Co-Lead, Model and Data Sharing Core, MISM
Assoc. Professor in Surgery, Duke
Nrupen Bhavsar, PhD, MPH, Core Co-Lead, is an Associate Professor of Surgery at the Duke University School of Medicine in the Division of Surgical Sciences (Department of Surgery). He is a quantitative epidemiologist with methodological expertise in the design and analysis of observational studies that leverage data from cohort studies, registries, and the electronic health record (EHR). He has subject-matter expertise in the epidemiology of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and respiratory disorders, and a growing interest in improving the health of people with multiple comorbid conditions. Dr. Bhavsar’s background, training, and research are in the measurement and characterization of biomarkers, risk factors, and treatment outcomes for chronic disease using real-world datasets. His ongoing research leverages novel data sources (i.e., EHR and Medicare claims, ReferenceUSA business data); data across multiple domains (e.g., American Community Survey, pollution, built environment, residential mobility); and novel statistical approaches (e.g., machine learning) to conduct chronic disease research at the intersection of informatics, biostatistics, and epidemiology. Dr. Bhavsar aims to integrate informatics, epidemiology, and biostatistics to reduce the burden of chronic disease, and he has topical expertise in multiple chronic diseases, including oncology, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. In parallel, his research portfolio aims to understand how social determinants of health, including dynamic neighborhood changes such as gentrification, affect the health of adults and children.
Dr. Bhavsar is a New Investigator and the principal investigator (PI) of an NHLBI-funded K01 grant that aims to address the methodological challenges of using EHR data for clinical research, specifically by developing approaches to address missing data when studies are conducted across multiple health systems. His research applies these methods and approaches to study how dynamic neighborhood changes, driven by forces such as gentrification and environmental toxins, can affect chronic disease. He is a co-PI on a pilot study that examines how neighborhood change, pollution, and health policy affect individuals' health, as quantified in the EHR.
Dr. Bhavsar leads the MISM Model and Data Sharing Core and works closely with Dr. Ashok Kirshnamurthy to achieve the project’s aims. He is responsible for curating EHR data, linking it with other data as needed, and helping to develop the broader core infrastructure. Additional responsibilities include supervising informaticists and biostatisticians, ensuring compliance with internal and external regulations, and developing and submitting manuscripts of the study findings.