In this episode, we speak with PhD student Kofi Agyabeng and Master’s student Fred Lei to discuss how they bring together the worlds of mathematics, economics, and public health. Kofi shares his journey from Ghana, where a national service posting at the University of Ghana School of Public Health served as an inflection point, leading him to realize he could impact population health through data without ever entering a clinical facility. Fred discusses his background in math and econometrics, explaining how a research assistant posting for Professor Alex Dahlen drew him into public health. Together, they detail their collaboration under Dr. Dahlen on a project analyzing changes in opioid overdose mortality and their work within the Biostatistical Collaboration and Consultation Core (BC3). BC3 supports researchers at every step—from the first spark of an idea and designing a study to checking data and creating clear charts. Kofi and Fred explain how mathematicians and economists are essential for measuring whether policies actually work and making sure limited resources are used where they can do the most good. This conversation highlights the power of numbers as a "translator" for human-oriented health issues and offers advice on finding your own community within NYU's vast, interdisciplinary landscape.
