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Jessica Dale Tenenbaum

Associate Professor of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics
Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Division of Translational Biomedical
Duke Box 2721, Durham, NC 27710
2424 Erwin Road Ste 902, 9024 Hock Plaza, Durham, NC 27705

Overview


Dr. Tenenbaum is a faculty member in the Division of Translational Biomedical Informatics in the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics. Her primary research interests are  1. Informatics to enable whole person health, including mental health and social determinants of health (SDOH); 2. Infrastructure and data governance to enable collaboration and integrative data analysis; and 3. Ethical, legal, and social issues in biomedicine. She is also Special Advisor for Research Data Innovation in Duke's Office of Research & Innovation.

From 2019 to 2024, Dr. Tenenbaum served as Chief Data Officer for North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS). She continues to consult with state government, serving as Senior Data Strategist for NC HealthConnex, North Carolina's statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE).

Nationally Dr. Tenenbaum has served as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Biomedical Informatics, an elected member of AMIA's Board of Directors, and on the Board of Scientific Counselors for the National Library of Medicine. She is also an elected Fellow and President-Elect of the American College of Medical Informatics.

Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professor of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics · 2023 - Present Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Division of Translational Biomedical, Biostatistics & Bioinformatics
Associate Professor in Population Health Sciences · 2024 - Present Population Health Sciences, Basic Science Departments
Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society · 2017 - Present Duke Science & Society, University Initiatives & Academic Support Units
Core Faculty Member, Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy · 2025 - Present Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy, University Institutes and Centers

Recent News Items


Published July 22, 2020
School of Medicine Forum Addresses the Role of Data Science During Times of Crisis

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Recent Scholarly Works


Informatics Infrastructure for the Learning Health System.

Journal article Annu Rev Biomed Data Sci · August 2026 The learning health system (LHS) paradigm focuses on generation of new knowledge based on analysis of data collected during clinical care, as well as continuous improvement of the healthcare system based on the application of that knowledge and accompanyin ... Full text Link to item Cite

A Novel Application of Statewide Emergency Department Data to Classify Behavioral Health Holds.

Journal article J Public Health Manag Pract · November 2025 CONTEXT: Emergency department (ED) "boarding" for behavioral health occurs when patients remain in emergency rooms overnight due to a lack of available psychiatric beds. However, quantification of the problem and demographic characterization of affected po ... Full text Link to item Cite

Information as Equity: Building a Health Data Utility to Protect Coverage for Eligible Latine and Immigrant Communities in North Carolina

Journal article North Carolina Medical Journal · January 1, 2025 North Carolina’s Latine and immigrant residents face deepening health coverage gaps amid restrictive federal policy shifts. This commentary proposes Health Data Utility capabilities to integrate health and social data, enhance trust, and enable targeted en ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Developing strategies to identify candidate individuals for early genetic therapies

ResearchAdvisor · Awarded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development · 2024 - 2029

NC Rural Health Transformation Convener

ResearchFaculty Member · Awarded by NC DHHS · 2026 - 2026

NC Medicaid Value-Based Payment Implementation

Public ServiceAdvisor · Awarded by NC Medicaid · 2022 - 2026

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Education


Stanford University, School of Medicine · 2007 Ph.D.