Department of Biostatistics - Forging New Frontiers in Data Science and Public Health

The Yale Center for Methods in Implementation and Prevention Science (CMIPS) works to break through the barriers that keep evidence-based interventions from going mainstream while also expediting the transition from research to practice. Led by Dr. Donna Spiegleman, the center is pioneering new methods to optimize the impact of targeted interventions.

The Yale Center for Analytical Sciences is leading the way in collaborative science. In partnership with the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation and the Yale School of Public Health, the center combines existing academic strengths in biostatistics, epidemiology, health economics, health policy, health services, and big data research at Yale. Its primary mission is to collaborate with investigators on studies to improve health and advance the development of innovative analytical methods while educating and training the next generation of researchers and methodologists.

Data scientists in the Yale School of Public Health’s Department of Biostatistics are using advanced mathematical modeling to help public health professionals identify effective interventions and strategies to address today’s complex public health issues. By applying creative computer simulation and analysis, our scientists are pioneering new ways of investigating public health data in situations where more traditional forms of research are difficult to do due to logistical, temporal, or other barriers.

A team of scientists led by Dr. Elizabeth B. Claus, professor of biostatistics at the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) and an attending neurosurgeon in the Department of Neurosurgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, recently received a $13 million grant to help answer these questions by investigating the molecular evolution of lower-grade gliomas.

First-year master’s degree student Zichun Xu chose the Yale School of Public Health to pursue his studies in biostatistics because of its world-class faculty and engaging academic environment. He particularly enjoys the school’s academic freedom to take classes in related disciplines across Yale. But student life is not all lectures and studying. In his downtime, Xu can often be found playing basketball at the Payne Whitney Gym or biting into a slice of New Haven’s world-famous pizza.

In the Yale School of Public Health’s Department of Biostatistics, Associate Professor Yize Zhao is developing innovative statistical and machine learning methods to advance our knowledge of how the intricate processes within our brains impact our mental and physical well-being, and how these processes contribute to debilitating diseases like Alzheimer’s and depression.

Having never visited the U.S., Yaqing Xu was initially hesitant about entering the master’s degree program in the Yale School of Public Health’s Department of Biostatistics. But positive support from her professors and fellow students, along with exciting course material and research opportunities, confirmed she made the right choice. Xu stayed on at Yale to take advantage of the department’s stellar PhD program, adding to the department’s many stories of outstanding student success.

As the director of the Consumer Health Informatics Lab (CHIL) at Yale, Assistant Professor Terika McCall, PhD, MPH, MBA, is using the latest in digital and mobile technologies to reduce disparities and improve physical and mental well-being among traditionally underserved groups. As part of that effort, McCall is creating new smartphone applications intended to improve mental health resources for Black women and support formerly incarcerated individuals returning to the community. And she’s just getting started.

Faculty and students in the Yale School of Public Health’s Department of Biostatistics are being recognized around the world for their outstanding scholarship and research.