Biostatistics

From equations to impact: Advancing public health through biostatistics

Q&A with University of Michigan research Jian Kang on mental health, aging and cancer

Jian Kang is a professor and associate chair for Research in the Department of Biostatistics at Michigan Public Health, where he develops cutting-edge statistical methods for analyzing complex biomedical data. He’s particularly interested in brain-computer interfaces and neuroimaging, developing methods that help researchers better understand how the brain works and how it changes with age or disease.

On the Heights: May 2025

Departmental news, research highlights, community achievements, and more to help you stay connected with the Michigan Public Health community.

Michigan Public Health celebrates faculty, staff, students for excellence

Students, faculty and staff from the University of Michigan School of Public Health were commended during the fourth annual Public Health Honors on April 23. The event, held at the Rogel Ballroom in the Michigan Union, recognized the outstanding efforts and achievements of individuals who have exceeded expectations in the areas of public health research, education, community service and public engagement.

Michigan Public Health biostatisticians receive Emerging Women Leaders in Data Science Award

Irina Gaynanova and Xu Shi, both associate professors of Biostatistics at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, received the 2025 IMS Thelma and Marvin Zelen Emerging Women Leaders in Data Science Award for their advances in statistical methodology and leadership in the field.

Researcher studies sleep apnea's effects on metabolism, heart disease using machine learning and wearable health devices

U-M biostatistician Irina Gaynanova awarded $1.8M to develop advanced health monitoring methods

A University of Michigan School of Public Health researcher has received $1.78 million to investigate how treating sleep apnea impacts diabetes and cardiovascular health.

Data for good: $30M award to informatics research center expands possibilities of precision health

A $30 million award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to the University of Michigan will dramatically boost the amount and type of genetic information stored in its massive TOPMed data center and used by researchers and healthcare providers around the world looking to genomes to treat disease.