Training
AIR•MS: Getting Started
For external users, please email airms-info@mssm.edu for more information.
Mount Sinai Health System users can access the AIR·MS Sharepoint by following the steps below
Step 1: Request a School Account
Note: Hospital users will need to request a “School Network Account” via SailPoint
Step 2: Obtain Mount Sinai IRB approval for your Research
Access to PHI via AIR·MS requires an IRB-approved protocol detailing the scope of AIR·MS utilization. You can reference AIR·MS in your protocol as follows- for instance, “we will use the AIR·MS platform (IRB # 20-01288) to access and store our data.”
Remember to attach a copy of your approved protocol with your access request. Failure to do so may result in your submission being denied.
For inquiries, please contact airms-info@mssm.edu.
Note: Access to de-identified or synthetic data does not require an IRB.
Step 3: Request a Minerva / HPC account
Step 4: Request access to AIR·MS using Mount Sinai SailPoint and the associated How-To guide
Step 5: Connect to AIR·MS over Minerva using the provided How-To guide and AIR·MS Getting Started Notebooks
Step 6: Start using AIR·MS!
For any inquiries about AIR·MS or for general support, please contact the AIR·MS team using the contact information shown below
AIR•MS Training
We recently hosted our inaugural AIR•MS training session on April 24th, 2025, and hope to post future sessions here in the near future:
Submit A Ticket
- For general questions and requesting information: airms-info
- For support issues while using AIR·MS: airms-suppo
Contact Us
For any inquiries about AIR·MS or for general support, please contact the AIR·MS team using the contact information shown below
- For general questions and requesting information: airms-info
- For support issues while using AIR·MS: airms-support
Frequently Asked Questions
Connectivity
Q: I work from home. Can I connect to AIR·MS directly from the internet?
A: To access AIR·MS, you must be using an authorized Mount Sinai device and be connected to the Mount Sinai network either from an office or over VPN.
Q: How can I connect to AIR·MS?
A: Most researchers run AIR·MS from Minerva (HPC) using python / R, however we also support connecting using DBeaver if using a Mount Sinai approved device. Refer to the AIR.MS getting started page: https://mtsinai.sharepoint.com/sites/airms/SitePages/Getting-started.aspx
Usability
Q: How do I query AIR·MS? Are there examples?
A: Yes, you can find examples under the quicklinks folder of the AIR·MS folder in AML or HPC. The sample Notebooks can also be downloaded from the AIR·MS GitHub repo: https://github.mountsinai.org/AIRMS/airms-researcher-tutorials-minerva
Q: Do I need to learn a new language to use the library?
A: With the AIR·MS libraries, if you already understand python and SQL programming you should be ready to go!
Data
Q: I’m in the middle of a research project but would like to move to AIR·MS. I have a list of EPIC MRN numbers representing the patient cohort. Does the AIR·MS MSDW OMOP PHI dataset utilize the EPIC MRN number?
A: No, the MSDW OMOP PHI dataset uses its own MRN convention. There is however an extended OMOP attribute which represents the EPIC MRN number. This attribute on the PERSON table is XTN_PATIENT_EPIC_MRN.
Q: Do you provide any type of search capabilities in AIR·MS?
A: Yes, we offer full-text search on all the unstructured data coming from EPIC/MSDW. The search in AIR·MS leverages SAP HANA in-memory indexes and offers outstanding performance. An example Notebook is available in the AIR·MS tutorials GitHub repo: https://github.mountsinai.org/AIRMS/airms-researcher-tutorials
Q: I’m working with Pathology data. How can I obtain a list of digitized slides available on Minerva?
A: All digitized slides will contain a value for INTERNAL_SLIDE_ID (glass slide barcode id) in table “CDMPATHOLOGYSTAGE”.”ACC_SLIDE_IMAGESERVER”. You can obtain the filename (.isyntax file) in column ACC_SLIDE_IMAGESERVER_DESCRIPTION.
Note: Not all filenames are currently populated in the dataset, as this information was not being captured during the beginning of the digitization process.
Access and Security
Q: How can I obtain access to AIR·MS?
A: Please see the AIR·MS getting started section
Q: Is there a DUA for AIR·MS?
A: Absolutely, and you must sign it before obtaining access. While it’s incorporated in the SailPoint workflow during the data request process, you can also download the latest copy here