university of toronto phd biostatistics

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Public health sciences: public health sciences phd, doctor of philosophy, program description.

The PhD program prepares students for research and academic careers. Fieldwork and research enhance theoretical studies and expose students to the full breadth and depth of their public health science disciplines. Applicants apply and may be admitted to one of the following fields:

Biostatistics

Epidemiology

Occupational and Environmental Health

Social and Behavioural Health Sciences

The PhD program may be completed on a full-time or flexible-time basis.

With the approval of the graduate chair, some applicants may be admitted to a flexible-time PhD program. This program will benefit mature students with career obligations, and applicants must demonstrate that they are practising professionals. Degree requirements for the flexible-time program are identical to those for the full-time PhD program. Students are required to register full-time for the first four years of their program, after which they may register part-time. A plan of study and research activities will be negotiated at initial registration, to be reviewed and updated annually.

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Dalla Lana School of Public Health

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Faculty Member

Wendy lou ph.d., research interests.

• Distribution Theory of Runs and Patterns and Its Applications
• Measures for Continuity of Care
• Joint Modeling for Longitudinal and Survival Data
• Analysis of Patterns and Repeats in DNA Sequences
• Methods for Health Care Quality Monitoring

Education & Training History

PhD: University of Toronto, Biostatistics

Other Affiliations

Department of Statistics, University of Toronto

Honours & Awards

Fellow of the American Statistical Association Canada Research Chair in Statistical Methods for Health Care Anthony Miller Award for Excellence in Research

School of Graduate Studies

Medical science, program overview.

The Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy programs in Medical Science are available in a wide range of basic sciences, clinical sciences, and population health research. Under the mentorship of a faculty member, a student receives specialized training and exposure to Toronto’s finest multidisciplinary research. Students conduct research in one of six fields:

• Biomedical Science
• Clinical Science
• Health Professions Education
• Population Health/Health Services
• Radiation Oncology

The full-time MSc and PhD programs emphasize hands-on research, rather than coursework. The Institute of Medical Science (IMS) is the graduate unit of choice for MDs seeking training as clinician investigators, and graduates may seek positions as academics and health-care professionals in universities, government, and industry. The IMS participates in the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Clinical Investigator Program (CIP).

Students may also be interested in the combined degree program in  Medicine, Doctor of / Doctor of Philosophy (MD/PhD) .

See video: Explore Graduate Programs at the Faculty of Medicine

Quick Facts

Master of Science

Program description.

The MSc program is available in a wide range of basic sciences, clinical sciences, and population health research. Under the mentorship of a faculty member, a student receives specialized training and exposure to Toronto's finest multidisciplinary research. Students conduct research in one of six fields: Bioethics; Biomedical Science; Clinical Science; Health Professions Education; Population Health/Health Services; and Radiation Oncology.

The program emphasizes hands-on research, rather than coursework. Faculty conduct research in the following areas: cardiovascular sciences, bioethics, neuroscience, membrane biology, respiratory medicine, and psychosomatic medicine. The Institute of Medical Science (IMS) is the graduate unit of choice for undergraduates and MDs seeking training as clinician investigators, and graduates may seek positions as academics and health-care professionals in universities, government, and industry. The IMS participates in the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Clinical Investigator Program (CIP).

Students will complete the program in two years over six sessions.

Minimum Admission Requirements

• Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Institute of Medical Science's additional admission requirements stated below.

An appropriate BSc or an MD degree from a recognized university and academic credentials and background preparation appropriate to the field of study. Qualified university graduates with a professional health science degree (for example, MD, BScN) or an undergraduate arts and science degree of appropriate background who wish to pursue graduate studies in basic or clinical biomedical sciences are encouraged to apply.

Applicants lacking adequate background in biological, natural, or social sciences may be required to take undergraduate or graduate courses considered necessary to provide a proper basis for their research.

A– (80%) average in the final year of undergraduate study and an A– cumulative average over three of the four total years of study.

Applicants whose primary language is not English, and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction was not English, must demonstrate proficiency in the English language through the successful completion of one of the following English language proficiency tests:

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL):

a minimum score of 600 on the paper-based test and 5 on the Test of Written English (TWE); or

a minimum score of 100 on the Internet-based test and 25 on the writing and speaking sections.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS): minimum overall score of 7.5 with at least 6.5 in each component.

Certificate of Proficiency in English (COPE): minimum total of 86 with a minimum writing score of 32, reading score of 22, and listening score of 22. Test of Oral Proficiency assessment band = 7.

Program Requirements

Coursework. Students must complete a minimum of 2.0 graduate full-course equivalent (FCEs) as follows:

0.5 FCE: MSC1010H 0 MSc Student Seminars in Translational Research (Credit/No Credit).

0.5 FCE: MSC modular courses (two courses worth 0.25 FCE each).

1.0 elective FCE.

A research thesis and oral thesis examination .

Program Length

6 sessions full-time (typical registration sequence: F/W/S/F/W/S)

3 years full-time

0 Course that may continue over a program. Credit is given when the course is completed.

Doctor of Philosophy

The PhD program is available in a wide range of basic sciences, clinical sciences, and population health research. Under the mentorship of a faculty member, a student receives specialized training and exposure to Toronto's finest multidisciplinary research. Students conduct research in one of six fields: Bioethics; Biomedical Science; Clinical Science; Health Professions Education; Population Health/Health Services; and Radiation Oncology.

The program emphasizes hands-on research, rather than coursework. Faculty conduct research in the following areas: cardiovascular sciences, bioethics, neuroscience, membrane biology, respiratory medicine, and psychosomatic medicine. The Institute of Medical Science (IMS) is the graduate unit of choice for undergraduates and MDs seeking training as clinician investigators, and graduates may seek positions as academics and health-care professionals in universities, government, and industry. IMS participates in the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Clinical Investigator Program (CIP).

Applicants may enter the PhD program via one of three routes: 1) following completion of a two-year, thesis-based MSc degree with a defended MSc thesis; 2) transfer from the IMS MSc program; or 3) direct entry following completion of an appropriate BSc or MD degree.

Completion of the PhD may take longer than the program length indicated below.

PhD Program

Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Institute of Medical Science (IMS)'s additional admission requirements stated below.

Applicants whose primary language is not English, and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction and examination was not English, must demonstrate facility in the English language through the successful completion of one of the following English-language proficiency tests:

Certificate of Proficiency in English (COPE): minimum total score of 86 with minimum writing score of 32, reading score of 22, and listening score of 22. Test of Oral Proficiency assessment band = 7.

Applicants may be accepted into the PhD program after completing a two-year, thesis-based MSc degree (with a defended MSc thesis) with at least an A– standing from a recognized university.

Coursework. Students must complete a minimum of 2.0 graduate full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

0.5 FCE: MSC1011H 0 PhD Student Seminars in Translational Research (Credit/No Credit).

Students may be required to take extra courses in addition to the degree requirements.

Students must pass a qualifying examination within 18 to 21 months of starting the program.

A research thesis must be submitted, and the student must pass an IMS departmental oral examination before proceeding to the Doctoral Final Oral Examination conducted by the School of Graduate Studies.

At the end of Year 3, students must have completed all program requirements exclusive of the thesis research in order to achieve candidacy.

In cases where a student's prior academic background may have covered any of the courses listed above, substitutions will be required. Such substitutions can include any courses in IMS. For courses taken outside of this graduate unit, students should consult with their Graduate Coordinator.

0 Course that may continue over a program. The course is graded when completed.

PhD Program (Transfer)

Transfer requirements.

Applicants may be accepted into the PhD program via transfer from the University of Toronto MSc program. Outstanding students may be considered for reclassification/transfer into the PhD program without writing an MSc thesis.

Students must complete 3.0 graduate full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

1.0 elective FCE with a minimum A– average.

The student will be evaluated in an oral transfer examination within 18 to 21 months of initial graduate registration.

The successful applicant will enter the PhD program and complete:

0.5 FCE: MSC1011H 0 PhD Student Seminars in Translational Research (Credit/No Credit) if credit for MSC1010H has not been obtained prior to transfer.

PhD Program (Direct-Entry)

Students are accepted via direct entry into the PhD program after completing an appropriate BSc or an MD degree, without completing a two-year, thesis-based MSc degree.

Coursework. Students must complete a minimum of 3.0 graduate full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

2.0 elective FCEs.

At the end of Year 4, students must have completed all program requirements exclusive of the thesis research in order to achieve candidacy.

“Creativity emerges from following your passions and daring to wonder how things might be connected.”

Biostatistics

University of Toronto

www.dlsph.utoronto.ca

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is the only global university performance table to judge research-intensive universities across all of their core missions: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.

Photos of university / #uoftmississauga

Graduates from the Biostatistics Division will be well suited to work as independent researchers within a university setting, and to take a leadership or supervisory role in university research institutes, government departments, hospitals, pharmaceutical/health corporations, and other health agencies such as cancer research units.

Required Courses

• All students are required to take the courses listed here. Those who have completed them at the Master’s level and have achieved at least an A-, may be given an exemption and be required to replace these courses with electives.
• Students who have taken their MSc in the department, may have taken some or all of these courses already. In this case their program of study will be designed with consultation of the program director at the time of admission.

Comprehensive Examination

PhD students are required to attempt the comprehensive exam within the first year of entering the program. The examination, which is usually offered in the late summer, involves both theoretical and practical components, divided into three parts. The theoretical component comprises two in-class exams of 5 hours each, the first (Part I) covering foundations such as probability and mathematical statistics, and the second (Part II) covering biostatistical methodology. The format for the practical component (Part III) is a take-home exam, where the student is given one week to submit a report which summarizes the statistical analysis of at least one dataset.

• Master’s degree with research experience from a recognized university*
• A- (A minus) average in Master’s program in a relevant area of study
• Research experience

Cell and Systems Biology

Molecular Biology

University of Montreal

Agricultural, biosystems and mechanical engineering.

South Dakota State University

Biochemistry and molecular biophysics.

University of Chicago

Biological and environmental sciences.

Qatar University

Biological anthropology.

University of Cambridge

Biological science, biological science — babraham institute, biological science — mrc laboratory of molecular biology, biological science — mrc mitochondrial biology unit, deadline information.

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News & events, epidemiology, phd student profiles, natalie boychuk.

• [email protected]

Natalie Boychuk is interested in the social and structural determinants of postpartum complications and particularly the impact of social policies (such as paid family leave) on postpartum health outcomes. A secondary area of interest includes the influence of chronic gynecological conditions (PCOS, endometriosis, adenomyosis) on life course reproductive health. She received her MPH from Columbia Mailman, where she worked on a project revising WHO metrics for emergency obstetric and newborn care. She has spent the last two years working as a data analyst for Dr. Teresa Janevic , where she has worked on studies related to racism and postpartum cardiometabolic health, prediction modelling for postpartum hospital utilization, diabetes trajectories after gestational diabetes, and an evaluation of a community-based doula program. A proud Canadian, Natalie obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto. In her free time, she loves to bake, explore the city with her partner Harry, and spend time with their cat, Shelby. 

Research Interests

• Reproductive, Maternal, and Child Health
• Social Epidemiology
• Health Services
• Epidemiologic Methods

Stanford Chihuri

• [email protected]

I am an epidemiologist with experience in patient and population-based research utilizing large database schemas. At Columbia University Medical Center, I helped design and conduct studies on substance use and injuries. My research focuses on the intersection of substance use, policies, and harm outcomes, such as injuries from motor vehicle crashes, falls, and self-harm, particularly among vulnerable populations like older adults, amputees, and pregnant women. I have guest-lectured on injury research methods at Columbia University and directed the Injury Lab at the Columbia University Center for Injury Science and Prevention.

Previously, I utilized statistical methods such as hierarchical modeling, longitudinal data analysis, and structural equation modeling to assist researchers investigating the health impacts of medication and product exposures. This includes studies on prenatal anesthesia exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes, epidural use and maternal mortality and morbidity, and allogeneic blood transfusion and postoperative infections.

I hold an MPH in epidemiology with a certificate in advanced epidemiology from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. In my free time, I enjoy reading true-crime novels, cooking, playing soccer, and listening to podcasts.

• Substance Use and Substance Use Disorders
• Injury Prevention
• Research Methods 

Alexander Furuya

• [email protected]

I am a Columbia University graduate student pursuing a PhD in Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health. I have an extensive background in data analysis, statistical programming, and public health research. My goal is to understand social determinants of health among those in the LGBTQ+ community and immigrant communities, and I hope to identify effective interventions to improve health.

I currently work with Dr. Dustin Duncan in analyzing data form the Trying to Understand Relationships, Networks and Neighborhoods in Trans women of color (TURNNT) Cohort. Specifically, I am looking into determinants of HIV prevention and treatment and identifying factors that affect them.

• LGBTQ+ Health
• Health of the Aging Community
• Intervention Science
• HIV Treatment and Prevention
• Biostatistical Methodologies
• Chronic Disease Epidemiology
• [email protected]

I am a first year doctoral student, first year fellow on the Global HIV Implementation Science Research Training Fellowship with ICAP, and an infectious disease epidemiologist. I received a BS in Biological Sciences from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 2014, an MPH in Epidemiological Methods and Applications from the University of Michigan in 2016, and prior to coming to Columbia, spent about seven years at the San Francisco Department of Public Health in the HIV Epidemiology Section. My research interests are centered around infectious disease prevention and treatment interventions, and I have past work pertaining to HIV care navigation, hepatitis C treatment, mpox vaccination, and COVID-19 coinfection among people with HIV. Apart from my role as an analyst, as a database administrator and developer, I designed, carried out, and evaluated a surveillance system modernization project to increase the accuracy, timeliness, and accessibility of HIV test results for department case investigators and outreach staff. My current projects relate to PrEP demand creation among women in South Africa and HIV care retention patterns in Côte d'Ivoire.

• Infectious Disease
• Health Interventions
• Implementation Science
• Global Health

Hoisum Nguyen

• [email protected]

Inspired by the stories of immigrants and social justice movements in the United States, Hoisum's research centralizes psychiatric and mental health outcomes with a particular focus on trauma and violence as it relates to firearms, racial/ethnic populations, LGBQIA+ communities, and financial means. Equipped with a Master’s in Public Health (MPH, Class of 2020) from Boston University in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, prior training in causal theories from UCLA (2021-2023), and previous work in suicide outcomes and emergency preparedness during the COVID-19 pandemic for the county of Santa Clara, CA (2020-2022), Hoisum aims to create research of consequence for policy formulation.

Hoisum is currently a Doctoral Candidate in Epidemiology, a pre-doctoral fellow in Psychiatric Epidemiology Training Fellow (PET-T32), and also a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Research Scholar (HPRS) receiving health policy and leadership training from Johns Hopkins University (Class of 2026).

• Mental and Psychiatric Health
• Violence and Trauma Epidemiology
• Firearms Violence
• Health Equity and Social Disparities
• Racial/Ethnic Community Health
• Health Policy

Adam Whalen

• [email protected]

I am a first-year pre-doctoral candidate in Epidemiology and a pre-doctoral fellow in the Advanced Training in Environmental Health and Data Science Training Program, jointly managed through the Department of Epidemiology and the Environmental Health Sciences Department. I received my BS in Biology and Public Health Science in 2015 from Santa Clara University, and my MPH in Epidemiology with a Certificate in Applied Biostatistics and Public Health Data Science from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in 2021. Previously, I worked as a data analyst at the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, working on research projects related to Hispanic/Latino health as well as women living with HIV. As a member of the Spatial Epidemiology Lab at Columbia, my current research investigates how discrimination against transgender women of color and sexual minority men affects health outcomes. I also examine activity space exposure to different features of the bult and social environment and how they influence criminal legal system involvement, sleep, access to gender-affirming health care, and other outcomes. My research interests include social and spatial epidemiology, novel spatiotemporal methods including GPS-based activity space analysis and geofencing applications, injury and violence outcomes such as transportation and police violence, and sexual and gender minority health.

• Spatial Methods
• Injury/Violence
• Transportation
• Police violence
• Sexual and Gender Minority Health

Erin M. Annunziato

• [email protected]

I am a pre-doctoral fellow in the Substance Abuse Epidemiology T32 Training Program. I am interested in structural-level determinants contributing to substance use-related harms, including racial and ethnic disparities in substance use treatment and drug-related legal outcomes. My current research examines relationships between 1) state policies, such as drug monitoring programs, and legal outcomes, and 2) racial and ethnic disparities in substance use treatment access through the criminal legal system. I have a BS in Biology from Boston College and an MPH in Epidemiology from the Mailman School of Public Health.

• Drug policy
• Drug criminalization
• Racial and ethnic disparities
• Social epidemiology
• [email protected]
• Google Scholar

I am a second year pre-doctoral candidate in Epidemiology and a second year pre-doctoral fellow in the Advanced Training in Environmental Health and Data Science Training Program, jointly managed through the Department of Epidemiology and the Environmental Health Sciences Department. I earned a BS in Biology from Brooklyn College (CUNY) in 2019, and an MPH in Epidemiology with an Advanced Certificate in Public Health and Humanitarian Action from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in 2021. Previously, I served as a clinical research coordinator at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, where I managed all aspects of research and administration for the Stroke Division. My previous research has focused on a range of mental, neurological, and substance use issues in humanitarian settings. As a doctoral student, my research efforts are focused on evaluating neurodevelopmental outcomes amidst the complex landscape of mental health and substance use among adolescents and their caregivers in diverse conflict-affected settings. My research interests include global mental health, substance use epidemiology, child development, and disability advocacy. 

• Global Mental Health
• Substance Use Epidemiology
• Child Development
• Disability Advocacy

Nicole Itzkowitz

• [email protected]

I am a 2nd year PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology and a pre-doctoral fellow in the Advanced Training in Environmental Health and Data Science T32 Training Program. I entered the program in 2022 with an MSc in epidemiology from The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a BA in public health from the University of Rochester. My research interests are broadly concerned with quantifying urban environmental and built environment exposures and exploring their relationship with injury and other non-communicable disease outcomes. My previous work at Imperial College focused on examining the causal relationship between acute noise pollution exposure and cardiovascular disease hospitalizations and creating a composite metric to estimate smoking behavior at small spatial resolutions. I am currently working with Dr. Andrew Rundle and the Built Environment and Health research group on several projects related to pedestrian and micromobility injuries and fatalities in the context of the built environment and alcohol use.

• Environmental Exposures
• Built Environment
• Non-communicable Disease 

German Rivera-Castellar

• [email protected]

I started my PhD in Epidemiology in 2022 after finishing my MPH at New York University GPH. Before moving to NYC, I completed a MS in research and evaluation of health systems and a BS in industrial microbiology at the University of Puerto Rico. Previously, I have worked in evaluation of CDC funded public health programs at UPR Comprehensive Cancer Center, knowledge management at UNICEF HIV/AIDS section, and research regarding HIV/AIDS in Puerto Rico and vaccination hesitancy amongst PWID. Currently, I am a fellow in T32 Social Determinants of HIV and my research interest include disparities in HIV amongst racial and ethnic minorities as we as sexual and gender minorities. My current work also addresses changes in the gut microbiome and its effect in the body. 

• Racial and Ethnic Disparities
• Sexual and Gender Minorities
• Spatial Epidemiology

Michelle Smith

• [email protected]

I am a second-year PhD student specializing in Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health. I am also a Lead Teaching Fellow at the Center for Teaching and Learning, and am a Trainee Associate Member of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. I received my BS in Biology from Stony Brook University and my MPH in Epidemiology from SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. My professional experience spans medical research in start-up companies, academic hospitals and research centers. Previously, I worked in start-up companies geared towards cancer outcomes and precision medicine where I focused on data abstraction and analysis of breast, colorectal and lung cancers using electronic medical records. I contributed to research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on integrative medicine techniques addressing chemo-induced neuropathy, and administratively managed multiple projects at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, encompassing population health, neurosurgery, and Alzheimer’s disease research. At SUNY Downstate, I began research on adverse pregnancy outcomes and social determinants of health (SDOH) among predominantly Caribbean and African communities in Brooklyn. My current research focuses on examining the nuances of the breast cancer tumor microenvironment, particularly around pregnancy and hormonal shifts. This work involves spatial analysis, T-cell distribution, proteomics and traditional epidemiologic methods. 

• Breast Cancer
• Cancers of the Reproductive System
• Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
• Machine Learning
• Digital and Computational Pathology
• Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)
• Health Disparities

Sara Wallach

• [email protected]

I am a second-year pre-doctoral candidate in Epidemiology and a second-year pre-doctoral fellow in the Global HIV Implementation Science Research Training Fellowship. I received my BA in Anthropology and Global Public Health from New York University and my MPH, with a focus on the evaluation of international health programs, from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In my work with the New Jersey Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Zimbabwe Office, I implemented, managed, and evaluated large-scale HIV programs. My research currently focuses on using novel epidemiologic methods to evaluate the impact of HIV programs using routinely collected data. I also perform research to determine drivers of HIV acquisition and opportunities for prevention in various contexts and populations using population-based HIV impact assessments and other data sources. My research interests include HIV, implementation science, health and human rights, LGBTQ+ health, and infectious diseases.

• Health and Human Rights
• Infectious Diseases

Dana Bezuidenhout

• [email protected]

I am a third-year pre-doctoral candidate in Epidemiology and a pre-doctoral fellow in the Global HIV Implementation Science Research Training Fellowship. I received my BA in Biology, Society, and the Environment from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in 2016 and my MPH, focusing on Epidemiology and Global Health, from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in 2018. Previously I worked as a project manager and epidemiologist at The Foundation for Professional Development in East London, South Africa, working on tuberculosis (TB) point-of-care diagnostics, TB stigma, and HIV prevention interventions for adolescent girls and young women. My research currently focuses on incorporating spatial and genomic data as an innovative way to understand community TB transmission and to inform active case-finding strategies in TB-endemic settings. I also perform research assessing the impact of diabetes on TB treatment outcomes. My research interests include TB transmission, spatial epidemiology, and implementation science.

• Tuberculosis Transmission

Sarah Forthal

• [email protected]

I am a PhD candidate and pre-doctoral fellow in the T32 Psychiatric Epidemiology Training Program at the Mailman School of Public Health. I am also a biostatistical analyst with the Global Psychiatric Epidemiology Group at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. I received an MPH in epidemiology from Mailman in 2019 and a BA in political science and statistics from Columbia’s undergraduate college in 2015. My core research interests include identifying mental health-protective factors following exposure to traumatic events, global mental health, intervention evaluation, and research with Multiracial populations. My current projects include investigating the role of parental social support in intergenerational trauma transmission, understanding depression risk in Multiracial American adults, developing an accessible guide to Single World Intervention Graphs, and co-authoring a book chapter on the health of Multiracial youth. Prior to entering the PhD program, I held research positions at the Partnership to End Addiction and Columbia-World Health Organization Center for Global Mental Health.

Catherine Gimbrone

• [email protected]

My research focuses on policy impacts and social disparities within psychiatric epidemiology. I'm passionate about exploring related areas and have been involved in a wide range of projects. These include studies on reproductive health policy, firearm legislation, naloxone access laws, adolescent political beliefs, and suicide trend forecasting. My goal is to identify emerging mental health trends among vulnerable populations, to help improve treatment efforts and inform policy decisions. I've co-authored several publications and enjoy using my skills in statistics to deepen my understanding of these complex issues. I graduated with an MPH from Columbia University in 2020 and, in a past life, worked in filmmaking and fashion.

• Psychiatric Epidemiology
• Policy Research
• Reproductive Health
• Adolescence

Anton Kociolek

• [email protected]

I am a third-year pre-doctoral candidate in Epidemiology and a graduate research assistant at the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain. In 2014, I received my BA in Anthropology from the City University of New York and in 2017 received my MA in Anthropology from the same institution, with a focus on historical anthropology of the Caribbean. I received my MS in Epidemiology from the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health in 2020. Prior to entering the Doctoral program in Epidemiology at Mailman, I worked as a study coordinator for Dr. Yaakov Stern at the Taub Institute, working on observational cohort studies of late-onset Alzheimer's Disease. My research focuses on investigating the relationships between underlying neuropathological processes and clinical signs in Alzheimer's Disease and the application of causal inference and machine learning methods to dementia research. My research interests include dementia and aging, neuroepidemiology, biomarker development and validation, causal inference, and machine learning. 

• Alzheimer's Disease
• Movement disorders
• Neuroepidemiology
• Causal Inference
• Machine Learning 

Megan Marziali

• [email protected]

I am a 3rd-year PhD Candidate in the Department of Epidemiology and a pre-doctoral fellow in the NIDA-funded T32 Substance Abuse Epidemiology Training Program (SAETP). I received my BSc in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of British Columbia in 2018 and my MPH in Epidemiology with a certificate in Advanced Epidemiology from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in 2021. My research focuses on substance use, including polysubstance use, fatal and nonfatal overdose, social networks, and psychosocial factors (e.g., loneliness). My work is often situated at the intersection of substance use and HIV. In addition, I perform research exploring the impact of various social and substance use policies on substance use outcomes.

• Social Networks
• Social Determinants of Health
• Social Policies
• Substance Use Policies

Melissa Nguyen

Inspired by the stories of immigrants and social justice movements in the United States, Hoisum's research centralizes psychiatric and mental health outcomes with a particular focus on trauma and violence as it relates to firearms, racial/ethnic populations, LGBQIA+ communities, and financial means. Equipped with prior training in causal theories from UCLA (2021-2023), Hoisum hopes to create research of consequence for policy formulation. Hoisum is also a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Research Scholar receiving health policy and leadership training from Johns Hopkins University (Class of 2026).

• Mental Health
• LGBTQIA+ Populations
• Racial/Ethnic Populations

Navdep Kaur

• [email protected]

I am a fourth-year Epidemiology PhD candidate and predoctoral fellow in the Psychiatric Epidemiology Training Program (Director: Katherine M. Keyes ). I hold an Epidemiology MPH from Columbia University, and a Math BS and Biology BS from SUNY Binghamton University. As a Punjabi woman, I have both witnessed and experienced racialized inequities in US healthcare access. My family was uninsured for over ten years of my childhood, and we struggled to meet basic healthcare needs due to financial constraints and other structural barriers. Our collective struggle has inspired the work I do. My research is dedicated to improving mental healthcare access for BIPOC individuals. I have led studies to understand mental health and treatment utilization trends in BIPOC populations. My dissertation aims to improve mental health provider access for Medicaid recipients residing in low-income and racially segregated neighborhoods. I am also a social activist for the Punjabi community and volunteer at Sakhi, a South Asian survivor-led non-profit that serves gender-based violence survivors in the diaspora. Together, we are developing a psychoeducation program for South Asian caregivers that aims to reduce childrearing stressors and mitigate intergenerational trauma. I am also providing my epidemiologic expertise to develop a mixed-methods evaluation of the program. 

• Health Equity

Aleya Khalifa

• [email protected]

As a PhD Candidate in the Department of Epidemiology, my research aims to improve HIV programs and research methodologies for mobile populations, from truck drivers to cross-border migrants. My dissertation - Unpacking The HIV Epidemic Among People On The Move In Uganda - is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health under the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F31). My research employs demographic, missing data, and spatial network methods to relate human movement to HIV outcomes. I have ten years of global experience at CDC, UNICEF, and ICAP designing HIV surveillance studies, modeling the epidemic for children and adolescents, and conducting implementation science to improve service delivery for vulnerable populations. I received my MPH in epidemiology from the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine with a concentration in infectious diseases.

• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Migrant Health
• Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Christina Mehranbod

• [email protected]

Christina Mehranbod is a fifth-year doctoral candidate in the Department of Epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Using geospatial techniques and built environment research, I am interested in examining how the places individuals frequent over time and various environmental characteristics influence health, particularly injury risk and substance use. My doctoral research explores the social determinants of injury and violence (i.e., firearm violence) with a particular focus on neighborhood definitions and spatial analyses relating environmental characteristics to alcohol related harms. I applied for and successfully received an NRSA F31 Award from the National Institute of Health National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to create an innovative GPS-informed measure of alcohol outlet density. I have also received grant funding as a Principal Investigator to study alcohol consumption, environment, and norms in the context of traumatic events in Armenia from the Columbia University Global Mental Health Council. I completed my MPH in Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University and my BA in Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley.

• Neighborhood Health
• Injury and Violence Prevention
• Substance Use

Sasinya Scott

• [email protected]

I am interested in translational epidemiology and reducing health disparities. I would like to bridge genomics and population research with implementation, specifically to expand precision prevention research and bring the benefits of personalized medicine to populations of color. I hope to promote collaborative and equitable research between communities, physicians, and scientists. I would also like to study how the levels of racism influence disparities and the utilization of research in minority populations.

• Health disparities, minority health, translational epidemiology, implementation science, health communication, data visualization

Stephen Uong

• [email protected]

I am a fourth-year pre-doctoral candidate in Epidemiology and a former pre-doctoral fellow in the Advanced Training in Environmental Health and Data Science Training Program. My current research interests are in spatial and environmental epidemiology, particularly in the built environment, social infrastructure, housing, and queer and immigrant populations. Methodologically, I am interested in GIS/spatial analyses, making R programming more accessible for public health practitioners, and machine learning applications in public health, particularly in natural language processing. 

I received a BS in Public Health and Microbiology from The University of Texas at Austin and an MPH in Global Epidemiology from Emory University. During my MPH studies, I interned for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists for teams focusing on enteric zoonotic outbreak investigations, HIV, and substance use. Before I entered the PhD program, I was a Consulting Data Analyst at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research focused on racial and ethnic & immigrant health disparities in breast cancer, air pollution and cardiovascular disease, and healthcare delivery science.

• Spatial and Environmental Epidemiology
• Built and Social Environment
• Social Capital and Infrastructure
• Urban Planning and Health
• Immigrant Health
• Natural Language Processing

Sumera Aziz

• [email protected]

I am a medical doctor and an epidemiologist by training. My area of research interest is maternal and child health with a specific focus on preconception nutrition and maternal anemia. I have worked as a PI and Co-PI for various projects to improve maternal and newborn health in rural areas of Pakistan. Examples of such projects include: 1) Bill and Melinda Gates Funded multi-country study- Women First Preconception Nutrition Trial 2) NIH-USA funded multi-country study- Antenatal Corticosteroid Trial; 3) WHO Funded Study-Third Party Evaluation of Measles Supplementary Immunization Activity in Sindh, Pakistan, 4) UNICEF funded study on stillbirths and quality of new born care in Pakistan, and 5) AKU-research council funded study on Out-of-pocket expenditure of vaginal delivery and cesarean section in Public and Private Hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan. I am a recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship, the Allen Rosenfield Award, and Alberta Innovates Postdoctoral Recruitment Fellowship. I also received funding from an NIH-sponsored capacity development project for my Masters in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Through my research work over the last one decade, I have published 88 scientific papers (30 as the first author) in peer reviewed journals, and I am also an author of two books.

• Maternal and Child Health

Christopher Crowe

• [email protected]

My primary goal as an epidemiologist is to facilitate the healthy aging of our population by better understanding how exposure to psychological and social factors throughout the life course may influence health during older adulthood. Under the supervision of Dr. Sarah Tom , my current research aims to evaluate potential causal relationships between structural, functional, and quality aspects of social connection or the lack thereof (e.g., social isolation, perceived loneliness) and cognitive health outcomes (e.g., cognitive decline, dementia) among older adults. 

Outside of my research work, I also have a strong interest in teaching and have experience both designing and delivering course content for undergraduate and graduate students. Most recently, I have worked as a teaching assistant for Epidemiology II: Design and Conduct of Observational Epidemiology under the supervision of Dr. Sharon Schwartz and (Y)our Longer Life under the supervision of Dean Linda Fried and Dr. Dana March Palmer .

Neal Jawadekar

• [email protected]

I am a 5th year PhD candidate in Epidemiology and an NIH F31 predoctoral fellow. Prior to joining Columbia, I earned my BA and MPH degrees at Tufts University, and I also gained valuable experience in data engineering and predictive modeling as a Data Scientist in the healthcare industry. As a PhD student, I am currently employing causal inference methods to investigate the relationship between cardiovascular risk factors, cardioprotective drugs, and dementia. My dissertation focuses on using machine learning methods, notably Bayesian Additive Regression Trees, to estimate the heterogeneous treatment effects of statins on dementia. I am particularly interested in utilizing data-driven approaches to help understand how treatment effectiveness varies across subgroups.

I have also been recognized as a national finalist for the 2023 Epidemiology Tyroler Student Prize Paper Award. My nominated paper, “Practical Guide to Honest Causal Forests for Identifying Heterogeneous Treatment Effects,” highlights my dedication to advancing statistical methodologies within the field of public health. As I continue my academic journey, I remain committed to combining the powers of big data and advanced analytics to help propel medical advancements forward.

• Predictive Modeling
• Heterogeneous Treatment Effects
• Cognitive Aging

Sneha Kannoth

• [email protected]

I am a fifth-year PhD candidate in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University. I have completed pre-doctoral training in the NIEHS Environmental Health and Data Science T32 Fellowship Program, and I am currently supported by the NIAID Global HIV Implementation Science T32 Fellowship. I received a BS in Neuroscience in 2016 from Carnegie Mellon University and an MPH in Chronic Disease Epidemiology in 2018 from Yale University. I am interested in understanding the pathways by which social and physical environmental factors influence infectious and chronic disease morbidity. My dissertation focuses on defining the role of cardiovascular morbidity in the relationship between ambient air pollution exposure and adverse COVID-19 outcomes in New York City. My previous work examined the relationship between physical environmental stressors, specifically ambient air pollution exposure, neighborhood-level vulnerability to environmental exposures, and health outcomes, such as COVID-19 and pediatric asthma morbidity. I have further explored how social environmental stressors, such as ageism, amplifies the incidence and cost of health conditions among older adults. My primary research interest includes examining the relationship between environmental exposures, factors that contribute to greater vulnerability to environmental exposures, and the onset of infectious and chronic disease outcomes among pediatric and elderly populations.

• Environment
• Pediatric Populations
• Older Adult Populations
• mHealth Interventions

Shabnaz Siddiq

• [email protected]

I am a fifth-year doctoral candidate in Epidemiology. I received my BHSc in Health Sciences and MSc in Epidemiology from the University of Ottawa in Canada. I was a fellow in the Environmental Health and Data Science training program from 2020-2023 at MSPH. I currently receive the Kirschstein-NRSA predoctoral fellowship (F31) award under the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. My current research uses existing and novel epidemiologic methods to evaluate the impact of phthalate metabolites and their mixture on maternal-fetal outcomes such as maternal gestational weight gain and fetal growth.

Research Interests 

• Maternal Child Health
• Environmental Health

Brandi Vollmer

• [email protected]

I am in my fifth year in the doctoral program here at Columbia University. I received my BS in biochemistry with a minor in molecular biology in 2014 from Colorado State University, and my MPH in Epidemiology from the Colorado School of Public Health in 2016. Previously, I worked as a research assistant in the Department of Neurology at the University of Colorado conducting comparative effectiveness studies investigating therapeutics used in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis. Since coming to Columbia University, I have utilized large claims-based data to examine the relationships of influenza-like illness and flu vaccination on stroke risk in young populations. Additionally, I have assisted in the exploration of healthcare utilization on cardiovascular outcomes. My current interests are in the relationship between inflammation throughout the lifetime and cognition or dementia risk. 

• Multiple Sclerosis

Autumn Clemons

• [email protected]

My name is Autumn Clemons, and I am a sixth-year doctoral candidate in Epidemiology. I have an MPH in International Health, where I conducted field research in Uganda, and an MS in Epidemiology. I also have extensive cardiovascular research experience. As a doctoral student, I worked on projects that use latent growth trajectory methods to assess how low-density lipoprotein (LDL) exposures throughout the life course contribute to cardiovascular disease burden and disparities later in life, leading to a manuscript published in JAMA Cardiology. I also worked on pilot projects that examined both chemical exposures and modifiable behaviors (e.g., breastfeeding) that increase breast cancer risk in Black and Hispanic women as an Initiative for Maximizing Student Development predoctoral fellow. My current research with Dr. Pam Factor-Litvak focuses on evaluating the socio-environmental (e.g., phthalate and psychosocial stress exposures) impact on adverse pregnancy outcomes in an ethnically diverse nulliparous pregnancy cohort in the United States. I began this research as a T32 Advanced training in environmental health and data science predoctoral fellow, where I contributed to peer-reviewed publications. During this fellowship, I was also awarded an F31 diversity grant to complete my dissertation to investigate psychosocial stress during pregnancy as a causal mechanism to explain the associations between maternal race and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in the United States. 

• Cardiovascular Health
• Environmental Health 

Anna Krasnova

• [email protected]

I am a pre-doctoral candidate in Epidemiology and a graduate research assistant with the Global Psychiatric Epidemiology group at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. I received a BSc in Computer Science and Statistics from the University of British Columbia and a MHS in Mental Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. My research is currently focused on using novel causal inference methods, including causal mediation, to evaluate the pathways for the unintended consequences of Section 8 housing voucher receipt on adolescent mental health outcomes. In addition, I conduct research to determine the effect of neighborhood and family environments on sleep quality and the risk of obesity among high-risk adolescents. My research interests include epidemiological methods, adolescent mental health, and social determinants of health. 

• Epidemiological Methods
• Adolescent Mental Health

Kathleene Ulanday

• [email protected]

I am a doctoral candidate in Epidemiology. I received my BS in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from the UCSD and my MPH in Epidemiology from SDSU. I am interested in cancer control and prevention research, with a focus on health disparities. Previously, as a Cancer Research Training Fellow at the NCI’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, I managed a data harmonization project for trans-NIH health disparities and Native American health research programs, engaged in understudied and small populations research think tanks, and analyzed Department of Defense data examining psychosocial factors and tobacco use among military personnel. At Columbia University, my pre-doctoral research with Dr. Heather Greenlee (NCI-Diversity Supplement funded) gave me valuable experience in the implementation and analyses of a culturally based randomized controlled diet and physical activity intervention for Latina breast cancer survivors. Currently, as a Cancer Trainee Associate Member at the Herbert Irving Cancer Center, I work with Drs. Jasmine McDonald , Lauren Houghton , and Mary Beth Terry conducting cancer etiology research among high-risk groups via prospective cohort studies. My goal is to better understand the social, environmental, and biobehavioral factors, including the cultural and historical contexts, associated with cancer across the life course.

• Environmental Justice

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Julia Thome dissertation defense – June 21

Jun. 7, 2024— PhD candidate Julia Thome will defend her dissertation on Friday, June 21, at 10 a.m. Central Time. The defense will be held in the department’s large conference room on the 11th floor (suite 1100, room 11105), at 2525 West End Avenue. Her advisor is Bryan Shepherd. All are invited and encouraged to attend. Assessing the...