Alumnus Enrique Schisterman Paves a Path for Pregnancy
Whether you’ve experienced it or know someone who has, you realize the hardships some people can have getting pregnant. UB alumnus Enrique Schisterman has devoted much of his career to ameliorating that problem.
Schisterman got his master’s degree in statistics in 1995 and his doctorate in epidemiology in 1999, both from UB. Today, he is Perelman Professor of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics and chair of the 120-strong Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.
Along the path from UB to UPenn, Schisterman became a leader in reproductive epidemiology and epidemiological methods. A notable position before he reached UPenn was senior investigator and epidemiology branch chief in the Division of Intramural Population Health Research in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development/National Institutes of Health. He’s also currently editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Because dealing with infertility and issues during pregnancy can become so stressful and expensive, Schisterman focuses on finding low-cost interventions to help couples become pregnant and maintain healthy pregnancies. A study he led suggests low-dose aspirin can help increase live birth overall for some women with chronic inflammation. He also discovers what doesn’t help: for instance, another of his studies debunked the effectiveness of folic acid and zinc supplements for fertility in men.
Ultimately, he says, “I want to get to the point that everyone has insurance to have care for fertility and everyone who wants to have a healthy child can have one.” Maybe his characterization of epidemiology as “an unselfish discipline” helps explain his interests.
As for the field itself, he switched his studies from theoretical statistics to epidemiology so that “my research connected to people, and I could see the impact on them.” Another characterization: His time at UB was “wonderful. Very nurturing and personable, not only for my educational needs but for my needs as a person new to this country,” Schisterman says. He worked closely and is still in touch with former SPHHP Dean Maurizio Trevisan. Current SPHHP Chair of Epidemiology of Environmental Health Pauline Mendola “was a few years ahead of me and had a great impact on me,” he adds. “She opened some doors and has always been a wonderful mentor.”
Mendola likewise highly values her relationship with Schisterman: “He is so generous with his time and always thinking about ways to support his trainees and colleagues as well as the populations he studies. He is a true leader in our field.”
Although his research has proven fruitful, Schisterman says that mentoring students and young faculty might be the true joy of his career: “I enjoy the trust that they place in me very much and don’t take it for granted. You propagate your research through your mentors.” He encourages students to embrace the unknown and embrace “ambiguity and unknowing.”
He also hopes that “people like me, who started from humble beginnings, especially of Hispanic origin, know that there are opportunities to help others and move science to help our community.”