What brought you to the UAB School of Public Health?

The UAB School of Public Health community instantly made me feel welcomed and supported, and I felt like there was a really unique opportunity for me here. I knew that the UAB School of Public Health had an outstanding reputation for public health research prior to visiting, and during the interview process I was able to see first-hand how I could contribute to extremely meaningful collaborative research here. I was especially excited about the opportunity to be a part of the DATA coordinating and Collaborative Research Unit (DATA CRU).

What is the broad focus of your research?

My research focuses on the design and conduct of clinical trials and longitudinal studies. I am particularly interested in innovative clinical trial designs and the operational considerations for implementing these types of trials.

Where did you receive your training and degrees?

I received my BS in Biochemistry from Beloit College (Beloit, WI), my MS in Biostatistics from Northwestern University (Chicago, IL), and my PhD in Biostatistics from the University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA).

What is the most exciting project you are currently working on?

As a part of my role, I am the Assistant Director for Clinical Trials Development for the DATA coordinating and Collaborative Research Unit (DATA CRU). I am really enjoying learning more about what it takes to manage the large-scale projects which the DATA CRU works on, and I am excited about this opportunity to learn from everyone here at SOPH who has experience working as a part of coordinating centers and research cores for multicenter trials and longitudinal studies.

What professional accomplishment are you most proud of so far in your career?

Overall, I am most proud of my perseverance and trusting my vision for my career, even when the path did not seem to be very linear. When I started studying biostatistics, I did not know exactly what I wanted my career to be, but I have been so fortunate to come across so many incredible mentors who have helped (and continue to help) me figure out the right direction for me.

What is the coolest training or program you've been a part of, or your favorite conference you've attended?

I could not pick just one training program because I think the combination of different training programs is what has been the most beneficial to me. Throughout my PhD program, I had the opportunity to participate in training programs related to clinical trials research across academia, government, and industry. This included a graduate research assistantship with the Clinical Trials Statistical and Data Management Center (CTSDMC) at the University of Iowa, an ORISE Fellowship hosted by FDA CDER Office of Biostatistics, a Co-op in Biostatistics and Data Science at Boehringer Ingelheim, and participating in the FDA-OCE-ASA Oncology Educational Fellowship. Each of these provided me with distinct skills and knowledge that I could not have learned in the classroom and taught me about research across sectors. These experiences have made me really passionate about encouraging the students and trainees I come across to participate in unique training opportunities, such as these.

What kind of research would you like to be doing that you haven’t yet had the opportunity to do?

While I was at the University of Iowa, I had the opportunity to work on a pragmatic clinical trial, the Fibromyalgia TENS in Physical Therapy Study (FM-TIPS). In this experience I was exposed to some of the advantages and barriers to conducting these types of trials, and I would really like to learn more about the implementation of pragmatic and decentralized clinical trials.

If you weren’t in academia, what would your career be?

Sports statistician – sports have always been a huge part of my life, and I think it would be very fun to do research in this setting.