Department of Learning Health Sciences
Revolutionizing Learning, Transforming Health

Join the first program in the United States to study learning at the individual to the national level.

A faculty addresses an audience during a symposium, with attendees seated and listening in the background.
Leading the Way in Learning

The Department of Learning Health Sciences (DLHS) is a first-in-the-nation basic science department focused on the sciences related to learning across multiple levels of scale-individual, group, organization, region and nation.

We work to improve health systematically by advancing the sciences that make learning effective, routine, and efficient. That's because we view learning as a continuous, never-ending process of discovery and implementation, leading to constant improvement and innovation.

As a department, we are committed to achieving three main goals: advancing research, providing education, and offering service programs.

Contact Us
Department of Learning Health Sciences
209 Victor Vaughan Building, 2054
1111 E. Catherine Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
About

Dive into our history and see how we've been revolutionizing learning and improving health.

Education

See how we train new researchers and practitioners who apply the sciences of learning.

Research

Discover how we generate new knowledge that can enhance learning at all levels of scale.

People

Meet our faculty, students and fellows who are translating medical knowledge into practice.

Service & Outreach

Explore our multidisciplinary approach to collaboration with researchers, institutions and communities.

Giving

Support us in leading health system innovation and empowering health professionals.

Learning As a Process of Discovery
A circular diagram illustrating a learning community model focused on addressing a health problem of interest.
Learning Health System Fundamentals

In a learning health system, the cycle of learning to change behavior and to improve outcomes applies to all workforce development, from individuals and groups to the system as a whole.

Watch A Video About Learning Health System Fundamentals
Logo for EMERSE, which stands for Electronic Medical Record Search Engine, with the letter 'e' stylized as a magnifying glass
EMERSE

EMERSE (Electronic Medical Record Search Engine) is software that helps researchers identify and extract important patient information like diagnoses, medications, procedures, and complications from clinical notes.

Explore EMERSE
Infographic depicting interconnected elements of a Learning Health System with icons representing education, family, technology, research, and healthcare
Learning Health Systems Journal

Our journal promotes interdisciplinary research aimed at advancing learning health systems that enable continuous improvement in health and healthcare through discovery and implementation.

Read the Learning Health Systems Journal
city tech stock image Stay In The Loop

Our department newsletter, The Loop, features faculty and education program news and awards, highlights of our research and education, collaborations across the medical school and the greater university and a message from the Chair. 

  • Read Our Recent Newsletters
  • Katie Lynch named CNAY 2025 Champion for Change
    Spotlight On
    HILS PhD student Katie Lynch named CNAY 2025 Champion for Change

    Congratulations to PhD candidate Katie Lynch on being named a Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) 2025 Champion for Change.

    Message From The Chair

    In today's rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, the Department of Learning Health Sciences leads pioneering research and educational initiatives aimed at addressing the most pressing challenges in health, healthcare, and health equity.
    Through cutting-edge research, innovative teaching practices, and meaningful service, we are shaping the future of healthcare by developing systems that continuously adapt and improve, ensuring better outcomes for patients and communities alike.

    Chair, Department of Learning Health Sciences
    Gretchen Piatt
    Connect With Us
    Upcoming Events See all events
    Mobilizing Computable Biomedical Knowledge (MCBK) North America Chapter Meeting
    The meeting will feature keynote presentations and panels, as well as submitted posters and demos.
    Event runs February 27, 2025 - February 28, 2025
    Mobilizing Computable Biomedical Knowledge (MCBK) North America Chapter Meeting
    The meeting will feature keynote presentations and panels, as well as submitted posters and demos.
    Event runs February 27, 2025 - February 28, 2025
    Featured News & Stories See all news laptop graphic with stethoscope
    Health Lab
    Adults don’t trust health care to use AI responsibly and without harm
    Research finds that adults surveyed had low trust in their health care system to use artificial intelligence responsibly and others had low trust in their health care systems to make sure an AI tool would not harm them.
    Department News
    Kudos to HILS Master’s student Patrick Lewicki on LHS publication
    Faculty and staff in the Department of Learning Health Sciences and the Health Infrastructures and Learning Systems (HILS) program congratulate HILS Master’s student, Patrick Lewicki for his recent publication about LHS in low resource settings.
    little girl in pain with pink background touching stomach and seeing inside red
    Health Lab
    Diagnostic stewardship optimizes detection of appendicitis
    University of Michigan researchers found that emergency departments vary widely in how they balance the need to diagnose appendicitis with the potential harms of overtesting.
    Helen K. Morgan, M.D.
    Medical School News
    Helen K. Morgan, M.D., appointed faculty chair-elect for women’s careers
    Helen K. Morgan, M.D., a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology and learning health sciences, has been appointed faculty chair-elect for women’s careers in the Medical School. The chair-elect is one of several new Medical School roles developed during the past year that focus on the advancement — and overall thriving — of women pursuing careers in academic medicine and science at Michigan Medicine. Morgan will become chair in January 2026, and after her term is complete, she will serve in an advisory role as post-chair in 2028-29
    Katie Lynch named CNAY 2025 Champion for Change
    Department News
    HILS PhD student Katie Lynch named CNAY 2025 Champion for Change
    The Department of Learning Health Sciences (DLHS) and the faculty and program staff of the Health Infrastructures and Learning Systems (HILS) congratulate PhD candidate, Katie Lynch on being named a Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) 2025 Champion for Change.
    Department News
    Clinical Simulation Center (CSC) gets full 5-year accreditation from ACS
    Congratulations to the Clinical Simulation Center (CSC) team on receiving a full 5-year accreditation from the American College of Surgeons.