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Request Database Access

Get direct SQL access to Emory's OMOP data lake on Amazon Redshift — query with your own tools, your own code, on your own terms.

What You'll Get

  • Full SQL Access

    Query all OMOP Common Data Model tables directly — conditions, drugs, measurements, procedures, visits, and more.

  • Use Any Tool

    Connect from DBeaver, Python, R, the AWS Console query editor, or any Redshift-compatible client.

  • Export Your Results

    Pull result sets into your local environment for downstream analysis, visualization, or modeling.

  • Beyond ATLAS

    Access tables, columns, and query patterns that ATLAS doesn't expose. Full flexibility for custom research.

How is this different from ATLAS?

ATLAS is a point-and-click web application for cohort building and standardized analyses. Database access gives you the underlying tables with full SQL flexibility. Many researchers use both — ATLAS for exploration, SQL for custom queries.

Prerequisites

Before submitting your request, confirm the following:

  • Emory VPN — connected and working1
  • Biomedical CITI training — completed within the last 3 years
  • Emory HIPAA training — completed

Request Access

All access requests go through a single REDCap form — the same one used for ATLAS. The key difference is which system you select in Step 1.

Open the Access Request Form

Step 1: Select Resources and Systems

Fill in your name and Emory email, then make the following selections: (1)

  1. The form dynamically shows follow-up questions based on your selections. Choose them in order from top to bottom.
Field What to Select
Which resources do you need access to? Databases, applications, and data lakes
Which application, database, or data lake? Data Solutions Team Data Lake
Which data sources do you need? omop_prod (de-id) — Enterprise OMOP Database - De-ID schema

REDCap form showing resource, system, and data source selections for database access

Need access to identified data?

The form also lists omop_prod (without de-id) — the Enterprise OMOP Database with identified data. This option requires an approved IRB protocol and will be provisioned as a custom schema for your project. Start with de-identified access first, and contact the Data Solutions team for guidance on identified data.

Step 2: Provide a Justification

Describe your use case for direct database access. A brief statement is sufficient:

Querying OMOP-CDM tables for observational research using SQL/Python/R

Step 3: Upload Required Trainings

Confirm completion and upload certificates for both required trainings:

  1. Biomedical CITI training — completed within the last 3 years. Select Yes and upload your certificate.
  2. Emory HIPAA training — current. Select Yes and upload your certificate.

REDCap form showing training confirmations and certificate upload fields

Step 4: Review the OMOP Terms of Data Use

Read the OMOP Terms of Data Use agreement carefully, then provide your electronic signature.

What does the Terms of Data Use cover?

The agreement covers appropriate use of the OMOP database, including data security requirements, disclosure restrictions, and compliance with Emory's HIPAA security and technical controls.

Step 5: Submit

Click Submit. The Data Solutions team will review your request and provision access.

After You're Approved

The team will email you connection details including the host endpoint, port, database name, and your credentials. From there, connect using any Redshift-compatible tool:

  1. Open DBeaver and create a new connection
  2. Select Amazon Redshift as the driver
  3. Enter the host, port, database, and credentials from your email
  4. Test the connection and save
import redshift_connector

conn = redshift_connector.connect(
    host="<host from email>",
    port=5439,
    database="<database from email>",
    user="<your username>",
    password="<your password>"
)

cursor = conn.cursor()
cursor.execute("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM cdm.person")
print(cursor.fetchone())

library(DBI)
library(RPostgres)

con <- dbConnect(
  RPostgres::Redshift(),
  host = "<host from email>",
  port = 5439,
  dbname = "<database from email>",
  user = "<your username>",
  password = "<your password>"
)

dbGetQuery(con, "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM cdm.person")
  1. Log in to the AWS Redshift Console
  2. Navigate to the Query Editor
  3. Select the cluster and enter your credentials
  4. Start querying

For more on tools and query patterns:

Programming Languages and Tools

Questions?

Reach out via the support channels on the Contact Us page.

  1. You can verify your VPN by accessing any internal Emory resource. If you need VPN help, contact Emory IT. ↩