Behind the Scenes with Kevin Hanson

Kevin Hanson sitting on a bench and working on his computer outside
Kevin Hanson

For more than two decades, Kevin Hanson has served the UF research community, and in 2014, he began his current role as an application developer analyst at the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s Informatics and Technology Service Center.

Hanson oversees a team of software developers and data analysts who provide data management services to the UF community. He supports the UF-led 1Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s data repository with the goal of creating a longitudinal cohort of participants exhibiting a range of cognitive issues. Maintaining this repository is instrumental in supporting current and future research into Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Hanson will soon begin a new role at the CTSI as assistant director of data management for the Integrated Data Repository, which serves as the clearinghouse for all data at UF Health hospitals.

“Kevin’s work has been key to our efforts at the 1Florida ADRC. He not only aided in the establishment of our database, which includes input from our three clinical sites, but he coordinated with several other sites for our brain imaging collaborations,” said Steven DeKosky, M.D., deputy director of the MBI and associate director of the ADRC. “He also helped develop a program that greatly eased the work of our staff in data management, taking data from our database and automatically translating it into the format required for the national ADRC database. With his calm demeanor and wry sense of humor, he is a joy to work with.”

Years at UF: 21

Years at the MBI: 7

A memorable moment at work:

I had an opportunity to travel to Haiti to support research related to cholera. Although my time there was brief, I had a chance to encounter field research at its most integrated level. The on-the-ground science happening there included medical geography, sample collection, and data management, which I helped facilitate through my informatics and computer networking expertise. This trip motivated me to become more active in research informatics and seek out new opportunities to solve data problems.

I’m inspired by:

The science happening around me every day. I continue to learn about an array of sciences that impact so many lives. The research that I have been exposed to in the 1Florida ADRC inspired me to return to school and with the amazing support of my family I am pursuing a doctoral degree in educational technology. Although advances in cognitive impairment research continue, educating people living with Alzheimer’s diseases and related dementias, as well as those who care for them, continues to serve a critical need in the absence of a cure. My dissertation is focused on ways to personalize the educational experience for care partners to help reduce the burden of care and increase self-efficacy in the care partners’ ability to conduct support activities in the home.

Fun fact:

As time allows, I enjoy participating in community theatre at the Gainesville Community Playhouse. The GCP gives anyone the opportunity to be in a play or musical. The ensembles are fun and enriching. I was fortunate to participate in Pippin as King Charlemagne and in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. These shows bring together a great group of volunteers and talent to entertain the community, and along the way, you make lifelong friends.

Photos by Jackie Hart

Kevin Hanson working on his computer
Kevin Hanson sitting on a bench and working on his computer outside
Kevin Hanson sitting on a bench and working on his computer outside