Nationally recognized informatics leader will guide the field's flagship peer-reviewed journal beginning January 2027

WASHINGTON, D.C. / ACCESS Newswire / June 24, 2026 / The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) has named Thomas Kannampallil, PhD, FACMI, FAMIA, as the next Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA), AMIA's flagship peer-reviewed journal. The appointment, made by the AMIA Board of Directors, is effective January 1, 2027.

Dr. Kannampallil will succeed Suzanne R. Bakken, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, who has served as JAMIA's Editor-in-Chief since 2019.

"Dr. Kannampallil is a highly respected leader in biomedical and health informatics, with deep experience in research, editorial leadership, and community engagement," said Genevieve Melton-Meaux, MD, PhD, FACMI, past president of AMIA. "He brings a thoughtful, forward-looking perspective and we are confident his leadership will help sustain the journal's excellence while supporting its continued evolution as the flagship publication for our field."

Dr. Kannampallil is a professor of anesthesiology and a faculty member at the Institute for Informatics, Data Science, and Biostatistics (I2DB) at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WashU Medicine). He also serves as the assistant dean for Data Science and the chief data scientist for WashU Medicine, and as a faculty lead for the university's new Center for Health AI (CHAI). In these roles, he bridges research and operations between the academic medical center and the broader health system, evaluating the design, adoption, and organizational impact of artificial intelligence tools.

A nationally recognized leader, Dr. Kannampallil's research focuses on clinical informatics, patient safety, and artificial intelligence, utilizing rigorous pragmatic clinical trials and innovative study designs. He has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference publications. His extensive editorial experience includes serving as acting editor-in-chief, deputy editor, and associate editor for the Journal of Biomedical Informatics. A fellow of both AMIA and the American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI), Dr. Kannampallil is highly regarded for his commitment to mentoring emerging scholars and advancing editorial innovation.

In the role, Dr. Kannampallil aims to build upon JAMIA's strong foundation and longstanding commitment to excellence. His vision emphasizes sustaining high standards of methodological rigor, strengthening the translational impact of informatics research, and supporting consistent, transparent, and data-informed editorial practices.

"I am honored to serve as JAMIA's next Editor-in-Chief and to build on the strong foundation that has made JAMIA the most trusted and influential journal in our field," said Dr. Kannampallil. "I hope to contribute to JAMIA's ongoing growth as the leading informatics journal that bridges disciplines and advances biomedical and health informatics research through rigorous, high-quality informatics scholarship, editorial practices, and dissemination mechanisms."

About JAMIA

JAMIA, published by Oxford University Press on behalf of AMIA, is AMIA's premier peer-reviewed journal for biomedical and health informatics. Covering the full spectrum of activities in the field, JAMIA includes articles in the areas of artificial intelligence, clinical care, clinical research, translational science, implementation science, imaging, education, consumer health, public health, and policy. JAMIA's articles describe innovative informatics research and systems that help to advance biomedical science and promote health.

About AMIA

The leading professional association for informaticians, AMIA has more than 6,500 members from 65-plus countries. As the professional home for biomedical and health informatics professionals, AMIA and its members play a key role in assessing the effect of health innovations on health policy and advancing the field of informatics. Learn more at www.amia.org.

Contact Information

Stephanie Brendel
Chief Operating Officer
sbrendel@amia.org
301.657.1291

SOURCE: AMIA