The Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) has created a new academic leadership role, the Associate Dean for Computing. This newly established role, reporting to the Vice Dean for Artificial Intelligence and Computing, focuses on developing and implementing research computing strategies across the campus: leading the strategic directions of research computing at PSOM.

Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Dr. Li-San Wang, PhD, has been appointed the inaugural Associate Dean for Computing at the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Associate Dean for Computing will spearhead initiatives and support PSOM by:

• Creating and Chairing a Faculty Advisory Committee: Reporting to the Faculty Advisory Group for the Penn Advanced Research Computing Center (PARCC).
• Collaborating with Penn Medicine Academic Computing Services (PMACS): Developing hardware and computing policies and strategy.
• Developing Cloud Strategy: Partnering with PMACS, University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) Information Services (IS), and Penn Information Systems and Computing (ISC) to enhance research capabilities.
• Engaging with PSOM Faculty: Learning about their needs and coordinating efforts with PMACS, UPHS IS, and ISC.
• Leading New Initiatives in Research Computing: Driving innovation in this critical area for PSOM.

• PMACS: PMACS is the division of Penn Medicine Academic Computing Services. PMACS is home to Research Computing resources for the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (PSOM). PMACS offers a number of research systems to support PSOM’s research needs. https://www.med.upenn.edu/pmacs/research-systems.html
• Research Storefront (this is from UPHS IS): Research Storefront hosted by Corporate IS is an essential resource for clinical research scientists seeking self-service tools to explore real-world data while ensuring Penn’s privacy protections. It offers a comprehensive comparison of available tools, detailing the data included, the extent of PHI exposure, key advantages and disadvantages, and ideal use cases.
• University ISC: Penn ISC is the division of Information Systems and Computing. It is the home of IT support for the entire Penn community. ISC is Penn’s Trusted IT Partner, collaborating with the Penn community on IT services that enhance and support the mission of the University.
• PARCC: PARCC is Penn Advanced Research Computing Center. PARCC is the hub for cutting-edge computational research at PSOM. Launching Spring 2025.

The newly formed Faculty Advisory Committee on Research Computing (FACRC) is dedicated to advancing the technical aspects of research computing at PSOM. By fostering direct collaboration between computational faculty and the PMACS team, FACRC ensures that research computing needs are met efficiently. The committee is committed to providing regular updates to the PSOM IT Governance Council and the UPHS IT Senior Governance Council, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and technological advancements.