Michigan Public Health welcomes six new faculty members
The University of Michigan School of Public Health added six new faculty members to start the Fall semester.
They bring expertise in biostatistics, health equity, and reproductive health research. These appointments strengthen the school’s commitment to improving public health through data analysis, community-engaged research, and addressing health disparities.
Erin Craig joins as an assistant professor in Biostatistics, bringing fresh expertise in cancer research and machine learning. Craig recently earned her PhD in Biomedical Data Science from Stanford University in 2025. Her research focuses on developing statistical methods to improve cancer treatments, particularly CAR-T therapy, which uses a patient’s own immune cells to fight cancer. Craig emphasizes creating user-friendly software and teaching statistics in ways that are easy to understand.
Bret Hanlon joins the school as a research associate professor in Biostatistics and associate director of Clinical Trials for SABER. Hanlon brings extensive experience from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he led statistical analysis for major clinical trials in cancer, heart disease and population health. His work includes developing new statistical methods and overseeing pharmaceutical trials to ensure they meet the highest scientific standards.
Emily Hector was hired as an associate professor in Biostatistics. Hector completed her PhD at Michigan Public Health in 2020. Her expertise in biostatistics helps researchers across the university analyze complex health data to answer important medical questions.
Asari Offiong is an assistant professor of Health Behavior & Health Equity and MPACT Scholar. Previously a senior research scientist at Child Trends, Offiong brings over a decade of experience working with young people in urban settings. Her research focuses on adolescent sexual and reproductive health, using community-based approaches to understand how teenagers make decisions about sex and relationships.
Safyer McKenzie-Sampson was appointed as the John G. Searle Assistant Professor of Health Behavior & Health Equity. Her research examines how racial discrimination affects pregnancy outcomes in Black communities, with special attention to the experiences of Black immigrants. McKenzie-Sampson led the AZANIA study, which collected data on pregnancy experiences of African immigrants in California. Beyond research, she works as a community doula, supporting families during pregnancy and childbirth.
Andrew Whiteman returns to the University of Michigan as a research assistant professor in Biostatistics after completing his PhD at the Michigan Public Health in 2022. His work explores how exercise affects brain health, combining his background in neuroscience with statistical analysis. This research could help scientists better understand how physical activity protects against cognitive decline.
These six new appointments follow the addition of five hires who joined the school at the beginning of the Winter semester. That earlier cohort included Leah Neubauer, clinical professor, Health Behavior & Health Equity; Devon Payne-Sturges, professor, Environmental Health Sciences; and research investigators Tian Xia in Environmental Health Sciences and Kate Hendy in Health Behavior & Health Equity.