(US & Canada) Andrea Ramirez, Chief Data Officer for the All of Us Research Program at the National Institutes of Health, speaks with Adita Karkera, Chief Data Officer, Government and Public Services at Deloitte, in a video interview about AI usage at the All of Us Research Program, key data challenges in her tenure as CDO, AI literacy and upskilling, priority initiatives, and advice for upcoming female data leaders.

Starting the conversation, Ramirez highlights how the All of Us Research Program integrates AI to drive innovation and expand its impact. She explains that as AI technologies evolve, there is widespread excitement and curiosity, prompting numerous initiatives across the program’s partnerships. The coordinating center plays a key role in determining how these initiatives are managed — whether they should be centralized or distributed — depending on their application to internal operations or research-focused efforts.

Ramirez emphasizes the program’s ability to harness diverse data sources, such as electronic health records (EHRs), to create meaningful insights for researchers. A critical aspect of this involves deciding where to allocate resources and federal funding to meet operational goals while ensuring high-quality data accessibility for researchers. This includes enabling researchers to integrate their tools into the program’s platform, a capability currently under exploration.

Additionally, Ramirez stresses the importance of attracting top talent to the federal workforce to support the program’s unprecedented scope. She underscores the need to achieve a high return on investment, ensuring the program delivers outcomes that align with its unique mission and the effective use of federal resources.

Speaking of challenges in her role as the CDO, Ramirez highlights managing a rapidly growing data portfolio. She stresses the importance of fostering partnerships and ensuring the platform’s accessibility to those aiming to leverage its capabilities. One of the central hurdles has been effectively communicating the portfolio’s offerings and predicting data availability for research purposes.

She describes the critical need to align funding and partnerships to support delivery timelines of 12 to 24 months, a task that demanded strong leadership from the coordinating center. This dual role of ensuring readiness and delivery has been both a challenge and a success. Ramirez shares that the team has grown more adept at framing research data as a product of their system, ready to meet the needs of collaborators. She also expresses enthusiasm for working with partners to demonstrate the platform’s benefits and efficiencies in advancing research objectives.

Sharing AI literacy and upskilling initiatives in the organization, Ramirez mentions building a strong sense of community among data professionals. She highlights efforts to establish a community of practice that brings together individuals working in their federal coordinating center and awardees who specialize in data science and systems.

This initiative focuses on creating shared guidelines and standards, centralizing training and professional growth opportunities, and fostering collaboration in a virtual and highly matrixed environment. By connecting data scientists and encouraging knowledge exchange and peer support, Ramirez aims to enhance both individual fulfillment and retention within the program, ensuring that talent in data roles feels supported and equipped to thrive.

Further, sharing key initiatives in the next 6 to 9 months, Ramirez says that the All of Us Program is prioritizing sustainability, building on its success in creating an unparalleled, diverse cohort. The focus is on ensuring the program’s longevity while continuing to provide value to over 12,000 researchers across academia, industry, and international sectors, as well as to the 800,000 participants who have embraced its mission. Additionally, enhancing efficiency and confidence in managing the program’s data portfolio are key near-term initiatives.

In conclusion, Ramirez advises females aspiring to get into data roles to consider problem-solving as a source of fulfillment, particularly in collaborating with others to identify and prioritize key tasks. She reflects on her transition from a physician-scientist to a leadership position in a major federal organization, noting that investing in personal growth is equally important.

She credits her leadership development to both formal training and learning from peers, highlighting the value of engaging with peer communities to discover where one can contribute most effectively. Ramirez feels privileged to be a woman in her field and is committed to helping others on their professional paths.

CDO Magazine appreciates Andrea Ramirez for sharing her insights with our global community.