Biostatistics, Data Science, and Epidemiology
At Augusta University’s School of Public Health, the Department of Biostatistics, Data Science, and Epidemiology serves as a cornerstone of innovation and collaboration, advancing evidence-based solutions to complex public health and clinical challenges through interdisciplinary partnerships.
We advance public health through rigorous quantitative research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community engagement. Our faculty are nationally recognized for their contributions to innovative statistical modeling, machine learning, epidemiologic methods, and health data analytics.
We apply quantitative tools to address pressing health challenges such as cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, rural health care delivery and access to care, healthy aging, and chronic disease prevention. Our team integrates advanced data science techniques with traditional biostatistical and epidemiologic approaches to generate actionable insights that inform clinical practice, health policy, and community interventions.
Through experiential education, innovative research, and real-world application, we equip students and researchers with analytical thinking, statistical reasoning, communication skills, and creative problem-solving to lead in the dynamic field of public health. By transforming data into actionable knowledge—for causal explanation, prediction, intervention and description—we help build healthier communities across Georgia and beyond.
Contact Us
Biostatistics, Data Science, and Epidemiology
Health Sciences Campus
706-721-1104
Recent Faculty Publications
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Longitudinal Trends in Gender and Underrepresented Minority Representation Among United States Otolaryngology FacultyReddy, S. G., Handa, A., Mahajan, A., Ravirala, R., Lim, V., Ange, B. & Long, S., Sep 2026, In: Journal of Surgical Education. 83, 9, 104037.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
National and regional trends of mental health disorders among older adults treated in the U.S. state mental health systemKhan, M. T. F., Mazumder, S., Ahmmad, M. R., Rjbongshi, A., Parvez, I. & Manik, M. M. R., Jun 15 2026, In: Journal of Affective Disorders. 403, 121205.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
WayFindR: investigating feedback in biological pathwaysBombina, P., McGee II, R. L., Reed, J., Abrams, Z. B., Abruzzo, L. V. & Coombes, K. R., Jun 2026, In: NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics. 8, 2, lqag051.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Integrated Strategies for Assessing Student Learning in Pre-Clinical CurriculumThai, L. S., Prasad, P. D., Moon, H., Ange, B. & Winston, N. R., Jun 2026, In: Medical Science Educator. 36, 3, p. 1167-1176 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Clustering Digestive Tract Tumors Using Transcriptomic and Mutation DataTally, D. G., Bombina, P., Reed, J., Kinne, J., Abruzzo, L. V., Coombes, K. R. & Abrams, Z. B., May 2026, In: Cancers. 18, 9, 1427.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Influence of Tobacco Use Patterns on Smoking Cessation Success in Adults Who Smoke Cigarettes in the U.S.Majeed, B. A., Kaplan, B., Eissenberg, T., Ketchem, J. M., Koomson, O., Parvez, I. & Seale, J. P., Apr 2026, In: AJPM Focus. 5, 2, 100448.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Breast Cancer Risk Factors and Breast Complaints Among Kenyan WomenOdhiambo, L. A., Marion, A. J., Mwaura, W. L., Mageto, D. K., Islam, K. M., Mwakisha, J., Coughlin, S. S. & Ojuka, D. K., Apr 2026, In: JCO Global Oncology. 12, e2500428.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Blood Pressure Trajectories in Young Adulthood and Midlife Steatotic Liver DiseaseChen, Y., Zhao, L., Zheng, Y., Carr, J. J., Gao, T., Terry, J. G., Qu, Y., Ning, H., Zhang, X., Wilkins, J. T., Bae, S., Carnethon, M. R., Allen, N. B., Jacobs, D. R., Lloyd-Jones, D. M., Hou, L. & Zhang, X., Mar 23 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979).Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Pro-Homeostatic Effects of Estrogen on Intraocular Pressure and the Trabecular MeshworkYoungblood, H. A., Cai, J., Sun, J., Elsayed, O. A., Yu, H., Smith, S. B., Xu, H., Pasquale, L. R., Stamer, W. D. & Liu, Y., Mar 2026, In: Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 67, 3, 2811572.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Improving Nocturia Management Through Sleep Apnea Diagnosis and TreatmentPearce Kudlata, F., Bedore, S. R., Marc Gelernter, B. S. A., Scanlan, L. G., Sakhalkar, O. V., Ange, B., Terris, M. K. & SantaMaria, P. J., Feb 2026, In: Neurourology and Urodynamics. 45, 2, p. 385-389 5 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Exploring the Immigrant Health Paradox Among the Vietnamese Population in the United StatesNguyen, T., Nguyen, G. T., Chong, R. & Seol, Y. H., Feb 2026, In: Healthcare (Switzerland). 14, 3, 354.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
The role of hemoglobin F in sickle cell disease complications: a descriptive secondary analysisAston, H., Price, E., Wernecke, E., Hazenberg, E., Herrera, D., Gollan, S., Xu, H., Raval, G. & Kutlar, A., Feb 2026, In: Blood Vessels, Thrombosis and Hemostasis. 3, 1, 100114.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
MCMC-CE: A Novel and Efficient Algorithm for Estimating Small Right-Tail Probabilities of Quadratic Forms with Applications in GenomicsOng, V. Q., Choi, B. N., Lundy, D. P., Zhang, Y., Wan, Y., Xu, H., Ghosh, S., Jiang, H. & Shi, Y., Feb 1 2026, In: Journal of Computational Biology. 33, 2, p. 236-254 19 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Association of Change in Healthy Lifestyle in Early Adulthood With Steatotic Liver Disease Risk in MidlifeChen, Y., Zhao, L., Mezzacappa, C., Steffen, L. M., Carr, J. J., Gao, T., Terry, J. G., Qu, Y., Bae, S., Taddei, T., Justice, A. C., Jacobs, D. R., Lloyd-Jones, D. M., Hou, L. & Zhang, X., Jan 29 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Treatment Delays and Survival Divides: Race, Sex, and Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer DisparitiesTsai, M. H., Cortes, J. E., Lee, M., Sifuentes, H. & Bae, S., Jan 2026, In: Cancer Research Communications. 6, 1, p. 235-244 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Association of Change in Healthy Lifestyle in Early Adulthood With Steatotic Liver Disease Risk in MidlifeChen, Y., Zhao, L., Mezzacappa, C., Steffen, L. M., Carr, J. J., Gao, T., Terry, J. G., Qu, Y., Bae, S., Taddei, T., Justice, A. C., Jacobs, D. R., Lloyd-Jones, D. M., Hou, L. & Zhang, X., 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
The antiretroviral drug emtricitabine increases kynurenine: tryptophan ratio, aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation, and cellular senescence in female miceTripathi, A., Sultana, S., Vyavahare, S., Chen, J., Paul, A., Shi, H., Zhi, W., Pacholczyk, R., Mendhe, B., Anand, A., Carrillo, A., Lindsay, J., Alhamad, D. W., Bensreti, H., Yearwood, C. L., Taylor, D., Gross, C., Johnson, M., Belin de Chantemele, E. J. & Hamrick, M. W. & 1 others, , 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Biochimie.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Microglial histone deacetylase-3 conditional deletion attenuates neurological deficits after intracerebral hemorrhageWatson, N. J., Xu, H. & Sukumari-Ramesh, S., 2026, In: Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. 20, 1734472.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Treatment Delays and Survival Divides: Race, Sex, and Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer DisparitiesTsai, M.-H., Cortes, J. E., Lee, M., Sifuentes, H. & Bae, S., Jan 1 2026, In: Cancer Research Communications.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Use and Outcomes Associated With a Clear Prime for Infants Undergoing Cardiac SurgeryBateson, B., Ange, B., Doddala, B., Hazenberg, E., Bohuta, L. & St. Louis, J., 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Annals of Thoracic Surgery Short Reports.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Community-Based Case-Finding for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Self-Management Education in Partnership with Faith-Based OrganizationsOdhiambo, L. A., Joseph, K. M., Moore, A., Crafton, B., Jackson, L. W., Ruffin, A., Collier, B., Islam, K. M., Taskar, V., Forseen, C. & Wright, S., 2026, In: International Journal of COPD. 21, 572998.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Identification of UVB-induced TREM-1 positive tolerogenic DCs and TREM-1 signaling as a target in the prevention of UVB-induced immune suppression and skin carcinogenesisMier-Aguilar, C. A., Sherwani, M. A., Tsuruta, Y., Abdelsamad, N., Crossman, D. K., Bae, S., Slominski, A. T., Elmets, C. A., Yusuf, N. & Xu, H., Nov 7 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Journal of Investigative Dermatology.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Examining the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and cervical cancer risk and prevention: A mixed-methods scoping reviewOdhiambo, L., Cudzilo, E., Chin, R., Phung, E., Gadekar, A., Reese, N. & Pandy, A., Nov 2 2025.Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review |
Gap in Hematologic Cancer Burden Analysis Across South AsiaBae, S., Oct 2025, In: Blood Global Hematology.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
A Bayesian framework for genome-wide circadian rhythmicity biomarker detectionDing, H., Meng, L., Zhang, Y., Bryant, A. J., Xing, C., Esser, K. A., Chen, L., Feng, Y. & Huo, Z., Sep 1 2025, In: Briefings in Bioinformatics. 26, 5, bbaf552.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Human Papillomavirus Integration Induces Oncogenic Host Gene Fusions in Oropharyngeal CancersKhan, N., Akagi, K., Jiang, S., Dunn, J. D., Jiang, B., Xiao, W., O’hara, M. P., Shen, L., Wang, Q., Mohanty, V., Wang, J., Goodwin, S., Hutchins, J. L., Coombes, K. R., Sastry, J. K., Symer, D. E. & Gillison, M. L., Sep 1 2025, In: Cancer Discovery. 15, 9, p. 1927-1948 22 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Inhibition of AhR improves cortical bone and skeletal muscle function via preservation of neuromuscular junctionsYu, K., Vyavahare, S., Alhamad, D., Bensreti, H., Ruan, L., Tuladhar, A., Dai, C., Shaver, J. C., Tripathi, A., Ding, K., Pacholczyk, R., Cooley, M. A., Zhong, R., Johnson, M. H., Chen, J., Bollag, W. B., Isales, C. M., Hill, W. D., Hamrick, M. W. & Fulzele, S. & 1 others, , Aug 2025, In: JCI Insight. 10, 16, e192047.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Body mass index and colorectal cancer screening among cancer survivors: the role of sociodemographic characteristicsMeng-Han, T., Elinita, P., Marlo, V. & Chen, J., Jul 2025, In: Cancer Causes and Control. 36, 7, p. 641-651 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
A novel Bayesian hierarchical model for detecting differential circadian pattern in transcriptomic applicationsZhang, Y., Ding, H., Huo, Z. & Chen, L., Mar 1 2025, In: Briefings in Bioinformatics. 26, 2, bbaf139.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Discern: A Randomized Pilot Study Comparing Dual Versus Single Immune Checkpoint Blockade Plus Chemotherapy in Pd-L1 Negative Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung CancerDesai, A., McNeeley, E., Alhushki, S., Haught, M., Juncos, J. X. M., Patel, D., Brand, J., McManus, L., Bae, S., Khalil, M. & Boumber, Y., 2025Research output: Other contribution |
Integration of Gene Expression and DNA Methylation Data for Identifying Functionally Methylated RegionsXu, H. & George, V., Jan 1 2025, Directional and Multivariate Statistics: A Volume in Honour of Ashis SenGupta. Springer Science+Business Media, p. 339-348 10 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter |
Adt-1004: A First-in-Class, Orally Bioavailable Selective pan-RAS Inhibitor for Pancreatic Ductal AdenocarcinomaReddy Bandi, D. S., Nagaraju, G. P., Sarvesh, S., Carstens, J. L., Foote, J. B., Graff, E. C., Fang, Y.-H. D., Keeton, A. B., Chen, X., Berry, K. L., Bae, S., Akce, M., Gorman, G., Yoon, K. J., Manne, U., Boyd, M. R., Buchsbaum, D. J., Azmi, A. S., Maxuitenko, Y. Y. & Piazza, G. A. & 1 others, , Oct 8 2024, In: bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
A Novel Pan-RAS Inhibitor with a Unique Mechanism of Action Blocks Tumor Growth in Mouse Models of GI CancerFoote, J. B., Mattox, T. E., Keeton, A. B., Chen, X., Smith, F., Berry, K. L., Holmes, T., Wang, J., Huang, C.-H., Ward, A. B., Mitra, A. K., Ramirez-Alcantara, V., Hardy, C., Fleten, K. G., Flatmark, K., Yoon, K. J., Sarvesh, S., Nagaraju, G. P., Bandi, D. S. R. & Maxuitenko, Y. Y. & 15 others, , Oct 7 2024, In: bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Navigating disparities: Insights from a colorectal cancer screening program in federally qualified community healthcare centers.Amin, R., Turner, C., Santellano, B., Odhiambo, L. A., Fleming, S., Ibrahim, S., Mitchell, K., Merchant, C., Patten, D., Desai, K., Hotz, J., Durham, L. M., Gabram, S. G. A., Cortes, J. E. & Islam, K. M., Jun 2024, In: Journal of Clinical Oncology. 42, p. 1537 1 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review |
CRISPR-Based Dissection of microRNA-23a~27a~24-2 Cluster Functionality in Hepatocellular CarcinomaWang, L., Cui, M., Liu, Z., Wang, S., Bae, S., Guo, H., Zhou, J. & Liu, R., 2024Research output: Other contribution |
Targeting Integrin α3 Blocks β1 Maturation, Triggers Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, and Sensitizes Glioblastoma Cells to TRAIL-Mediated ApoptosisKuranaga, Y., Yu, B., Osuka, S., Zhang, H., Devi, N. S., Bae, S. & Van Meir, E. G., 2024, In: Cells.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Disparities in Lung Cancer Screening Utilization at Two Health Systems in the Southeastern USNiranjan, S. J., Rivers, D., Ramachandran, R., Murrell, J. E., Curry, K. C., Mubasher, M., Flenaugh, E., Dransfield, M. T., Bae, S. & Scarinci, I. C., 2024Research output: Other contribution |
Relationship Between Race and Gestational Weight Gain in Pregnancy and Early Life in the South Birth-Cohort StudyChandler-Laney, P., Biggio, J. R., Tipre, M., Carson, T. L., Bae, S., Everett, A. B. & Baskin, M. L., 2023, In: Maternal and child health journal.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Hyperhomocysteinemia dysregulates plasma levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids-derived eicosanoidsAl-Shabrawey, M., Elmarakby, A., Samra, Y., Moustafa, M., Looney, S. W., Maddipati, K. R. & Tawfik, A., Apr 1 2022, In: Life Research. 5, 2, 14.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Safety and Efficacy of Intraventricular Immunovirotherapy with Oncolytic HSV-1 for CNS CancersKang, K.-D., Bernstock, J. D., Totsch, S. K., Gary, S. E., Rocco, A., Nan, L., Li, R., Etminan, T., Han, X., Beierle, E. A., Eisemann, T., Wechsler-Reya, R. J., Bae, S., Whitley, R., Gillespie, G. Y., Markert, J. M. & Friedman, G. K., 2022, In: Clinical Cancer Research.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review |
Openings
The Department of Biostatistics, Data Science, and Epidemiology at Augusta University’s School of Public Health invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in Biostatistics and Data Science at the Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor rank to start in 2026. Academic rank will be commensurate with experience. Interest and ability in methodological research in Biostatistics & Data Science and active collaboration with other investigators in biomedical, population health, and translational research within and outside of AU. Interest and ability in teaching a variety of graduate level statistics and data science courses will be important factors in the selection of candidates.
(Job ID: 272541).
The Department of Biostatistics, Data Science, and Epidemiology at Augusta University’s School of Public Health is seeking a post-doctoral fellow in epidemiology, starting Summer 2026. This position focuses on cardiovascular disease research in women as part of the Strategically Focused Research Network on Cardiovascular Kidney Metabolic Syndrome. The fellow will engage in advanced research, collaborate within and beyond AU, and publish in leading journals. Candidates with experience and interest in women’s cardiovascular epidemiology are encouraged to apply.
(Job ID: 292005).
Department News
New mathematical demography textbook offers knowledge across disciplines
New mathematical demography textbook offers knowledge across disciplines
School of Public Health grad using statistics to impact health outcomes
School of Public Health grad using statistics to impact health outcomes