TIME Magazine declared in 1982 the personal computer the “Machine of the Year,” swapping out its famous “Man of the Year” title to document the rise of home computing — but one Vanderbilt University Medical Center researcher had already started unlocking the power of computerized databases for health care research.
In 1977 Wayne Ray, PhD, first demonstrated the value of doing observational research studies around certain pharmaceuticals at VUMC with large computerized datasets — something relatively unheard of in most research circles. At that time, he and collaborators found inappropriate prescribing of tetracyclines to children, which eventually resulted in them being pulled from the market.
Now, some 50 years after Ray began establishing a global standard for health services and pharmacoepidemiology research at VUMC, he will officially retire at the end of 2024, though his contributions to research, health care and VUMC will live on.
To celebrate Ray’s career and contributions to research and education at VUMC, the Department of Health Policy will host a symposium from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 9 in Light Hall 202.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to celebrate Dr. Wayne Ray’s many contributions to Vanderbilt and the research community as a whole,” said David Stevenson, PhD, Mike Curb Chair and Professor of Health Policy. “Please join us to recognize Wayne’s many accomplishments and to wish him the best in retirement.
The symposium will feature several speakers who will reflect on Ray’s career and contributions, and culminate with a keynote presentation from Samy Suissa, PhD, James McGill Distinguished Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McGill University.
“Wayne is widely regarded as one of the foundational leaders for the field of pharmacoepidemiology,” said Bill Cooper, MD, MPH, Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair of Pediatrics and Health Policy, and associate dean of Faculty Affairs at VUMC. “When I go to international meetings, everyone knows of his work and his contributions. He has truly introduced paradigm-shifting ideas time and time again.”
Cooper, one of Ray’s early mentees, said the innovative research Ray led in the 1980s would later transform all areas of health services research, and stand the test of time in health care delivery and quality of care.
“Wayne’s work in the 1980s on drugs that cause older people to fall remains relevant today and informs clinical decision-making,” said Marie Griffin, MD, MPH, professor emerita and a close colleague of many years. “There are numerous other examples of his research that have informed clinical care, including drugs associated with peptic ulcer disease and myocardial infarction, drugs associated with sudden death, and comparative safety of anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation.”
But research was not Ray’s only accomplishment. He, Griffin and William Schaffner, MD, professor of Health Policy, established the Master of Public Health program at VUMC in 1996 that aimed to expand the training opportunities for clinicians at VUMC. Since its founding, the MPH program has expanded on that foundation to include three separate tracks — epidemiology, global health and health policy.
“I was fortunate to be enrolled in the first cohort of MPH students. Having Wayne as a teacher and mentor has been transformative to my career,” Cooper said. “The concepts I learned in classes he taught in the MPH program were carried out time and time again in our mentoring and collaborative relationship over the years.”
Ray was also one of the pioneers in combining data from various data sources including Medicaid, Medicare, vital records, and others to support high-quality epidemiologic studies to address important questions of medication safety. His early work charted the course for the formation of what is now known as the Health Policy Research Data Core.
“Wayne’s work has saved thousands of lives both through the impact of his own research, and through the generations of researchers who have benefited from his teaching and mentoring,” Cooper said.
