Diane G. Schwartz MLS

Diane Schwartz

Diane G. Schwartz
MLS

Research Associate Professor

Department of Biomedical Informatics

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

Specialty/Research Focus

Public Health Informatics

Contact Information
UB Downtown Gateway Building
77 Goodell Street
Buffalo, New York 14203
Phone: 716-816-7221
Fax: none
digs@buffalo.edu
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Overview Research Publications Activities Latest News

Professional Summary:

I am a Research Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics in the Department of Biomedical Informatics (BMI), Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, SUNY (UB).

My research focuses on the design and creation of scoping reviews of the literature with an emphasis on biomedical informatics research projects. I teach and mentor UB graduate and undergraduate students interested in learning how to conduct a scoping review which has resulted in several published manuscripts. The students may be enrolled in one of the required, elective, or selective BMI courses that I teach, or they may be enrolled in a mentored research project with me. The projects vary in length from one semester to two semesters with the later frequently serving as the student's final culminating project.

In BMI I serve as the division chief for the section on Public Health Informatics and I am the program director for the master's program. Prior to joining BMI, I was a health sciences librarian focusing on instructing health care professionals and biomedical scientists the importance of evidence-based practice, medical informatics, and lifelong learning. I taught learners and practitioners in all health care and biomedical science disciplines how to conduct quality searches of the literature, and how to use information to create new knowledge. I have expanded these skills by teaching BMI and public health students the importance of consumer health education from a public health informatics perspective. I have taught learners the significance of creating educational programs for patients and their families, at a level that is understandable and meaningful, thereby ensuring that individauls will be capable of accessing quality, reliable, understandable health information. I use artificial intelligence (AI) to demonstrate to students the value-added outcomes that can be achieved by working with AI.

Education and Training:
  • Fellowship, Fellowship, U.S. National Library of Medicine (2009)
  • MLS, Library Science, Queens College; City University of New York (1972)
  • BA, Biology, Political Science, Douglass College; Rutgers University (1963)

Employment:
  • Co-Director, Master's program in Biomedical Informatics, Biomedical Informatics, University at Buffalo, JSMBS (2016-present)
  • Research Associate Professor, Biomedical Informatics, University at Buffalo: SUNY Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (2016-present)
  • Teacher, Robert E. Simon Junior High School, New York City Board of Education (1963–2025)
  • Director of Libraries, Libraries, Kaleida Health (2000–2016)
  • Research Associate Professor, Office of Graduate Medical Education, University at Buffalo: SUNY Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (1997–1998)
  • Research Associate Professor, Family Medicine; Medicine, University at Buffalo: SUNY Primary Care Resource Center (1992–1997)
  • Associate Director, All departments, ALFRED TAUBMAN MEDICAL LIBRARY, THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN (1989–1992)
  • Librarian, Alfred Taubman Medical Library, University of Michigan (1978–1992)
  • Librarian, Public Services, New York Botanical Garden (1973–1978)
  • Librarian, New York Botanical Garden (1972–1978)
  • Graduate Student Intern, Reference and Research, New York Botanical Garden (1971–1972)
  • Library Assistant, New York Botanical Garden (1970–1972)
  • Graduate Student Intern, Archivist/Manuscript Cataloger, New York Botanical Garden (1970–1971)
  • Library Assistant, International Council of Shopping Centers (1969–1970)
  • Library Assistant, Catalog, University of California, San Diego (1966–1969)
  • Library Assistant, University of California, San Diego (1965–1969)
  • Library Assistant, Library, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES, (1965–1966)
  • Teacher, New York City Board of Education (1963–1965)
See all (8 more)

Awards and Honors:
  • Board of Directors (2023)
  • Hospital Librarian Research Award (2009)
  • Medical Informatics MBL/NLM Course Fellow - Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA. Sponsored by the National Library of Medicine. (2009)
  • Fellow, Medical Library Association (2004)
  • Fulbright Fellow (2004)
  • Fulbright Senior Scholar grant (1991)
  • Beta Phi Mu. (International Library Science Honor Society) (1972)
  • New York State Scholar Incentive Award (1971)

Research Expertise:
  • Information science, biomedical informatics, public health informatics, population health informatics, population health analytics, consumer health informatics, health literacy, social informatics, personal health informatics: My instructional activities focus on each of these subject domains
  • Scoping reviews of the literature: I mentor BMI and other biomedical graduate students interested in working on a scoping review of the literature. My instructional goal is to ensure that graduate students possess outstanding skills in searching the biomedical literature, as well as the ability to critique the literature that has been identified. Preparing a scoping review is a detailed, time consuming process. I work with students one on one, or as a team to teach them the importance of this area of research investigation and how the creation of a scoping review can contribute to important clinical and basic science research findings.

UB 2020 Strategic Strengths:
  • Information and Computing Technology

Grants and Sponsored Research:
  • January 2000–January 2002
    Information Access Grant
    National Library of Medicine
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $57,999
  • January 1998–January 2001
    Area Health Education Centers
    U.S. Health Resource Services Administration
    Role: Co-Investigator
    $3,000,000
  • January 1997–January 2000
    Charles Culpeper FoundationSupport for medical student internship in primary care practices.
    Charles Culpeper Foundation
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $100,000
  • January 1998–January 1998
    Partnerships for Quality Education
    Pew Charitable Trusts
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $10,000
  • January 1997–January 1998
    Graduate Medical Dental Education Consortium of Buffalo
    Graduate Medical Dental Education Consortium of Buffalo
    Role: Co-Investigator
    $300,000
  • January 1996–January 1998
    National Board of Medical Examiners
    National Board of Medical Examiners
    Role: Co-Investigator
    $50,000
  • January 1995–January 1997
    Independent Health Foundation
    Independent Health Foundation
    Role: Co-Investigator
    $180,000
  • March 1991–March 1992
    •Fulbright Senior Scholar grant, India, principal investigator
    Fulbright Program
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $2,500

Journal Articles:

See all (20 more)

Professional Memberships:
  • American Medical Informatics Association (2017–present)
  • American Library Association; Member (1992–2016)
  • Medical Library Association; Committees various committees (1980–present)

Presentations:
  • "Medical Informatics; Impact on the practice of medicine and biomedical research" Association of British Scholars (1998)
  • "Computers in the Education of Allergists and Immunologists" Computers in the Education of Allergists and Immunologists (1994)
  • "Implementing Performance Standards in Personnel Evaluation" Annual Meeting of LAMA/LOMS during the Annual Meeting of the American Library Association (1986)
  • "Encouraging community physicians to teach; a novel funding strategy" Primary care education for the 21st century: lessons from the national initiatives conference
  • "Integrating a Managed Care Curriculum into Residency Training" Annual Meeting of the Generalists Physician's Initiative, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
  • "Multidisciplinary Approach to Biomedical Data Science Education at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York (Data science training for library and information science graduate students and practicing health sciences librarians" MEDINFO 2019, Aug. 28, 2019, Lyon, FR.

Service Activities:
  • JSMBS Faculty diversity and inclusion advocates committee; Committee member (2027–2023)
  • Upjohn Company, Faculty Advisory Panel; Member (2025–1996)
  • JSMBS curriculum committee; Member (2025–present)
  • JSMB Program directors committee; Member (2025–present)
  • JSMBS Curriculum Committee; Member (2024–present)
  • Master's program; Program director (2017–present)
  • Western New York 211 (www.211wny.org), health and human services agencies; Member, Board of Directors (2003–2008)
  • UB Faculty Senate; Member (1998–1999)
  • Robert Wood Johnson Generalist Physician Initiative; Committee member (1992–1995)
  • UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Curriculum Committee; Member (1992–1995)
  • Friends of the National Library of Medicine; Member, Board of Directors
  • Faculty Council of JSMBS; Member
  • JSMBS Faculty Council; Member
  • Faculty development - new Biomedical Informatics department faculty; Mentor

School News:

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Contact Information

UB Downtown Gateway Building
77 Goodell Street
Buffalo, New York 14203
Phone: 716-816-7221
Fax: none
digs@buffalo.edu
View map

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