Competence in data science has become essential for health services and health outcomes researchers. Today’s data-driven challenges require an understanding of statistics, health econometrics, and predictive analysis.

Informative Q&A with Jennifer C. Nelson (PhD, ’99), director of Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute and an affiliate professor of biostatistics at the University of Washington School of Public Health.

Gary Chan, professor of biostatistics and health services with the University of Washington School of Public Health, was recently voted president-elect of the

The Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) consortium at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center received a $9.8M grant to improve genetic risk prediction for cardiovascular disease in racially and ethnically diverse populations. “The goal is to create risk scores for cardiovascular and related diseases that work equally well in people of color as in European Americans,” said Charles Kooperberg, head of the Hutch’s Biostatistics Program and one of the principal investigators of the study. Kooperberg is also an affiliate professor of biostatistics with the University of Washington School of Public Health.

Affiliate Professor of Biostatistics and Fred Hutch biostatistician Holly Janes participated in discussions about the design of HIV vaccine trails in the era of oral PrEP. “There are a lot of people who are interested in PrEP, but cannot sustain that over time,” she said. “One reason has to do with the usual challenges of getting people to change their behaviors when they are healthy. An analogy might be the difficulty in getting people to floss their teeth on a daily basis. It’s difficult for all of us,” said Janes.