Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology Faculty

Michael Anderson, PhD, Professor, Biostatistics

Education: PhD - Kansas State University, 2009; MS - Kansas State University, 2006; BA - Utah State University, 2003
Professional Affiliations: American Statistical Association, The International Biometric Society, Eastern North American Region
Current Research Interests: Bayesian methods of classifying unknown DNA sequences, viral RNA sequences, microarray tissue samples, Bayesian software development, Probability models for classification and prediction

Laura A. Beebe, PhD, Professor, Epidemiology

Education: PhD - University of Oklahoma, 1997; MPH - University of Oklahoma, 1989; BS - Phillips University, 1987
Professional Affiliations: Society for Research in Nicotine and Tobacco, American Evaluation Association, Delta Omega
Current Research Interests: Applied evaluation research, effectiveness of state quitlines, emerging tobacco products, nicotine dependence, effectiveness of public health communications campaigns

Janis Campbell, PhD, MSc, GISP, Professor, Epidemiology; Presidential Professor

Education: PhD – University of Oklahoma, 1997; MSc – University of Salford, 2020; MA – University of Oklahoma, 1989; BA – University of Oklahoma, 1987
Professional Affiliations: American Public Health Association, Oklahoma Public Health Association, Oklahoma Cancer Registrars Association, Phi Beta Kappa - University of Oklahoma Chapter, National Association of Central Cancer Registries
Current Research Interests: Cancer prevention and research, community-based participatory research with American Indian Tribes and organizations

Sixia Chen, PhD, Associate Professor, Biostatistics

Education: BS, Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, 2007, Fudan University; PhD, Statistics, 2012, Iowa State University
Professional Affiliations: American Statistical Association, American Association for Public Opinion Research
Current Research Interests: Missing data analysis, Survey sampling, data integration, Machine learning methods, Empirical likelihood, Causal Inference, Nonparametric smoothing method, Small area estimation and Statistical disclosure control analysis, Tobacco Research, Native American Health

Kai Ding, PhD, Professor, Biostatistics

Education: BS, Statistics, 2002, Fudan University; MS, Statistics, 2005, University of Kentucky; PhD, Biostatistics, 2010, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Professional Affiliations: American Statistical Association, International Biometric Society
Current Research Interests: Survival analysis, Machine learning, Semiparametric modeling, High dimensional data, Cancer and Ophthalmology

Summer Frank-Pearce, PhD, Assistant Professor of Research, Biostatistics

Education: BS, Zoology, University of Oklahoma, 2000; MPH Biostatistics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2008; PhD, Biostatistics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2016
Professional Affiliations: Stephenson Cancer Center, Associate Member of Cancer Prevention and Control Program; Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco; American Statistical Association (National and Oklahoma Chapter); American Public Health Association
Current Research Interests: Tobacco, Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) Data, Multilevel/Mixed Model Methods, Longitudinal Data Analysis, Missing Data Problems

Tabitha Garwe, PhD, Associate Professor, Epidemiology

Education: PhD, Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma, 2010; MPH, Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma, 2000; BS, Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, 1997
Professional Affiliations: American Trauma Society, Society for Epidemiologic Research, Pediatric Trauma Society, Delta Omega
Current Research Interests: Trauma and Critical Care Outcomes, Trauma Systems (health services), Surgical Outcomes, Quantitative and Clinical Epidemiologic Methods

James George, MD, George Lynn Cross Research Professor, Departments of BSE and Medicine, Clinical Epidemiology

Education: Post-Doctoral training – Vanderbilt, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, University of Rochester; MD – Ohio State, 1962
Professional Affiliations: American Society of Hematology, American Society for Clinical Investigation
Current Research Interests: Studies of patients with disorders of blood platelets: The Oklahoma Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) Registry; an inception cohort for studies of etiology, clinical course, and long-term outcomes; studies of novel treatments for immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)

Shirley James, PhD, Assistant Professor of Research, Epidemiology

Education: PhD Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2016; MS Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2009; MS Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2001; BS Physical Therapy, University of Nebraska, 1982.
Professional Affiliations: American Physical Therapy Association, Society for the Research of Nicotine and Tobacco
Current Research Interests: Effectiveness of state quitlines, emerging tobacco products, nicotine dependence, effectiveness of public health communications campaigns, stroke rehabilitation, spinal cord rehabilitation.

Kimberly Malloy, MS, Instructor, Biostatistics

Education: MS Biostatistics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2010
Current Research Interests: Cardiovascular health, Tobacco-related health disparities, SAS programming and standardization

Amanda Janitz, PhD, Associate Professor, Epidemiology

Education: PhD Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2015; MPH Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2009; Bachelor of Science in Nursing, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2006;
Professional Affiliations: Society for Epidemiologic Research
Current Research Interests: Epidemiology of childhood cancer, environmental epidemiology, cancer health disparities, geographic information systems in public health sciences

Katrin Gaardbo Kuhn, PhD, Associate Professor, Epidemiology

Education: Bachelor of Medicine, University of Copenhagen, 2009; PhD Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 2002; Master of Science in Medical Parasitology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 1997; Bachelor of Science in Zoology, Royal Holloway University of London, 1996
Professional Affiliations: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, World Health Organization, European Joint Programme on One Health, European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene UK.
Current Research Interests: Infectious diseases, disease outbreak detection and investigation, surveillance and monitoring of infectious diseases, food-and waterborne infections, zoonoses, One Health, climate and environmental change

Sydney Martinez, PhD, Assistant Professor, Epidemiology

Education: PhD Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2016; MPH Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2010; Bachelor of Science in Health and Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, 2008;
Professional Affiliations: Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, American Evaluation Association, Society of Behavioral Medicine
Current Research Interests: Tobacco control, cancer, diabetes, dissemination and implementation science, health disparities

Nasir Mushtaq, PhD, MBBS, MPH, Associate Professor, Epidemiology George Kaiser Family Foundation Chair in Public Health Epidemiology

Education: PhD – University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2011; MPH – University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2006; MBBS – Rawalpindi Medical College, 2001
Professional Affiliations: Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science Program for Excellence in Science, Pakistan Medical & Dental Council
Current Research Interests: Epidemiology of chronic diseases, epidemiologic methods tobacco control research particularly smokeless tobacco, tobacco dependence, psychometrics, clinical research, global health

Jennifer David Peck, PhD, Professor and Vice Chair, Epidemiology, David Ross Boyd Professor, Presidential Professor

Education: PhD – University of North Carolina, 2000; MS – Texas A & M University, 1995; MS– Texas A & M University, 1992; BA – University of Texas at Arlington, 1989
Professional Affiliations: Society for Epidemiologic Research, Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research
Current Research Interests: Reproductive and perinatal epidemiology; health effects of endocrine disrupting compounds; clinical, lifestyle and environmental factors related to infertility treatment outcomes and pregnancy complications

Gary E. Raskob, PhD; Professor, Epidemiology; Professor of Medicine, Clinical Epidemiology; Senior Vice President & Provost, OUHSC

Education: PhD – University of Oklahoma, 1999; MSc – McMaster, 1985; BSc – Toronto, 1982
Professional Affiliations: American Association of University Professors, American College of Clinical Pharmacology, American Federation for Clinical Research, American Heart Association, American Medical Writers Association, American Society of Hematology, Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation, International Society on Thrombosis & Haemostasis, New York Academy of Sciences, Oklahoma Public Health Association, Phi Kappa Phi, University of Oklahoma Chapter, Society for Clinical Trials
Current Research Interests: Methods to improve the diagnosis of thrombosis, clinical trials of thrombosis prevention

Jessica A. Reese, PhD, Assistant Professor of Research, Epidemiology

Education: PhD – Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2016; MS – Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2008; Bachelor of Science in Zoology and Biomedical Sciences, University of Oklahoma, 2005
Professional Affiliations: American Heart Association, Society for Epidemiologic Research, Oklahoma Public Health Association
Current Research Interests: Cardiovascular Disease, American Indian health, Diabetes, Child and Maternal Health, Hematology

Deirdra Terrell, PhD, Associate Professor, Epidemiology; Presidential Professor

Education: PhD – University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2008; MPH – University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2000; BS – Oklahoma Baptist University, 1998
Professional Affiliations: Oklahoma Public Health Association, American Society of Hematology, International Society for Quality of Life Research
Current Research Interests: racial health disparities, patient-reported outcomes, mixed methodology, long- term outcomes in patients following recovery from thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), novel treatments for primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP)

Sara K. Vesely, PhD, Professor, Biostatistics; David Ross Boyd Professor; Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Education: PhD - University of Oklahoma, 1998; MPH – University of Oklahoma, 1994; BA – University of Oklahoma, 1993
Professional Affiliations: American Statistical Association, American Public Health Association, American Society of Hematology, Delta Omega
Current Research Interests: clinical trials methodology, long term outcomes in patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura (TTP); youth assets; hematological malignancies; training of healthcare professionals in epidemiologic and biostatistical methodology; pediatric hematology; systematic reviews and guideline development

Aaron Wendelboe, PhD, Professor and Chair, Epidemiology; Williams Companies Presidential Professor and Edward E. and Helen T. Bartlett Chair in Public Health

Education: PhD – University of North Carolina, 2006; MS – University of Utah, 2002; BS – Brigham Young, 2000
Professional Affiliations: American Public Health Association, American Society of Hematology, International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis
Current Research Interests: Infectious diseases, with a particular focus on methods relating to outbreak investigations and disease surveillance. Some of the projects on which I have been working include, COVID-19, venous thromboembolism surveillance, opioid use in an HIV and HCV-infected population, and infection control and prevention. I am also engaged in applying current technology to disease surveillance, such as machine learning, natural language processing, and Bayesian statistics.

Mary Williams, PhD, Assistant Professor, Epidemiology; Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, School of Community Medicine George Kaiser Family Foundation Chair in Public Health Biostatistics

Education: Ph.D. in Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2013; M.S. in Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2008; M.S. in Exercise Physiology and Health Promotion. University of Oklahoma, 1987
Professional Affiliations: American Public Health Association, Oklahoma Public Health Association, Society of Epidemiologic Research, Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
Current Research Interests: Nutritional epidemiology, infectious and chronic diseases, and the intersection of nutrition and disease among populations with limited access to optimal nutrition, health care, and health-related services; Community Engaged and Community-Based Participatory Research methods.

Chao Xu, PhD, Assistant Professor, Biostatistics

Education: PhD – Tulane University 2018, M.ENG. - University of Shanghai for Science and Technology 2011
Professional Affiliations: American Statistical Association
Current Research Interests: statistical genetics and bioinformatics on high-dimensional statistics in big genetic data; deep learning in genetics and medical imaging analysis; prediction analysis using clinical data

Yan Daniel Zhao, PhD, Professor, Biostatistics; Presidential Professor; Associate Dean for Research

Education: PhD – Iowa State University 2002, MS – Iowa State University 1998, BS – Peking University 1996
Professional Affiliations: American Statistical Association
Current Research Interests: Biomarker-driven seamless clinical trial design; multiple testing and adaptive designs in clinical trials; sample size and power calculations for nonparametric tests; survey sampling; statistical disclosure control

Ying Zhang, PhD, Associate Professor, Biostatistics

Education: PhD – School of Public Health, West China University of Medical Sciences, 1998; MS – School of Public Health, West China University of Medical Sciences, 1994; Bachelor of Medicine - West China University of Medical Sciences, 1991
Professional Affiliations: American Statistical Association, American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association
Current Research Interests: Time-to-event and longitudinal data analyses for independent or correlated outcomes, categorical data analysis, model building, study design and sample size, genetic epidemiology and pathophysiology of cardio-metabolic diseases that include but not limited to diabetes, heart diseases, stroke, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, American Indian health.