, MPH, FACMI

Jessica S Ancker, MPH, PhD, FACMI, is professor of biomedical informatics and vice chair for educational affairs in DBMI, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Health Policy.

As an informatics and health services researcher, I conduct research on how decision-making is influenced by information technology design, using both experimental (randomized) and quasi-experimental (non-randomized and naturalistic) designs. This work has explored alert fatigue, the cognitive impact of uncertainty visualizations, effects of traditional static decision support, and more innovative and interactive technologies. Some of these innovations have been embedded into routine practice in academic medical centers and safety net clinics and have been demonstrated to improve quality of care. My NIH-funded “Making Numbers Meaningful” project is synthesizing best evidence for how to present quantitative health data to patients. My recent work on medical AI has focused on understanding the current state of research and applying these insights to attempt to optimize “appropriate reliance” on AI. 

I also direct large-scale evaluations of health information technology impact. These have included retrospective analyses of EHR data and administrative data to assess impact of telehealth during the COVID-19 public health emergency; effect of personal data release on patients’ activity in electronic patient portals; and relationships between clinicians’ EHR activity and healthcare quality metrics. I also apply qualitative methods to understand effects of health information technology innovations on patients and providers, and to collaboratively design novel technology solutions with end-users.

I’ve received research funding from the NIH, the NSF, AHRQ, and PCORI, among other sources.
As vice chair for education in the country’s largest biomedical informatics department, I am the contact PI for our T15 training grant from the National Library of Medicine. I teach biomedical informatics methods to PhD students, and I oversee our training programs for graduate students, medical students, clinical informatics fellows, undergraduate research interns, and applied clinical informaticists. I have a strong track record of mentoring graduate students, postdocs, K award applicants and recipients, and junior faculty. 

My first career was as a journalist, working for several newspapers and the Associated Press wire service. After becoming fascinated with how people use – and misuse – statistical information in important decisions, I earned my master’s degree in biostatistics from the Mailman School of Public Health, and my PhD in biomedical informatics from the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (both at Columbia).

I serve as associate editor at the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA) and Medical Decision Making, and I am a fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics. I was also named one of 400 scientists and engineers who received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in January 2025.
 

See Dr. Ancker's recent publications here and below: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/jessica.ancker.1/bibliography/public/