Natalie Benda

Natalie Benda is an Assistant Professor of Health Informatics at Columbia University School of Nursing and a DSI Member. She holds affiliations with the Data, Media and Society; Health Analytics; and Sense, Collect and Move Data centers. Her expertise lies in human factors engineering and human-centered design, focusing on improving healthcare equity through inclusive technology solutions. Dr. Benda’s research addresses disparities in maternal health, telemedicine accessibility for limited English proficiency patients, and postpartum depression management.

Education:

• PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering, University at Buffalo
• Postdoctoral Training: Weill Cornell Medicine’s Division of Health Informatics

Research Interests: Dr. Benda designs interventions to enhance healthcare inclusivity, particularly for marginalized populations. Her work spans global maternal health (e.g., Myanmar/India), mHealth tools for Black and Latina postpartum patients, and telemedicine optimization. She emphasizes human-centered design principles to ensure technologies address real-world cognitive work challenges in healthcare settings.

Grants & Awards:

• R00 award from NIMHD to develop an mHealth tool for postpartum symptom management in underserved populations

Advising & Grants: While specific advisees are not listed, her funded projects include collaborations with global health organizations and health systems. Her NIH-funded research exemplifies translational efforts to bridge gaps between technology and clinical practice.

Labs & Teams: Active in interdisciplinary teams at Columbia’s School of Nursing, focusing on health informatics and equity-driven innovation.