Throughout the PQAR summer program students will be given a series of lectures from NYU/NYC faculty and researchers, on subjects related to Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR), Professional Development, Site visits and general aging-related topics. The biographies of this summer's featured speakers are listed below.
View photos from students visit to Hunter College: Brookdale Center for Healthy Living & Aging here.
FLS
Rebecca Betensky, PhD
Chair of the Department of Biostatistics
Professor of Biostatistics | NYU
School of Global Public Health
Prior to NYU, Dr. Betensky was Professor of Biostatistics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She was director of the Harvard Catalyst (Clinical and Translational Science Award) Biostatistics Program; director of the Data and Statistics Core for the Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center; and director of the Biostatistics Neurology Core at Massachusetts General Hospital. Previously, she was the Biostatistics Program Leader for the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center.
Dr. Betensky’s research focuses on methods for the analysis of censored and truncated outcomes and covariates, which frequently arise from the subsampling of cohort studies. She has a long-time interest in clinical trials, and has written on the evaluation of biomarkers and the use and interpretation of p-values. She has collaborated extensively in studies in neurologic diseases, and serves as statistical editor for Annals of Neurology.
Dr. Betensky was awarded, and directed for 15 years, an NIH T32 training program in neurostatistics and neuroepidemiology for pre-and post-doctoral students in biostatistics and epidemiology and for clinician-scientists. She previously directed Harvard’s Biostatistics programs to promote and support diversity at all levels in the field of quantitative public health. She was also a member of the BMRD Study Section for review of NIH statistical methodology grants; on committees for the Institute of Medicine; and a co-chair of the technical advisory committee for the scientific registry of transplant recipients.
Dr. Betensky an elected Fellow of the American Statistical Association and of the International Statistical Institute, and is a past recipient of the Spiegelman Award from the American Public Health Association. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Scientific Counselors for Clinical Science and Epidemiology at the National Cancer Institute.
Dr. Betensky presented to on Tuesday, June 21.
Joshua Chodosh, MD, MSHS
Director, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Care, Michael L. Freedman Professor of Geriatric Research, Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Professor, Departments of Medicine and Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Joshua Chodosh, MD, MSHS is the inaugural endowed Michael L. Freedman Professor of Geriatric Research and a Professor of Medicine and Population Health at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. While at UCLA, Dr. Chodosh built a research career in dementia health services and developed a nationally recognized VA telehealth program in dementia care. In 2015, Dr. Chodosh joined the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Care at NYU and launched the Freedman Research Center on Aging, Technology and Cognitive Health (CATCH). Over the past five years, he has been awarded several NIH grants, a VA Merit, NY State Department of Health funding, and he has a leadership role in NYU’s recently refunded National Institute on Aging’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. He is also the is Co-Leader of the CDC BOLD Public Health Center of Excellence on Early Detection of Dementia. Dr. Chodosh recently became the Division Director of Geriatrics and Palliative Care at NYU in the Department of Medicine. He also co-founded the NYU Aging Incubator, a rapidly growing University-wide educational and research collective serving the larger University community and he currently mentors several junior faculty, fellows, residents and medical students. In addition to a strong background in Geriatric education and clinical care, Dr. Chodosh has expertise in dementia, sleep, hearing loss, health services, and technological applications for research and care.
Twitter@JChodoshMD
Dr. Chodosh presented to students on Friday, July 15.
Arline Faustin, MD
Associate Director of Neuropathology Core | NYU Alzheimer’s Disease Center
I am a board certified pathologist and sub-specialty
board certified neuropathologist with clinical and
research interests in neurodegenerative disease.
I am the associate director of the neuropathology
core at the NYU Alzheimer's disease
Research Center. My research over the last few
years have focused on using proteomics as
a tool to study and distinguish differences
within the diagnosis of AD, as well as other
neurological disease entities, such as epilepsy
and multiple system atrophy (MSA).
In 2020 I hosted a learn at home webinar about what we learn from brain donation that was highlighted on the NIA website and is found on YouTube.
Dr. Faustin presented to students on Wednesday, June 29.
Dean Dr. Debra Furr-Holden
Dean | NYU School of Global Public Health
Dr. Furr-Holden is an epidemiologist and public health professional with expertise in health disparities and health equity research, policy and practice, drug and alcohol dependence epidemiology, psychiatric epidemiology, and prevention science, Professor Furr-Holden comes to NYU from Michigan State University, where she is the C.S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health, associate dean for Public Health Integration, and the director of the NIH-funded Flint Center for Health Equity Solutions at MSU’s College of Human Medicine.
Dr. Furr-Holden presented to students on Tuesday, July 18.
Melody Goodman, PhD
Associate Dean for Research and Associate Professor of Biostatistics | NYU School of Global Public Health
Dr. Melody Goodman’s efforts seek to understand the social risk factors that contribute to health disparities in urban areas, with the goal of developing culturally competent, region-specific, and evidence-based solutions through collaborative activities with community members, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, and other community health stakeholders. The purpose of her work is the development of solutions for improving health in minority and medically underserved communities.
Dr. Goodman conducts applied biostatistical and surveys research for community-based interventions and health disparities research with a strong focus on measurement. Additionally, through academic-community collaborations, she implements, evaluates, and enhances the infrastructure of community-engaged research, in order to mitigate health disparities. As such, Dr. Goodman is the Principal Investigator of a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) grant that aims to validate and implement a quantitative survey measure to assess the level of community engagement in patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) and clinical effectiveness research (CER) studies from the community stakeholder perspective.
Twitter@goodmanthebrain
Dr. Goodman presented to students on Monday, July 11.
Girardin Jean-Louis, PhD
Adjunct Professor of Population Health & Psychiatry & Director of the PRIDE Institute | NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Girardin Jean-Louis, Ph.D. is Professor of Population Health and Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health. He is the Director of the PRIDE Institute on Behavioral Medicine and Sleep Disorders Research and the Translational Sleep and Circadian Sciences Program. He has served on the NIH Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board, the Cancer, Heart, and Sleep Epidemiology (CHSE-B) study section, the National Advisory Council for National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, and several NIH Special Emphasis Panels/ Scientific Review Groups. Dr. Jean-Louis has been involved in several important NIH-funded studies, which have led to over 400 publications, primarily in sleep deficiency and cardio-metabolic diseases, circadian sciences, aging, and health equity. The overarching goal of his research is to address multi-level barriers hindering adoption of healthful practices in vulnerable communities. His research focuses on the application of agile behavioral models to enhance treatment adherence to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and brain injury. Dr. Jean-Louis’ research also addresses the psychosocial and environmental determinants of health behavior preventing access to adequate care in diverse communities, disproportionately burdened by adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular outcomes. His current research addresses the mechanisms of sleep deficiency and its associations with markers of cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and brain injury, delineating the role of epigenetics and African ancestry. Dr. Jean-Louis has also been involved in several university-based training programs aimed at increasing inclusive diversity in the academic workforce.
Dr. Jean-Louis presented to students on Wednesday, July 6.
Karyn Marsh, PhD
Research Assistant Professor of Neurology | NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Dr. Karyn Marsh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at New York University Langone Health. She is also the Co-Director of the New York State funded Center of Excellence on Alzheimer’s Disease (CEAD), Administrative Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC), and the Director of the ADRC Multicultural Program. Having played a significant role in the development and management of these entities, Dr. Marsh has helped to develop an internationally-respected, interdisciplinary, multiple-site program that promotes healthy brain aging and enhances the lives of older adults and their families living with cognitive decline.
Dr. Marsh graduated from Dartmouth College with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and received her MSW and PhD from the NYU Silver School of Social Work. Her research focuses on examining the racial and ethnic health disparities seen in older Black adults with cognitive decline, specifically focusing on the role of race, socioeconomic status, and other social determinants of health.
Twitter@KarynMarshPhD
Dr. Marsh presented to students on Monday, June 27.
Arjun V. Masurkar, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience & Physiology Investigator, Neuroscience Institute Clinical Core Director | NYU Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
Attending Neurologist | The Pearl Barlow Center for Memory Evaluation and Treatment
I am a physician-scientist focused on early Alzheimer's disease (AD). As a neurologist, I take care of patients with or at-risk for AD and related dementias. My research is focused on improving the detection, tracking, and treatment of early AD using a "bench to bedside" approach. In the lab, we apply translational neurobiology methods to understand the mechanisms underlying early AD symptoms at the neural circuit level. At the NYU Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, we study these early symptoms in human volunteers at the level of clinical phenotyping, imaging, and biofluid analysis. I also lead several clinical trials for symptom and disease-modifying therapies in early AD.
Dr. Masurkar presented to students on Thursday, June 16.
Jamie Ramos-Cejudo, PhD
Associate Research Scientist of Psychiatry | NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Division of Brain Aging
As a researcher, I work to understand why some people develop Alzheimer’s disease and others do not. More specifically, the role that vascular and inflammatory processes play in compromising brain integrity. In my work at the NYU Department of Psychiatry’s Division of Brain Aging, I use a multidisciplinary approach that integrates molecular biology, biomarker research, epidemiology, and machine learning. My ultimate goal is to understand how risk factors (genetic, social, metabolic, psychiatric) trigger vascular and inflammatory changes that increase vulnerability to cognitive decline. Through this work, I hope to identify interventions that can slow down or prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Twitter@ramos_cejudo
Dr. Ramos-Cejudo presented to students on Thursday, June 23.
RCR Series
Keith Micoli, PhD
Adjunct Assistant Professor/ Assistant Dean for Postdoctoral Affairs | NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Keith is the Assistant Dean of Postdoctoral Affairs at NYU School of Medicine. In this capacity, he has developed numerous formal programs to foster postdoctoral training, including courses in ethics, grant writing, lab management, and communication skills. In addition, Keith has been the lead organizer of What Can You Be with a PhD? since 2009, and every other year questions the sanity of such a huge undertaking!
He developed an interest in postdoctoral training at a national level by volunteering with the National Postdoctoral
Association (NPA). He served four terms on the NPA
board of directors, including four years as board chairman. Prior to NYUSoM, Keith taught as an adjunct assistant
professor of biology at Samford University and was an instructor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Alabama (UAB). Keith was also the co-primary investigator on the NYU STEP (Science Training Enhancement Program) grant, part
of the NIH BEST (Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training). This five-year grant aimed to promote and foster diverse training opportunities for graduate students and postdocs, explicitly targeting careers beyond academic research. A key feature of NYU’s program is collaborating with employer organizations to deliver education and training necessary to create a more competitive future workforce. His passion is encouraging postdocs and graduate students to take responsibility for their own success and providing the resources they need to develop their own careers.
Dr. Micoli received his BA from New College of Florida and his PhD from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he also received postdoctoral training.
RCR at the Medical School
Dr. Keith Micoli will be the first lecturer in our five-week series of RCR training. Dr. Micoli session will provide participants with an official in-person introduction to the topic of Responsible Conduct of Research. He will define and review the need for RCR for STEM researchers. The session will primarily be given from the perspective of ethics in the medical field. After a brief introduction, Dr. Micoli will lead an open discussion on the role of researchers in the field when it comes to ethics.
Dr. Micoli presented to students on Wednesday, June 15.
Ivan Oransky, MD
Editor in Chief | Spectrum
Distinguished Writer in Residence | NYU Arthur Carter Journalism Institute
Co-Founder | Retraction Watch
President | Association of Health Care Journalists
Ivan Oransky, MD, is co-founder of Retraction Watch, editor in chief of Spectrum, and distinguished writer in residence at New York University's Arthur Carter Journalism Institute. He also serves as president of the Association of Health Care Journalists. Ivan previously was vice president of editorial at Medscape, global editorial director of MedPage Today, executive editor of Reuters Health, and held editorial positions at Scientific American and The Scientist. A 2012 TEDMED speaker, he is the recipient of the 2015 John P. McGovern Medal for excellence in biomedical communication from the American Medical Writers Association, and in 2017 was awarded an honorary doctorate in civil laws from The University of the South (Sewanee). In 2019, the judges for the John Maddox Prize, which promotes those who stand up for science in the face of hostility, gave him a commendation for his work at Retraction Watch.
Twitter-@ivanoransky and @retractionwatch
“Retraction Watch”
To close our series of RCR training, we have invited Dr. Ivan Oransky to present on his blog “Retraction Watch”. After a brief introduction on the creation and purpose of his blog, Dr. Oransky will review a number of scientific retractions that have taken place over the years. This session will engage students by reviewing the errors and mishaps in publishing work. The session will close with an opportunity for discussion at the end.
Dr. Oransky presented to students on Tuesday, July 12.
Science, Now Under Scrutiny Itself | NYTimes
Just How Historic Is the Latest Covid-19 Science Meltdown? | Wired
Christine Ponder, PhD
Senior Director, Research Affairs | NYU, Office of the Vice Provost for Research
Christine Ponder, PhD is the Senior Director of Research Affairs within the Office of the Vice Provost for Research at NYU. Dr. Ponder has been working with the university on post doctoral affairs for nearly ten years. During her time at NYU, she has been developed and manage numerous initiatives to support the development of doctoral and post doctoral students. As Senior Director of Research Affairs, her team supports individuals across the Washington Square campus to get science research done every day. Research affairs promotes research integrity and provides support for investigation of research misconduct when necessary. Dr. Ponder received her PhD in Genetics from Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.
RCR at the University Level
As Director of RCR training at the university, Dr. Christine Ponder will lead our fourth session. Dr. Ponder session will allow students to refresh their knowledge at an advanced level. The session will begin by reviewing earlier topics covered thus far in our RCR training series ie: research integrity, misconduct, and conflict of interest. Then participants will be split into two groups, “pros” and “cons”. and will be prompted to debate on a claim. Similar to the RCR training given to the NYU community, participants will review and discuss the statements given to them, through the RCR framework. This unique version of the debate-styled training will actively engage participants.
Dr. Ponder presented to students on Thursday, June 30.
Vicky Rampin, MLIS
Librarian for Research Data Management and Reproducibility | NYU Bobst Library
Vicky Rampin is the Librarian for Research Data Management and Reproducibility, as well as the liaison librarian to data science, at New York University. Vicky supports researchers of all levels and disciplines through individual and group consultations, teaching workshops, and maintaining documentation and tools to help implement data management and reproducibility practices. Her research centers on integrating reproducible practices into different research workflows, advocating openness for all research materials, and contributing to open infrastructure.
Twitter: @VickyRampin
Data Management: Vicky Rampin and Dr. Nicholas Wolf
Vicky Rampin and Dr. Wolf will be the second lectures in our RCR training series. Rampin and Dr. Wolf will give participants a presentation on data management, as some research projects will require work with large datasets. Additionally, as beginner-level researchers, students will be given a session on the importance of data management, data mismanagement, and the numerous systems to store and protect data for an extended period of time. The Data Management RCR training will give participants the knowledge and confidence they are working with data throughout their summer research experience.
Dr. Nicholas Wolf presented to students on Wednesday, June 22.
Nicholas Wolf, PhD, MSLIS
Research Data Management Librarian | NYU Bobst Library
Nicholas Wolf is a Research Data Management Librarian and Interim Co-Head of NYU Libraries' Data Services department. At Data Services Dr. Wolf supports researchers to organize, transform, preserve, and share their data at all stages of the research lifecycle. This work includes review of grant data management plans and facilitating researcher access to tools for data publish and repository selection.
Data Management: Vicky Rampin and Dr. Nicholas Wolf
Vicky Steeves and Dr. Wolf will be the second lectures in our RCR training series. Rampin and Dr. Wolf will give participants a presentation on data management, as some research projects will require work with large datasets. Additionally, as beginner-level researchers, students will be given a session on the importance of data management, data mismanagement, and the numerous systems to store and protect data for an extended period of time. The Data Management RCR training will give participants the knowledge and confidence as they are working with data throughout their summer research experience.
Dr. Nicholas Wolf presented to students on Wednesday, June 22.
PD Series
Peter Craigmile, PhD
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Biostatistics/
NYU School of Global Public Health
Peter Craigmile's research interests include time series analysis, spatial statistics, space-time modeling, and longitudinal methods. He is interested in the use of spectral and wavelet methods to investigate dependency structures and to analyze periodicities and trends. One application of this is to the study of long memory processes. He also works on methodology for spatial extrema and exceedances. He enjoys application-oriented research in areas such as Climatology, Environmental Sciences, Public Health, and Psychology.
Dr. Craigmile participated on the Doctoral Programs panel discussion on Wednesday, July 13.
Yang Feng, PhD
Associate Professor of Biostatistics
Doctoral Program Director for Biostatistics
Yang Feng is an Associate Professor of Biostatistics. He received his B.S. in mathematics from the University of Science and Technology of China and his Ph.D. in Operations Research from Princeton University.
Dr. Feng's research interests include machine learning with applications to public health, high-dimensional statistics, network models, nonparametric statistics, and bioinformatics. He has published in The Annals of Statistics, Journal of the American Statistical Association, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series B, Journal of Machine Learning Research, International Journal of Epidemiology, and Science Advances. Feng serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, Statistica Sinica, Stat, and Statistical Analysis and Data Mining: The ASA Data Science Journal.
Prior to joining NYU, Feng was an Associate Professor of Statistics and an affiliated member in the Data Science Institute at Columbia University. He is an elected member of the International Statistical Institute and a recipient of the NSF CAREER award.
Dr. Feng participated on the Doctoral Programs panel discussion on Wednesday, July 13.
Center for Evaluation and Applied Research at NYAM
Foram Jasani, MPH BDS | Senior Research Analyst, Center for Evaluation and Applied Research | The New York Academy of Medicine
Alexandra Kamler, MPH | Senior Program Officer, Center for Evaluation and Applied Research | The New York Academy of Medicine
Linda Weiss PhD | Senior Director, Center for Evaluation and Applied Research | The New York Academy of Medicine
The CEAR team at The New York Academy of Medicine will present to students on Tuesday, June 28.
Erinn M. Hade, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Dr. Hade's Research: clinical trials, causal inference, neonatology, reproductive epidemiology, maternal health, traumatic brain injury
Dr. Hade presented to students on Monday, July 18.
Zachary Maggio, PhD
Associate Dean of Enrollment Management | NYU School of Global Public Health
Mechanics of Applying to MS/MPH Programs
Zach Maggio is a higher education administrator and researcher who serves as chief admissions, enrollment and financial aid officer for the NYU School of Global Public Health. Zach has worked in public health admissions and enrollment at NYU for over 15 years. Zach earned his BA from U.C. Berkeley, an MSc from the London School of Economics, and his PhD in Higher Education Policy from NYU.
Dr. Maggio presented to students on Tuesday, July 5.
Danielle Ompad, PhD
Associate Dean for Education
Professor of Epidemiology | NYU School of Global Public Health
Dr. Danielle Ompad is an epidemiologist whose work is focused in the areas of urban health, HIV, illicit drug use, and adult access to vaccines. With respect to illicit drug use, her work has spanned the entire natural history of addiction – from initiation to cessation, with particular attention paid to risk for infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, and STIs. She has primarily worked with people who use heroin, crack, cocaine, and/or club drugs.
In New York City, she has been examining heroin cessation among current, former, and relapsed heroin users. Working with Alliance for Public Health and the Ukrainian Institute on Public Health Policy, she analyzes harm reduction service utilization among people who inject drugs, in order to optimize service delivery in Ukraine. Since 2013, she has served as faculty for the Fogarty-funded New York State International Training and Research Program with the goal of building research capacity in Ukraine.
Dr. Ompad’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases-funded study aims to determine if herpes simplex 1 and 2 infections explain racial disparities in HIV incidence among a cohort of young gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (YMSM). In addition, Dr. Ompad and colleagues are assessing HPV infection prevalence, persistence, and clearance among this same cohort.
Dr. Ompad participated on the Doctoral Programs panel discussion on Wednesday, July 13.
Site Visit
Brookdale Center of Aging at Hunter College
Brookdale Center of Aging at Hunter College
with Mark Brennan-Ing, PhD
Director of Research and Evaluation | Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging at Hunter College
Mark Brennan-Ing, PhD, is Director of Research and Evaluation at the Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging at Hunter College, the City University of New York. Dr. Brennan-Ing’s research focuses on psychosocial issues affecting persons living with HIV and older sexual minority and gender diverse adults. Dr. Brennan-Ing was the lead editor of Older Adults with HIV: An In-depth Examination of an Emerging Population (2009), and the 2016 volume, HIV and Aging: Interdisciplinary Topics in Gerontology and Geriatrics (vol. 42), which received a “High Commendation” from the British Medical Association. They have authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles, chapters, and books.
Twitter : Morningslider
Instagram : invalid_canary
The Site visit with Dr. Mark Brennan-Ing took place on July 14, 2022