Akshaya Bhagavathula, PhD, NDSU associate professor of epidemiology in the department of public health, has expertise in epidemiology, digital epidemiology, infodemiology, big data analytics, research methods, secondary data analysis, systemic review and meta-analysis. He was recently selected for a two-year research fellowship with the Center for Public Health Law Research (CPHLR) at Temple University Beasley School of Law. During his time with the Center, he will conduct a quantitative analysis of the effects of state-level opioid laws on county-level overdose deaths.

As a CPHLR research fellow, Bhagavathula will have access to the CPHRL's grants management staff and communications staff for dissemination of his research. Along with other research fellows, Bhagavathula will participate in twice-yearly meetings and will have the opportunity to present and receive feedback about his research, engage with other public health law researchers, and consult on strategic issues in the field. The goal of the fellowship is to increase multidisciplinary, collaborative legal epidemiological studies.

In addition to his research fellowship, Bhagavathula was also selected to be a member of a 30 person AI cohort led by the University of Virginia. Called the "2024 Biomedical Data Science Innovation Lab: Building Partnerships for Generative AI Training in Biomedical and Clinical Research," the group is comprised of early-career biomedical or data science researchers from across the country who will collaborate on studying disease patterns in populations by harnessing the power of data, analytics, and computing with an overall goal of using such information to provide insight and guidance on how to leverage and use these tools in the biomedical sciences.

"Dr. Bhagavathula's selection for this competitive group illustrates his expertise and leadership in the field of data informatics and artificial intelligence," said Pamela Jo Johnson, Mary J. Berg Distinguished Professor of Women’s Health and chair of public health at NDSU. "As part of a group of 30 experts selected from across the country, this partnership in the Biomedical Data Science Innovation Lab: Building Partnerships for Generative AI Training in Biomedical and Clinical Research will enrich the field and our programs for students in public health at NDSU."

Bhagavathula has published over 200 research publications in prestigious medical journals with high citation indices including Scientific Reports, Cureus, Reumatologia clinica, The International Journal of Social Psychiatry, Journal of Medical Virology, Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, Menopause, and Brain Behavior Immunity.