Description 

In this crossover podcast with “Trends from the Trenches,” Allison Proffitt, executive editor of Bio-IT World, interviews Allissa Dillman and LaFrancis Gibson from the CFDE Training Center about this year’s Bio-IT World Conference & Expo Hackathon. They discuss which tools and datasets from CFDE will be part of the Hackathon, who should participate, learning and collaborating beyond datasets and tools, FAIR principles in an ever-developing AI environment, and a message beyond the teams that are participating. 

Guests 

Allissa Dillman, PhD 

LaFrancis Gibson, MPH, MBA 

Guest Bios 

Allissa Dillman, PhD, is the founder and CEO of BioData Sage, which helps integrate strategic data science practices into the biomedical and biological sciences. She holds a doctorate in computational neuroscience from Karolinska Institutet and has over a decade of experience spanning government, academia, and nonprofit work, with a focus on strategic planning, community engagement, and workforce training. She is also co-PI of the NIH Common Fund Data Ecosystem Training Center, leading efforts to develop training resources, podcasts, and community events, such as hackathons, to support biomedical research. Dr. Dillman is an adjunct faculty member at Montgomery College, where she teaches courses in data science and bioinformatics. Previously at NIH, she led workforce development and international training initiatives and organized hackathons, bootcamps, and community-building programs. Her work centers on building inclusive, reproducible, and impactful data science ecosystems through partnerships across major research and public institutions. 

LaFrancis Gibson, MPH, MBA serves as a manager for health promotion at ORAU and has created a unique skill set and understanding of community-based programs and how to manage them to maximize success. With more than 15 years of experience in managing outreach initiatives, training development, and program evaluation, she ensures project success through her expertise in budget control, risk mitigation, and strategic communication with stakeholders from government agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Library of Medicine, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ms. Gibson is experienced in working with multiple stakeholders and partners across federal agencies, Minority-Serving Institutions, community and faith-based organizations, and national organizations. She currently serves as the contact principal investigator for the NIH Common Fund Data Ecosystem Training Center, providing oversite, coordination, and compliance in delivering bioinformatics training programs that align with NIH mission.