Keighly E. Bradbrook

Ph.D. Student

Biostatistics

Hello! My name is Keighly Bradbrook, and I am originally from New Jersey. I moved to Richmond after my undergraduate studies, and I love it here – especially all the great restaurants. I work as a Research Assistant in the Division of Epidemiology and serve as an Associate in our BCL. My dissertation focus is on SMART trial design. I have one dog named Bella, but I can’t wait to get another.

Viviana Alejandra Rodriguez

Ph.D. Student

Biostatistics

Hi, I’m Vivi! As a Fulbright Scholar, I truly believe in the importance of cultural exchange, so when I’m not doing stats, I’m talking with friends, looking for new restaurants or baking cakes. Also, I love animals, so I am available to pet-sit if you need! To be honest, I like a wide range of clinical applications of statistical methods, but my current research focus includes survival analysis, Bayesian inference, and predictions models.

Christine Orndahl

Ph.D. Student

Biostatistics

Hi! My name is Christine Orndahl, and I am a PhD student. I am from northern Illinois before I ventured to the University of Miami for my undergraduate degree, where I graduated with majors in Mathematics and Economics and minors in Public Health and Psychology. In my free time, I enjoy hiking and kayaking; going to the dog park with my dog, Savannah; traveling to West Virginia; and eating all of the food in Richmond.

Spiro Christos Stilianoudakis

Ph.D. Student

Biostatistics

Hello! My name is Spiro Christos Stilianoudakis. I earned a BS/BA in Applied Mathematics and Secondary Math Education from Marshall University in Huntington, WV. I went on to earn my Master’s in Mathematics with an emphasis in Statistics, also from Marshall. My research interests include the application of survival analysis to genomic data. I chose to pursue the field of Biostatistics because it offers a unique opportunity to apply statistics and data analysis toward the improvement of public health and personalized medicine, while collaborating with a wide variety of medical specialists. When I’m not doing statistics, I’m usually taking a nap. Otherwise, I enjoy playing soccer, cooking, hiking, and reading.

Jonathan Wei-Cheng Yu

Ph.D. Student

Biostatistics

Hi! My name is Jonathan Wei-Cheng Yu. I am a PhD student in the Department of Biostatistics and a Research Assistant in the School of Dentistry. I studied and lived for most of my life in Pennsylvania, so I’m happy to be finally living in another state. Some of my pastimes involve eating, traveling, cooking, and hiking. My current research interests include applications of high dimensional statistic and machine learning techniques in clinical research and in computational neuroscience.

Brielle Forsthoffer

Ph.D. Student

Biostatistics

Hi! My name is Brielle Forsthoffer, and I am a PhD student in the Department of Biostatistics. I received my undergraduate degree in Mathematics with a concentration in Statistics from Monmouth University. I am currently working for PharPoint Research, Inc. as a Statistical Intern. When I am not in the department, I’m usually out running, exploring Richmond, or playing with my dog Belle.

Reuben P. Retnam

Ph.D. Student

Biostatistics

My name is Reuben Retnam. I became a student in the Department of Biostatistics in 2017, after earning a BS from Hampden-Sydney College with majors in Mathematics and Biology. My current methodological research is focused on robust parametric linear mixed models, while my applied projects center on gender disparities in oral health.

Salem Rustom

Ph.D. Student

Biostatistics

Hello! I’m Salem, a PhD student in the program. Prior to Richmond, I have lived in several other cities and countries around the world. I was drawn to the field of biostatistics due to the stimulating intellectual challenge and benefit to society it provides. I presently work as a Research Assistant for the Department of Surgery. Other interests of mine include traveling/exploring hidden gems, playing basketball, and cartography.

Matt Carli

Ph.D. Student

Biostatistics

Hello, my name is Matt Carli. I received my undergraduate degree in English Lit and Chinese Language from Washington and Lee University in 2013. I spent two years teaching English in China, and after returning to the States took courses in mathematics at SUNY Albany. When I’m not studying for classes I enjoy running, reading, learning new languages, and traveling.

Martin Lavallee

Ph.D. Student

Biostatistics

Hi, my name is Martin Lavallee and I am from New Jersey. I received my Master’s in Statistics from Rutgers University and my Bachelor’s in World Politics from Hamilton College. Before starting at VCU, I worked for a year in the pharmaceutical industry developing a signal detection project mining temporal adverse drug events from electronic health records as a contribution to the OHDSI community. Outside of statistics, I like to read up on sports and pop culture.

Alicia Richards

Ph.D. Student

Biostatistics

Hello! My name is Alicia Richards, and I am a Ph.D. student in the Department of Biostatistics. I grew up in Rhode Island and received my undergraduate degree in Mathematics from Catawba College. I first became interested in the field of biostatistics after participating in the Summer Institute of Biostatistics, and now I am excited to broaden my knowledge here at VCU. In my free time, I enjoy paddle boarding, running, and baking.

Xinxin Sun

Ph.D. Student

Biostatistics

My name is Xinxin, and I am a Ph.D. Biostatistics student, after receiving a MS in Biostatistics at the University of Pittsburgh. In my spare time, I like to go to the gym and exercise a bit, or go out for a walk in a park.

Dustin Bastaich

M.S. Student

Biostatistics

Hello, my name is Dustin. I received my B.S. in Mathematics with a concentration in Statistics from Virginia Commonwealth University. In my free time I like to golf, watch sports, and read. I also enjoy working on independent projects such as doing analysis on fantasy sports.

Joseph Boyle

Ph.D. Student

Biostatistics

Hello! My name is Joseph Boyle. I completed my undergraduate degree in Statistics from UNC-Chapel Hill and am excited to continue my education here in Richmond, my hometown. Inside the department, I am a Teaching Assistant for BIOS 543, Graduate Research Methods. Outside of the department, I enjoy long distance running, exploring new places, and fine-tuning my coffee-brewing process.

Serenity Budd

M.S. Student

Biostatistics

Hello! My name is Serenity, and I am a master’s student in the Department of Biostatistics. I received my undergraduate degree in Mathematics from Vassar College. In my free time, I enjoy dancing, reading, and hiking.

Shannon Moldowan

M.S. Student

Biostatistics

Hi, I’m Shannon! I am a M.S. Biostatistics student. I completed my undergraduate degree in Applied Mathematics with a minor in Applied Physics at VCU. I am thrilled to begin this new chapter in my education. Aside from studying, I like to watch nature documentaries, read, and visit Belle Isle.

Rebecca Rasnick

Ph.D. Student

Biostatistics

Hello, my name is Rebecca Rasnick. I am originally from northeast Tennessee. I have an associate’s degree in Mathematics from Northeast State Community College. I then attended East Tennessee State University where I tutored and taught statistics while obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Statistics, and a master’s in Mathematics. My outside interests include American Sign Language, playing Nintendo games, and playing Pathfinder. I have a black cat named Jake who I love with all my heart.

Dongho Shin

Ph.D. Student

Biostatistics

Hello! My name is Dongho Shin. I was born and raised in South Korea and received my undergraduate degree in Business Administration at Hanyang University. I worked as a Marketing Assistant at LG Chemical for about a year and as a Strategic Assistant at Lotte Department Store in Korea for 3 years. I earned Master's degree from South Carolina. My thesis focused on "Inflated standard errors of MCMC estimates in IRT". Now, my research interests include applying MCMC methods to analyze biomedical data. Beside statistics, I like playing all kind of sports and look forward to intramural sports at VCU with the Biostatistics family. I also really enjoy watching Major League Baseball (Go Ryu!) and the English Premier League (Go Sonny!).

Atika Farzana Urmi

Ph.D. Student

Biostatistics

Hi, my name is Urmi, and I joined VCU as an international student. I completed my B.S. and M.S. in Statistics from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Before joining VCU, I was working as a faculty member at the American International University in my country. My research interests primarily concern chronic diseases, specifically cancer and diabetes. Apart from studying, I like travelling, reading and playing with my pet.

Chen Wang

Ph.D. Student

Biostatistics

Hi, my name is Chen Wang, and I am from China. I received a M.S. in Statistics from the University of Delaware. After that, I worked as a Statistical Programmer and then a biostatistician in a global CRO for five years, primarily working on projects related to oncology. In my free time, I enjoy playing with my children and going to the gym.

Laura Williams

M.S. Student

Biostatistics

Hi! I'm Laura, and I'm a M.S. student. I have lived in Richmond since I was in high school and received a B.S. in both Biomathematics and Statistics from VCU. I am currently employed as a Statistical Analyst at Precizion Solutions, and in my free time I enjoy reading, playing with my cat, and spending time with friends and family.

Victoria C. Garcia

Ph.D. Student

Biostatistics

Hi! I’m Victoria Garcia. I was born and bred in the Richmond area. My scientific interests began during my undergraduate career at VCU, where I studied Behavioral Pharmacology and Toxicology in animal laboratories. I decided to apply the knowledge I had gained from working with animal models to human subjects by studying Epidemiology at EVMS in Norfolk, VA. My interest in Biostatistics was piqued at EVMS, so I returned to VCU and enrolled in the Biostatistics program. I have had the opportunity to work with transplant data through my internship with the United Network for Organ Sharing, as well as other projects pertaining to dental data and quality of life data. In my free time, I like to cook, read design blogs, and play with my two cats.

Paul M. Hargarten

Ph.D. Student

Biostatistics

Hey! I am Paul Hargarten, and I am a graduate of the University of Richmond with majors in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology as well as Chemistry with a minor in Mathematics. I was introduced to and immediately fell in love with the field of Biostatistics by the SIBS program. At VCU, I successfully defended my Master’s thesis entitled: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Health Impacts of Inorganic Arsenic in Chemical Mixtures. I am now extending the work as my dissertation topic. When I am not working, I am involved in the youth ministry at a local church. I also enjoy hiking, backpacking, kayaking, tubing down the James, and playing anomalous board games.

Christopher E. Jay

M.S. Student

Biostatistics

Hey, I’m Chris Jay! I graduated from SUNY University at Buffalo in 2015 with my BS in Medicinal Chemistry. I am a PhD student in the VCU School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutics. I wanted the duality of bench work and statistical data analysis (MS in Biostatistics, Clinical Research and Biostatistics Concentration) to pursue employment at the FDA. Outside of research, I enjoy volunteering with various groups around Richmond, cheering on the Buffalo Bills, and going outdoors to play Golf and Disc Golf.

Cristin D. Kaspar

M.S. Student

Biostatistics

Kristine L. Kenning

M.S. Student

Biostatistics

Ethan Lotz

M.S. Student

Biostatistics

Narad M. Mishra

M.S. Student

Biostatistics

Nicole Vissichelli

M.S. Student

Biostatistics

I completed both medical school and residency training in Internal Medicine at VCU Medical Center. I am currently completing my fellowship in Infectious Diseases and will be pursuing a MS in Biostatistics, Clinical Research and Biostatistics Program as well as additional fellowship training in Epidemiology.

Sonja E. Volker

M.S. Student

Biostatistics

Ryan Winstead

M.S. Student

Biostatistics

Hello, I’m Ryan Winstead! I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with my Pharm.D. in 2016. I then completed two years of pharmacy practice and solid organ transplant residencies with the University of Kentucky. I am currently a clinical transplant pharmacist in the Hume-Lee transplant center at VCU Health, and I am beginning my first year of the M.S., Clinical Research and Biostatistics Concentration. I chose this program to enhance my research skills to be able to conduct statistically-sound, high-impact studies in the field of transplantation. In my spare time I enjoy playing tennis, being outside, reading, and collecting house plants!

Fang Yuan

M.S. Student

Biostatistics

Hello, my name is Fang Yuan. Beijing, China is my hometown. I received my Bachelor’s in Clinical Medicine at Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. After completing a one year internship at Anzhen Hospital, I came to VCU for my Master’s in Biochemistry. Upon graduation, I started my career in cancer research at Massey Cancer Center. In the Fall of 2018, I enrolled in the M.S. in Biostatistics, Clinical Research and Biostatistics Concentration program, and I am very excited to start a new page of my life journey. Outside of school and work, I enjoy hiking along the river, cooking/baking and watching BBC shows and Disney cartoons.

Jing Zhang

M.S. Student

Biostatistics

I received my Ph.D in Mathematics in 2012 from the University of Virginia, and I am currently an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Virginia State University. My research experience in interdisciplinary collaboration and undergraduate supervision sparked my interest in biostatistics. I am excited about the opportunity to join the VCU Biostatistics graduate program and work with the talented and dedicated people here. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family.