Ginnie Hench

Virginia “Ginnie” Hench is a research systems programmer and analyst in RTI’s Bioinformatics and Computational Biology program. She has 20 years of combined experience working in the life sciences, as a visual designer, and as a programmer, spanning fields of bioinformatics, cellular and molecular biology, immunology, biological ontologies, web application development, and data visualization. As a scientific application developer, Dr. Hench  designs and implements user workflows and data visualizations for  a variety of organizations, from domestic and international government agencies to non-profits.  

Dr. Hench’s primary focus area is developing and applying the organizing principles behind the Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) framework to develop customized web-based solutions that aid stakeholders in the AOP and chemical safety communities. She also participates in the community-based effort to evolve the AOP-Wiki data model to increase FAIRness principles and is leading efforts to improve the AOP-Wiki user experience. She is currently involved in an EPA-funded effort to advance the AOP Event Component concept to support automated evidence mapping strategies involving systematic literature review, natural language processing, and biological ontologies. 

Dr. Hench is also active in RTI’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging efforts. She serves as a facilitator for the Black Employee Resource Group’s Ally Workshop, which prepares participants to work effectively for racial justice within their own spheres of influence.