Dr. Yasemin Akdas is a Senior Scientist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she serves as the Operations Lead for the Southeast Collaborative for Innovative Solutions to Chronic Diseases and the Engagement Operations Lead for the PCORnet® STAR Clinical Research Network. For the Southeast Collaborative, Dr. Akdas provides operational leadership for a multi-site research initiative and cross-institutional coordination, supporting the effective implementation of center-wide initiatives, overseeing cross-core operations, and contributing to the design and refinement of evaluation strategies. For STAR, she guides the development of engagement infrastructure and the implementation of processes that support high-quality, person-centered research.
Dr. Akdas received her PhD in Medical Anthropology and MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Florida and her MA in Applied Statistics from the University of Michigan. She subsequently completed postdoctoral training in Biomedical Informatics at VUMC. Her research interests include qualitative and mixed methods research, the integration of patient and community perspectives into research design and implementation, and the application of AI tools to improve accessibility and understanding of health and research information for patients and communities.