Maverick named influential woman in health IT
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) has recognized Gabriela Wilson, professor of kinesiology and co-director of the Multi-Interprofessional Center for Health Informatics, with one of its 2023 Changemaker in Health Awards.
The HIMSS release announcing the awards called Wilson a “health informatics wizard with bold ideas to improve people’s lives. She is a firm believer in the power of many, nurtured independence and mission-first focus, with a strong desire to serve and inspire others.”
The winners of the Most Influential Women in Health IT category were honored for demonstrating an ongoing commitment to harnessing the power of information and technology to transform health and health care positively and representing the highest standards of leadership.
“I transitioned into the biotechnology and informatics field because I was curious,” Wilson said. “I didn’t know what this field was about, and I had never touched a computer in my life when I decided this was the area I wanted to pursue.”
Wilson said she dedicates the award to women struggling to balance a career while caring for their families.
“Believe in yourself and be curious!” she said. “Life is full of challenges and hardships. Recognize them and embrace them because they make us stronger.”
UTA continues to be at the forefront of the ever-changing field of health informatics. Wilson has been the driving force behind workforce development in public health informatics, biomedical informatics and biotechnology. She has been instrumental in establishing international partnerships to advance the health informatics field, including the new pact between UTA and Osnabruck University of Applied Sciences in Germany.
Later this summer, UTA will launch the TExBioMed Summer Institute to increase educational and research opportunities for underrepresented minority students in biomedical, data science and health and public health informatics.