The College of Public Health has welcomed nine new faculty this fall. Join us as we get to know Andrew Kiselica, Magnolia Hernandez, Renato Ferreira Leitao Azevedo, Jacob Harth, Chao Huang, Cynthia Carmean, Liyuan Wang, Eunhae Shin and George Mois! Next up in our series is Chao Huang, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

• Can you tell us about your background?
  • I earned my Ph.D. in Biostatistics from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2019. Prior to joining UGA, I served as a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Statistics and a courtesy Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Florida State University. Throughout my career, I have published over 40 papers on both methodological development and practical applications, focusing on three main research areas: (i) Medical Imaging Data Analysis, (ii) Mental Health & Neurological Diseases, and (iii) Imaging Genetics. My current research is funded by external grants from the National Science Foundation and internal grants from the university.

• What brought you to UGA and the College of Public Health?
  • Research Environment and Interdisciplinary Collaboration. Firstly, both UGA and the College of Public Health are renowned for their exceptional academic programs and research environments, making them ideal for advancing my research career. Secondly, as a biostatistician, I am keen on engaging in research projects related to or even beyond my own interests and collaborating with experts from diverse fields. UGA and the College of Public Health provide ample opportunities for such interdisciplinary collaborations, including with the Department of Statistics in the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Computing across the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering, and the Institute of Gerontology in the College of Public Health. I am confident that these multidisciplinary partnerships will greatly enhance the potential for future grant funding.

• What excites you or motivates you about being in the classroom and your research?
  • My research interests primarily center on the statistical learning of large-scale biomedical data, including clinical, imaging, and genomic information. The aim of my work is to develop innovative statistical methods and machine learning (including deep learning) algorithms to analyze data with complex structures. These methods and computational tools are crucial for understanding disease progression and enhancing clinical trials for treatment and early prevention. Based on my teaching experience, I believe that equipping students with these analytical tools is essential for their future careers as biostatisticians and health data scientists.

• How have you partnered with communities to improve health? Is there service or outreach work you’d like to do in Athens or Georgia?
  • I am convinced that community-driven research is crucial for the success of my work in mental health. During my time as a biostatistician at Florida State University, I collaborated with various partners, including the Tallahassee Senior Center, the City of Tallahassee, and the North Florida Coalition on Aging. Our efforts focused on enhancing social connectedness and emotional well-being for older adults in the Tallahassee area who were at risk for or affected by Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive impairments.
  • I am eager to collaborate with researchers from the Cognitive Aging Research and Education (CARE) Center in the College of Public Health and to engage with local partners in Athens and Georgia. My goal is to undertake research projects aimed at reducing dementia risk and improving the quality of life for individuals diagnosed with dementia and their caregivers.

• What are you looking forward to this Fall semester?
  • Establish connections and collaborations in the College of Public Health and other disciplines at UGA.

• A few fun rapid-fire questions:
  • Go-to road trip snack? Beef jerky and Fruits
  • Coffee or tea order? Dark roast coffee and Green tea
  • One TV show or podcast you can’t stop talking about? An American TV series MasterChef