Robert Davis

Robert Davis serves as Professor of Pediatrics and UT-ORNL Governor's Chair for Biomedical Informatics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), appointed in 2013. He is the founding director of UTHSC's Center for Biomedical Informatics and leads the innovative 100K Genomes Project, which aims to collect genetic data from 100,000 Tennessee residents with special focus on African American populations.

Dr. Davis earned his BA in Natural Science from Bennington College (1979), MD from University of California San Diego (1983), and MPH in Epidemiology from University of Washington (1993). His medical training includes internship at Emanuel Hospital, residency at Oregon Health Sciences University, and fellowship in General Academic Pediatrics at University of Washington.

His research focuses on biomedical informatics, health disparities, genomic medicine, and pediatric health outcomes. Davis has spent over 30 years collecting medical data to improve drug and vaccine safety while investigating genetic links to disease. His groundbreaking work includes discovering a genetic link between APOL1 variants and preeclampsia in African-American women, which earned Gates Foundation funding for follow-up research in Ghana.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals consistent themes across biomedical informatics, with particular emphasis on health disparities in minority populations, application of machine learning to medical data, genomic medicine, and pediatric health outcomes. His work consistently bridges technology, computation, and clinical research to address critical healthcare gaps.

Among his notable honors are his prestigious appointment as a UT-ORNL Governor's Chair and Gates Foundation funding for international preeclampsia research. These awards recognize his leadership in addressing health disparities through innovative research approaches.

As Governor's Chair, Davis mentors UT's emerging STEM leaders and serves as principal investigator for the 100K Genomes Project, a DNA biorepository created with Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. His research has secured significant funding, including support from the Gates Foundation for international preeclampsia research in Ghana.

Dr. Davis directs the Center for Biomedical Informatics, which bridges technology, computation, and health research at UTHSC. The center supports his 100K Genomes Project and other initiatives focused on applying data science to improve health outcomes, particularly for underserved populations.