Alumni Profiles

Kat Schmidt is a former (but never reformed) parasitologist, currently working as a biostatistician at the Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation (HJF). She is broadly interested in using data-driven approaches to solve pressing public health issues, especially in infectious disease research. Prior to working at HJF, she received the Michael Milken Public Health Scholar Award from the George Washington University, where she completed her MPH in Biostatistics (May 2022). She earned her B.S. in microbiology from the University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, WA), and worked at the Oregon Health and Science University studying parasitic protozoa, before making the transition to biostatistics. 

Current Research Projects 

• Utilizing statistical and machine learning techniques to describe post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (a.k.a. “long COVID”)
• Epidemiological surveillance and forecast modeling of respiratory pathogens
• Comparison of different anthropometric parameters as predictors of incident diabetes and cardiometabolic pathology post-COVID-19 
• Validation of different diagnostic methods for identifying infectious SARS-CoV-2 cases

I work as a Statistical Analyst in the Division of Biostatistics at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. Where I perform the statistical analyses for different studies conducted throughout the University. Jefferson has an NCI-designated cancer center, so many of the studies I work on involve cancer research. I also help guide the development of database management systems to help ensure the quality of the data collected by researchers at Jefferson. I also have the opportunity to work on collaborative projects with outside institutions. One of these larger collaborative projects is a RCT based in India that is studying different treatments for moderate anemia in pregnancy on maternal/neonatal outcomes. I have developed numerous reports for this study and helped perform interim analyses, as the study is ongoing. I even had the opportunity to travel to the collaborative institution in India to meet with the research team and see how the data is recorded in the community health centers. As well as meeting with the community members that work with the research team to help facilitate screening and follow-up. It was a wonderful experience to be able to see the whole process in action, and I valued being able to see this side of the research projects that I work on as it’s not something that you always get the chance to experience.

I was initially inspired to pursue biostatistics from my studies in undergrad where I majored in biology and minored in statistics. I always knew that I was interested in research but, at the time, I did not know how I wanted to be able to contribute. Through college the classes that I took and the research experiences I had, I was able to find a path that would allow me to be able to contribute meaningfully to research and to helping people in a way that used my skills as well as my interest in statistics. I always love asking fellow biostatisticians how they decided to pursue this field. There are so many paths and it always interests me how people find their way here.

I really enjoyed the MPH Biostatistics program at GW and the Milken Institute School of Public Health. I felt that I was able to learn so many practical skills that I use daily in my career like methods for data management and analysis, as well as a strong foundation in study design for health research. All of the skills I learned at GW help me in guiding investigators in the right direction for their research questions and to uphold a high standard for scientific research. At GWSPH I was able to learn all of this from really amazing and dedicated professors who are so knowledgeable and experienced in the field, and who are always there to help. Through the inclusion of the practicum (applied practice experience) in the program, I was able to get a taste of what a career in biostatistics looks like and to gain even more practical experience in this field. Through this, I was able to intern at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation’s headquarters in the nation’s capital. There I was given the opportunity to see how public health research works in a non-profit organization. This experience helped to guide my later career search. For me, the MPH Biostatistics program at GW was the perfect fit and an overall amazing experience. 

Brendan Phillips is a Research Analyst at GiveWell, a nonprofit dedicated to finding outstanding giving opportunities and publishing the full details of their analysis to help donors decide where to give. GiveWell conducts in-depth research to determine how much good a given program accomplishes per dollar spent, directing funding to the most cost-effective programs. Brendan received his Master of Public Health in Biostatistics from George Washington University in  August, 2024 and holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Maryland.