Faculty Spotlight

Jihnhee Yu

Jihnhee Yu, PhD.

Jihnhee Yu is a professor in the Department of Biostatistics and director of the Population Health Observatory at the University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions.

How did you get interested in the field of biostatistics?

Biostatistics is often used to summarize and extract comprehensible information relevant to health research from inundating information flow. Also, it provides probabilistically rigorous criteria for clinical trials and experiments. The discipline is very attractive in terms of usefulness rather than being pure abstract. Biostatistics/statistics is an exciting field as there are so many shapes and different characteristics of data and data analytical needs.

What is the focus of your research?

I am interested in research that has real world applications. Relevant research should integrate methodological development for handling of big data and various shapes and limitations of real world data. Also, as the director of the population health observatory, my work heavily involves collaboration with the UB surgery department regarding the hospital registry data analysis. Using such abundant information, I am hoping that statistical and data analytical research can contribute to an improvement of quality in patients’ care.

Why UB?

UB is a leading academic research institute providing an environment for researchers to pursue their academic goals with freedom. UB is resourceful in terms of institutional support to faculties and provides plenty of chances for interdisciplinary collaborations.

What is your greatest accomplishment while at UB?

I contribute to statistical literature, especially in the area of nonparametric statistics, clinical trial designs and statistical modeling that have lead to many publications, a book and book chapters. I have had the opportunity to conduct many collaborations with various researchers in various research areas providing statistical needs helping with scientific contributions in their respective areas.