Student Profiles

Muhan An

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Muhan comes from Beijing, the capital of China. She received her bachelor's degree in Economics at Capital University of Economics and Business. Her undergraduate studies in econometrics introduced her to the use of mathematical statistics in policy-making, finance, and health care. Based on her interest, she then decided to pursue a career in biostatistics, hoping to study clinical applications of drugs and disease prevention. In her spare time, she enjoys going for walks, playing badminton, and spending time with her white cat.

Qiyan (Kiiara) Bao

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Qiyan Bao grew up in Nanjing, a city in southeastern China. She graduated from Nanjing Normal University in China with a B.S. in Environmental Sciences. Her interest in biostatistics comes from the analytical methods used in a soil microorganisms study she participated in during her undergraduate studies. At UCSD, she expects to improve her skills in the field of biostatistics. In her spare time, she enjoys listening to music, playing guitar, hiking, and skateboarding.

Hazel Cai

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Hazel was born and raised in Jiangxi, a province known for its beautiful landscapes in southeast China. Before coming to UCSD, she earned her bachelor’s degree from Zhejiang University in China, where she studied insects and microorganisms, especially those cause plant diseases. Hazel has always been interested in statistics and views Biostatistics as the perfect field to combine her strengths and passions. During her undergraduate studies, she worked on GWAS and circRNA annotation projects, and now she is excited to embark on her new journey in genomic data analysis with the knowledge to be acquired. She aspires to develop her own innovative statistical methods in this field someday. In her spare time, Hazel enjoys reading and dancing. Now she is also working hard to regain her piano playing skills.

Jiarui Chen

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

Jiarui Chen grew up in Hangzhou, a city in southeastern China. He graduated from Zhejiang University in China with a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences. He became interested in biostatistics while studying molecular biology and epigenetics. He wants to improve his skills in data analysis, statistical modeling, and hopes to apply mathematical methods to high-throughput studies of diseases. In his spare time, he enjoys photography and music, as well as watching sports.

Kyle Robert Michael Chen

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

Kyle is a Socal local, born in and lived most of his life in Orange County. He received a bachelor's degree in Math/Applied Life Science with a concentration in medical and life sciences from UCLA. His interest in biostatistics stems first from his love of math and second from his uncertainty about what to do within the field. He has a desire to work in cancer related research and help find ways to make a difference for people in all walks of life who are affected by it. Outside of school he enjoys playing many sports (mainly volleyball), watching those same sports, and just exploring new and exciting past times.

Siyi Chen

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Siyi grew up in Northwestern China and earned her Bachelor's degree in Veterinary Medicine from Northwest Agriculture & Forestry University. She then pursued a Master's degree in Veterinary Medicine, specializing in veterinary epidemiology, from Nanjing Agricultural University. At UCSD, Siyi is eager to delve into biostatistics, with a keen interest in clinical trials and survival analysis. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new places, swimming, and riding roller coasters.

Yuhang Chen

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

Yuhang comes from the south part of China. He earned his bachelor's degree in biology at the University of Miami. He developed his interest in biostatistics while doing internships in biotechnology companies and his undergraduate research program about plant growth under different micro environments. He believes that answer hides between datas. That's why he decided to pursue his graduate studies on biostatistics at UC San Diego.

Qing Cheng

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Qing was born in southern China. She graduated from Hong Kong Baptist University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Statistics. In her Final Year Project, she witnessed the Parameter Estimation via Representative Points Approach. At UCSD, she expects to learn application-focused, public health-centered skills to contribute to addressing health issues. In her spare time, she loves doing sports, kpop and play games.

Andrii Dovhaniuk

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Andrii was born and grew up in Ukraine. He moved to the U.S. when he was 17 and soon started on his academic journey at Southwestern College. After he finished his associate degree he transferred to the University of California, Riverside, where he earned a BS in Data Science. As the first generation student and first in his family to pursue a master's degree, Andrii brings a unique perspective shaped by his upbringing and experiences. His passion for data science and biostatistics was inspired by the potential of biostatistics to impact public health. Beyond academics, he enjoys hiking, snowboarding, working out at the gym, and playing soccer. He also engages in volunteering and exploring new technologies.

Zhaoxuan Fan

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Grew up in Guiyang, a city in Southwest China, and graduated from the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics with a B.S. in Economics. The four years of undergraduate study in actuarial science introduced me to the numerous capabilities of statistics in scientific research, including time series analysis, survival analysis, and so on. With such interest and passion for statistics, I'd like to explore more in the field of applied statistics. In my spare time, I love exploring new spots with my friends, playing video games, going to the gym.

Zhaomei Geng

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Zhaomei grew up in Luoyang, a city in Northern China. She graduated from Sun Yat-Sen University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in statistics. Her interest in biostatistics developed from her undergraduate research program, and she wanted to explore more in this field at UCSD. In her spare time, she loves watching movies and musicals, traveling, and swimming.

Albert Gu

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Albert grew up in San Diego. He graduated from UCLA, where he received a BS in Computational and Systems Biology. Using what he learned, he aspires to use mathematics and biology to further explore different solutions in public health in medicine. In his free time, he likes to play old-school fighting games and cook different recipes.

Yongxian (Celia) He

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Yongxian comes from Eastern China. She got her bachelor's degree in statistics at East China Normal University. She has been actively engaged in the study of statistics and has gradually developed her interest in biostatistics during her studies. Her undergraduate researches involved analysis of clinical trial data and survival analysis, which has strengthened her determination to continue her in-depth study in the field of biostatistics. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and traveling.

Yuyao Huang

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

Yuyao was born in southern China. She graduated from Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Statistics. In her Final Year Project, she witnessed the art of utilizing mathematical models to analyze biomedical data. At UCSD, she expects to learn application-focused, public health-centered skills to contribute to addressing health issues. In her spare time, she loves traveling and doing sports.

Eva Jason

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

Eva was born in Los Angeles and went to college at UC Santa Cruz where she majored in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. As an undergraduate research assistant, she found a passion for coding while trying to make sense of the large amounts of data produced from a laboratory assay. Since college, Eva has worked in several different research environments. She was an intern at Osaka University in a biochemistry lab, a fellow at the National Institutes of Health, and a bioinformatics associate at a biotechnology company in the San Diego area. Through her experiences, Eva realized her desire to immerse herself more deeply in statistics. She is interested in applying her coding and biology knowledge to develop methods for personalized medicine. When not writing code and making plots, Eva enjoys preparing complex and time-consuming meals, tending to her garden, and reading science fiction novels.

Kate Ellen Johnson

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

Kate grew up in Northern California and received her B.S in Statistics from the University of California, Davis. During her studies, she took undergraduate coursework in quantitative biology and bioinformatics, and was involved in vector genetic research, which furthered her particular interest in biostatistics. Kate is excited to join UCSD to explore their passion for research in statistical genetics and infectious disease epidemiology. In her free time, Kate enjoys climbing, being outdoors, watching true crime documentaries, and crocheting.

Nicole Kimberly Kam

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

Nicole grew up in Hong Kong. She earned her B.S. in pharmaceutical chemistry from the University of California, Davis. To work towards meeting her career objectives, she had made targeted endeavors. She followed a research team called “QuonBio” and helped conduct research on genomic variance calling, focusing on comparing genetic mosaicism between brains of healthy and individuals with cognitive impairment. Furthermore, she realized the importance of public health ever since the outbreak of COVID-19. Therefore, she intends to address pressing challenges facing public health and to strengthen preventative health strategies using quantitative analysis and evidence-based research studies through continuing her studies at UCSD. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies and shows, listening to podcasts, and building and learning about custom keyboards.

Tannavee Kumar

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

Tannavee (pronounced Thun-vee) grew up in Northern California and completed her bachelor's degree in Genetics and Genomics with a minor in Computer Science from the University of California, Davis. Upon graduation, she spent a couple years working at an oncology based precision medicine startup on the data science team conducting biostatistical analysis. She has always been interested in utilizing a multidisciplinary approach to cancer research, and aims to develop and use statistical methods for real world biomedical data. Other intersecting domains that are also of interest to her include, women's health, health economics and outcomes research, and more diversity in patient data. In her free time, she enjoys cycling, going on hikes, and trying out new recipes.

Kevin Yukang Li

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

Kevin was raised in San Jose, California, and graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.S. in Biochemistry-Molecular Biology. Before coming to San Diego, he researched into topics like gene expression in mouse models, which introduced him to the endless capabilities of statistics in scientific research. In his free time, Kevin enjoys hiking, writing about music, and watching sports

Rou Li

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Rou Li was bron in Guangdong, a province in southeastern China. She received her bachelor’s degree in statistics at Shenzhen University. She becomed interested in biostatistics while studying mathematical modeling and analysing the medical data about COVID-19. She is particularly excited about dedicating herself to research in severe diseases like cancer and HIV. In her spare time, she enjoys watching the animation, playing the piano and playing the badminton.

Yiqi Liu

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Yiqi was born and raised in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. She received her Bachelor's degree in statistics from Wuhan University of Science and Technology. Because of her interest and passion for statistics and biology, she wanted to explore more in the field of biostatistics. In her free time, she likes to travel and dance and outdoor sports.

Yi (Wendy) Lu

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Yi Lu (Wendy) is originally from Harbin, a vibrant city in northeastern China. She attended high school in Tianjin until her junior year and completed her senior year in Beijing. After graduating from UC Davis, where she studied Applied Mathematics and Communication, Wendy's experiences exposed her to diverse educational resources and shaped her decision to pursue further studies in the United States. Wendy developed a strong interest in infectious disease modeling during her studies in Mathematical Biology during her Junior year at UC Davis. She also gained a keen interest in the pharmaceutical industry through her internships. Wendy is passionate about applying biostatistics in pet healthcare or human medical fields, aiming to leverage her skills in data analysis. Outside of academics, Wendy enjoys playing video games, table tennis, and the dulcimer.

Zhiyi Lu

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

Zhiyi comes from Nanjing, a city in East China. She got her bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics at Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology. Because of her interest and passion for statistics and biology, she wanted to explore more in the field of biostatistics. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her golden British shorthair cat.

Jin (Andy) Luo

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Jin was born in Middle China. He graduated from the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China, with a bachelor's degree in statistics. He felt that statistics itself was too theoretical and focused on mathematical proofs, and he was more interested in the practical applications in real life. Therefore, he turned to biostatistics. He had previously interned at a public hospital in Shenzhen, and this experience made him realize the significant role that statistics can play in clinical and public health research. He is particularly interested in epidemiological research, especially studies related to mental health. In his spare time, he enjoys documenting his daily life, such as writing diaries, and shooting and editing vlogs. He is also particularly interested in psychology and enjoys participating in Model United Nations conferences and volunteer activities.

Zhanner Mou

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

I grew up in Taizhou, a city in east China. I received my bachelor’s degree in Statistics from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, shenzhen. My undergraduate research focused on studying the generating process of events with irregular timestamps by developing machine learning methodologies that combine reinforcement learning, time series analysis, and point processes. In my spare time, I love exploring new places with friends, going to the gym, and baking.

Elizabeth Murphy

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Elizabeth grew up in Chanhassen, Minnesota. She graduated from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics with a minor in Statistics. During her undergraduate internship with the Chronic Disease Research Group, she experienced firsthand the real-world applications of biostatistics in healthcare. This prompted her to pursue a master's degree in biostatistics, hoping to make meaningful changes in the public health scene. In her spare time, Elizabeth enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing soccer, running, and traveling.

Malia Pandes

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Malia grew up in Encinitas, just 15 minutes North of UCSD. She recently graduated with a B.S. in Statistics from the University of California, Davis. During her time at Davis, she was involved in research in mathematical statistics and held the position of Career and Development Officer for the Davis Data Science Club. These experiences furthered her interest in continuing her education and research. At UCSD, Malia is excited to learn about survival analysis and chronic disease epidemiology. In her free time, Malia enjoys climbing, playing pickleball, painting, and visiting national and state parks.

Sano Peng

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Sano grew up in Hangzhou, a city in southeastern China. She graduated with a B.S. in Statistics and has always had a strong interest in biology and medicine, maintaining a passion for statistics throughout her studies. Her interest in biostatistics deepened as she explored its applications in the biomedical field. She is committed to applying statistical tools to the study of chronic diseases, particularly complications of diabetes such as diabetic kidney disease. She aims to use cutting-edge statistical tools to develop optimized mathematical models that can better support the medical applications for diabetes and other chronic diseases. She is particularly excited about the thesis component of the program, which she plans to utilize for advanced research on diabetes-related kidney diseases. In her spare time, She enjoys classical music, playing the violin, and Chinese painting.

Siyuan Ping

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

Siyuan was borned and raised in Shanghai, a city in the Eastern China. She completed her bachelor‘s degree in Computer Science at the Shanghai Normal University. During the covid-19 pandemic, she developed an interest in Biostatistics through mathematical modeling competition, using various models like black boxes to do data analysis and explore the pathogenic factors in disease treatment is very attractive. During her master’s degree, she will continue finding the research direction she really hopes to do. In her free time, she enjoys painting, playing the clarinet and piano, swimming and dancing.

Hongjie (Harry) Qian

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

I am born and raised in Eastern China and just graduated from the joint bachelor's program of Biochemistry & Pharmacology between the China Pharmaceutical University in Nanjing and the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow in Scotland. Based on my previous research experiences, I am keen on combining statistical modeling with healthcare-related areas, such as clinical research and drug/therapy outcomes. I usually edit Wikipedia and watch sports or TV shows during my free time.

Jingcheng (Amber) Shao

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Jingcheng grew up in Qingdao, China, a beautiful coastal city. She i finished the bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Statistics with a minor in Computer Science at the University of Toronto. Jingcheng's research focuses on gastroenterology, especially for the relationship between diet/pollution and Crohn’s disease. She has applied various statistical and machine learning techniques to understand these connections better. In her free time, Amber enjoys hiking and swimming. She hopes to leverage her expertise to make significant contributions to biomedical research.

Weiwei Shi

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

Hello, I’m Weiwei Shi. I’m from China. I received a bachelor’s degree in Public Health in California Baptist University. In the future, I hope to conduct research in public health, utilizing analytical and statistical knowledge to develop more accurate medical analysis models to promote the advancement of public health. I enjoy hiking, working out, hangout with friends, and playing tennis in my spare time.

Ka Wai Sit

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Ka Wai grew up in Northern California and graduated from the University of California, Davis with a Statistics major with a focus in Data Science. During his undergraduate studies, he took several statistics classes related to data science and biostatistics, which piqued his interest in the field of biostatistics. Upon graduation, he still had some unanswered questions that he was curious about, but felt he needed more advanced statistical theory to fully address them. This inspired him to pursue a graduate degree in order to deepen his knowledge and understanding. In his free time, Ka Wai enjoys reading novels and working out.

Kelli Sugai

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Kelli was born and raised in East County San Diego, but has lived all over Southern California since then. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Kelli realized her passion for data while working at the VA Loma Linda Auditory Research Laboratory, an experimental psychophysics lab that seeks to understand the link between traumatic brain injury, noise exposure, and hearing function. After graduating from UCSD, she hopes to assist with neurological research and analyze neuroimaging data. In her spare time, Kelli loves to watch movies with her cats, try new coffee, and practice Judo.

Longji Sun

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Longji was born in Qingdao, a coastal city in eastern China. He graduated from Southwest University of Science and Technology, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Engineering. During his undergraduate studies, he gradually discovered his interest in the field of statistics when conducting experimental design and processing experimental data. So he wants to learn more advanced statistical theories and data analysis methods at UCSD to address real-world problems in public health. In his spare time, he loves playing sports (mainly football) and traveling.

Lingsong Tian

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

Lingsong comes from Southwest China. He got his bachelor's degree in civil engineering at Chang'an University. He studied data science at the University of California, Irvine for one year as an exchange student. He is very interested in the clinical research of liver diseases and wants to engage in related work in the future. He likes all kinds of animals, loves to get along with animals, especially reptiles, such as bearded dragons, geckos.

Adam Tran

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Adam grew up in California and earned his bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from UC San Diego. He is eager to continue his studies at San Diego and hopes to explore the field of biostatistics with a focus on applying machine learning techniques to enhance data analysis and predictive modeling. Outside of academics, Adam finds joy in cooking and playing frisbee.

Shengjia Tu

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

Shengjia was born and grew up in China. He received his B.S degree from Tongji University in Environmental Science. As he learned more about details in research, he realized the importance of biostatistics and a deep understanding of study designs and statistical models and their applications to environmental, biomedical and psychosocial research. After auditing some advanced courses of biostatistics, he decided to have professional training in Biostatistics. In his spare time, he likes swimming and traveling.

Ambika Venkatakrishnan

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Ambika grew up in New York and graduated from the University of Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in economics. She is passionate about public health, focusing on the impact of environmental factors on community well-being and the implementation of data-driven approaches to health policy. Ambika enjoys cooking and spending time with cats.

Haoze Wang

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

Haoze was born and grew up in the southern part of China. He graduated from UC Santa Cruz, and received his bachelor’s degree in Economics / Mathematics. His undergraduate life was severely affected by the epidemic, he hopes to explore the field of public health, and make a difference when the epidemic comes. In his free time, he enjoys video games.

Junfan Wang

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Junfan was borned in Wenzhou, China and grew up in Qingdao, China. He completed his undergraduate studies and earned a BS degree in Statistics at University of Rochester. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his did a project on COVID-19 gave him a keen interest in both public health and statistics. Beside study, he is also part of golf team and he enjoys playing video game as well.

Qiushi Wang

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Qiushi Wang was born and raised in Nanjing, a historic city in eastern China. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications. During his undergraduate studies, Qiushi developed an interest in statistics through his participation in mathematical modeling competitions. His internship experience in a new drug trial project further fueled his desire to enter the pharmaceutical industry. Qiushi aims to enhance his knowledge and skills in statistics, deepen his understanding of the public health sector, and contribute to the development of new drugs through clinical trial design. In his spare time, Qiushi enjoys skateboarding, crafting, and baking.

Yuehuan (Jessie) Wang

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Yuehuan grew up in Hangzhou, a city located in southeastern China, near Shanghai. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Applied Statistics from Zhejiang Gongshang University. Throughout her academic journey, she actively engaged in various competitions, cultivating a growing interest in integrating statistics and data analysis with biomedical and epidemiological challenges. This passion propels her towards pursuing further studies in Biostatistics. Eager to explore the potential of statistical tools, she aspires to contribute to the enhancement of clinical trials, the prediction of epidemiological risks, and the resolution of significant public health issues. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor activities, exploring new places, playing the guitar and attending concerts.

Mengxue Xia

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

Mengxue comes from Sichuan, which is known for pandas (sooo cute!) and hot pot. She earned her bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering and Technology at Hainan University. She developed her interest in biostatistics when she worked in the pharmaceutical industry as a lab researcher. She hopes her interdisciplinary experience in chemistry and drug discovery will enable her to generate unique insights in the field of biostatistics. In her spare time, she enjoys playing tennis, editing videos, and traveling.

Chris Xu

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Chris was born in grew up in Toronto, Canada. He received his bachelor's degree in Biostatistics at the University of Waterloo. In his free time, he enjoys watching movies and cooking.

Yunshan (Susan) Xu

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Yunshan is from Xi'an, a culturally rich city in Northwestern China. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Statistics and Data Science from the University of Macau. Her journey in biostatistics began as a research assistant, where she was introduced to cancer research through data analysis and mathematical modeling. In the future, Yunshan aims to further her expertise in related topics and collaborate with industry leaders to apply biostatistical methods to real-world challenges. Apart from her academic pursuits, she enjoys making coffee, jogging, and music.

Himani Yalamaddi

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Himani is from the Bay Area and attended De Anza College before transferring to UCLA, where she received a B.S. in Statistics with a minor in Bioinformatics. She's excited to expand upon her training at UCSD and learn to better support research in her areas of interest, which include health disparities, mental health, aging, and environmental exposures. In her free time, Himani enjoys cooking (read: eating) new vegan foods, attending concerts, and gardening -- all preferably with her family and friends!

Yi (Grace) Yao

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Yi grew up in Hefei, Anhui Province.She earned her bachelor's degree in mathematics from East China Normal University. She chose biostatistics because it combines her favorites of math and medicine. In her spare time, she likes to laze around, read books and watch movies and play with cats.

Jiaji (Mu) Yin

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Jiaji Yin is from Beijing, China, and a graduate of UCLA with a Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics and Data Science. He went through challenging times during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which led him to realize the significance of public health. Although his initial choice was not Biostatistics, he aspires to apply his knowledge in statistics and computer science to the field of public health. In his personal life, Yin is also a part-time cameraman who enjoys photography, cinematography and motorcycling.

Zhichao Zhang

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

Zhichao grew up in Shandong, China. He graduated from Xi 'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University with a bachelor's degree in bioinformatics. Zhichao is interested in Bayesian statistics, which he thinks is the most beautiful statistical method in the world. He has experience managing drug batch data at beigene. He wants to go into the analysis of psychology-related diseases and dreams of becoming a biostatistician. In his daily life, zhichao enjoys playing with cats, watching movies and driving around.

Rongzhe Zhao

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2023

Rongzhe (Rob) grew up in North China-Beijing. He came to America when he was 15. He got his bachelor degree in UCSD. And he is very thrilled that he can continue his master in UCSD. He hasn’t decided what field he wants to focus on academically. He will be very looking forward to find one. During his free time, he likes to work out and all other sports.

Zhengyang (Kaine) Zhou

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Zhengyang grew up in the southern part of China and came to the United States when he was 22. he completed his bachelor's degree in Data Science and Big Data Technology from Jianghan University. He has always been interested in the biology and data analysis, and he hopes to use statistical methods combined with his knowledge in molecular biology to aid in the research of disease. In his free time, he enjoys bike riding and playing football, he also likes to tinker with computers and automobiles.

Jun Zou

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2024

Jun was born in Qingdao, China, a beautiful coastal city. She received her B.S. in Biological Sciences from Shanghai Normal University. She also pursued a minor in Psychology. During her time as an exchange student at the University of California, Irvine, she discovered her passion for mathematics and biostatistics. In the future, she aspires to contribute to the equality of healthcare resources and drive progress through the application of her statistical knowledge. In her spare time, she enjoys listening to music, attending concerts, exploring new places with friends, and sunbathing.

Katie Baines

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2022
• Graduation Term: Fall 2024

Katie grew up in Northern California. She graduated from California State University, Chico, where she received a bachelor’s degree in statistics. She has now combined her two passions of mathematics and biology in hopes to make a positive difference in the lives of veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. Katie also finds joy in being a proud dog mom, piña coladas, and getting caught in the rain.

Courtney Barbato

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2021
• Graduation Term: Spring 2023

Born and raised in northern California, Courtney recently finished her undergraduate degree at San Diego State University. By pursuing her master's in biostatistics, she hopes to combine her passions of helping people and statistics in order to make a difference in the world of oncology or pharmaceuticals. In her spare time, she likes to go to the beach, paint, and spend time with loved ones.

Fangyi Cao

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Winter 2021
• Graduation Term: Spring 2022

Fangyi comes from northeast China. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics at the University of Macau and was an exchange student at the University of Hong Kong and NTU (Singapore) respectively for a year. She is interested in using mathematics to explore the unknown, especially, research related to disease and pharmacy. In her spare time, she likes painting and photography, and skiing each winter vacation.

Jin Cao

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2022
• Graduation Term: Fall 2024

Jin grew up in the southern part of China and came to the United States when he was 16. he graduated from Citrus College with an A.S. in Biological Science and an A.A. in Psychology. Also, he completed his bachelor's degree in Quantitive Economics with a minor in Statistics at Cal Poly Pomona. He has always been interested in the biological mechanism of aging and age-related diseases, and he hopes to use statistical methods combined with his knowledge in molecular biology to aid in the research of aging. In his free time, he enjoys weight training and target shooting, he also likes to tinker with computers and automobiles.

Brian Dang

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2021
• Graduation Term: Spring 2023

Brian is from Southern California and graduated from UC Davis with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. After graduating, he has worked on research projects on characterizing age-related macular degeneration. In his free time, he enjoys watching sports and spending time with friends.

Ziyi Ding

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2020
• Graduation Term: Spring 2022

Ziyi comes from the northern part of China. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Statistics from Central South University. She has always been curious about new things and enjoys participating in projects in different fields. In her free time, she likes playing badminton, swimming, traveling and photography.

Devin Gregoire

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2021
• Graduation Term: Spring 2023

Upon graduation, Devin accepted an analyst position with Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in the Division of General Internal Medicine & Geriatrics. He will be collaborating with Principal Investigators to design, manage, implement, and interpret advanced statistical analyses focused on addiction medicine clinical trials and other health services research topics (claims data, healthcare expenditures, utilization and quality).

Keren Hu

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2022
• Graduation Term: Fall 2024

Keren was born and raised in southern China, where people are very good at eating spicy food. She received her bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from Central South University and master’s degree in the same major from University of Southern California. During her undergraduate senior project, she learned how to use correlation analysis to analyze data from her advisor. After Covid pandemic, she went to summer school and took biostatistics-related courses during graduate studies. All of these experiences led her to choose to change her major to biostatistics. In her spare time, she likes cooking, watching anime and traveling.

Xinyi Huang

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2021
• Graduation Term: Spring 2023

Xinyi grew up in southern China, came to San Diego in 2017, and thinks it is the best place to live after having been here for 4 years. She graduated from UC San Diego with a BS degree in Probability and Statistics. Xinyi is interested in high dimensional statistics and machine learning techniques and has experience assisting in data analysis with Amazon's customer service project. She wants to engage in the design and analysis of clinical trials and dreams of becoming a biostatistician in the future. In her daily life, Xinyi loves long-distance running, cooking for others, birdwatching, and playing the erhu.

Yi Le

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2021
• Graduation Term: Spring 2023

Yi Le was born in China and moved to Sweden when she was 13 years old. She received her bachelor's degree in Biotechnology at Chalmers University of Technology. Her bachelor's thesis was about enriching annotation parameters in GEMs (genome-scale metabolic models) and creating a compact and concise visualization of the information. In her spare time, she enjoys dancing, watching movies, and traveling.

Luer Li

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2021
• Graduation Term: Spring 2023

Luer comes from southern China. She got her B.S. in mathematics at University of California, Irvine. After the outbreak of COVID-19, she realized statistics are critical not only to marketing sales but also to the integrity of scientific research and decided to continue her studies at UCSD. She spends most of her free time with her British shorthair cat.

Zhengxu Liao

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2020
• Graduation Term: Spring 2022

Zhengxu is an interesting person coming from Shenzhen, southern China. He received his bachelor's degree of science in Statistics at Sun Yat-Sen University in China. His interest in biostatistics arose when he analyzed transcriptomic data on The Cancer Genome Atlas. Additionally, he also has interests in optimization problem and theoretical research. In his spare time, he likes playing games and doing physical exercises.

Ethan Mai

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2021
• Graduation Term: Spring 2023

Ethan was born and raised in San Jose, California. He earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara. His interest in Biostatistics developed from graduate coursework in biotechnology. Related projects include analyzing genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data for the identification of an unknown microbe. In his free time, he enjoys long-distance running as well as watching movies and shows (especially Star Wars).

Jomel Meeko Manzano

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2022
• Graduation Term: Fall 2024

Jomel Meeko (yes his first name has two parts) grew up in the Philippines and moved to New York City when he was in elementary school. He graduated with a B.S. in Applied Mathematics and Statistics from Cal Poly Pomona. He did his absolute best to avoid the medical field because he hates needles and blood, but he was always good at math and wanted a career that involves helping people. This is where he was introduced to the field of biostatistics by one of his professors during his undergraduate. In his free time, Jomel Meeko enjoys going to the gym, singing, playing guitar, and reading about dinosaurs.

Ryo Mayes

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2020
• Graduation Term: Spring 2022

Ryo grew up in Northern California. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a bachelor's degree in cognitive science. After graduating, he accepted a basketball analytics internship offer with the Sacramento Kings, where he had the opportunity to work with several statistics researchers on interesting NBA analytics projects and lead him to a position as a Marketing Analyst at Prosper Marketplace in San Francisco. In his spare time, Ryo likes to go backpacking, work on a variety of random computer science-related projects, watch and play basketball and tennis, and eat great food with friends. 

Benjamin Pham

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2020
• Graduation Term: Spring 2022

Benjamin Pham graduated from UCSD with a bachelor's degree in Bioengineering: Biotechnology. As an undergraduate student, he has worked on various genomic research projects relating to Autism Spectrum Disorder, prostate cancer, and head/neck cancer. He hopes to learn more about statistical methodology through the UCSD Biostatistics Masters program to further understand experimental design and data used in biological research. In his free time, Benjamin enjoys traveling and tinkering with computers.  

Scott Rappoport

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2019
• Graduation Term: Spring 2022

Scott Rappoport is a Senior Software/Release Engineer at Humana’s Digital Health and Analytics (DH&A) division, specializing in database technology. He received a BS in Biochemistry from FSU and a MS in Chemical Engineering from CU-Boulder. He also holds professional certifications as an Oracle Certified Professional DBA and Developer, an ASQ Certified Quality Engineer, and has also completed HL7 RIM and CDA Specializations. He was also an instructor of Database Technology at UCSD-Extension from 2001 – 2017. His interests include using data mining techniques to characterize large datasets, and looks to integrate genetic data with clinical records and to analyze feature rich datasets across large cohorts quickly. He has lived in La Jolla with his wife and children since 1998.

Ravi Sharma

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2020
• Graduation Term: Winter 2022

Ravi is a 2022 graduate of our Master of Science program. Ravi is currently enrolled in medical school at Midwestern University in Downer's Grove, Illinois. 

Prior to beginning our Master of Science program, Ravi received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from University of California, Berkeley. 

Benjamin Shifflet

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2021
• Graduation Spring: 2023

Ben grew up in Southern California near Los Angeles and received his bachelor's degree in Physics - Biophysics from UCSD. For the past few years, Ben has been working as a data analyst for the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at UCSD. Through his work, he was introduced to the field of biostatistics and has been able to contribute to many different Alzheimer's and dementia related research projects. Outside of school and work, he enjoys hiking, going to concerts, and traveling.

Khang Tong

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2021
• Graduation Term: Spring 2023

Khang is a San Diego local and received his bachelor's degree in applied mathematics at UCSD. He is drawn towards the creativity inherent in math and its potential to help advance emerging fields in human health and frame the way we understand results. In his free time, he enjoys playing classical guitar, learning new languages, and recreating in the outdoors.

Tianna Truby

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2020
• Graduation Term: Spring 2022

Tianna was born and raised in California and graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a B.S. in Mathematical Sciences and a minor in Statistical Sciences. During her training, she aims to further her statistics knowledge and delve into the Public Health field. Fun fact - Tianna is fluent in Japanese.

Yingja Wei

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2020
• Graduation Term: Spring 2022

Yingjia was born in the southeast part of China, which has an awesome climate all year round. She received her bachelor’s degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong University with a major in Animal Science. During her undergraduate phase, she participated in several research projects about statistical genomics and animal breeding. The experience of volunteering as a teacher in southwest China for a month and investigating the health service condition there stimulated her interest in health promotion, so she transferred to Biostatistics. She likes swimming, baking and sharing dessert with her friends.

Naomi Wilcox

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2021
• Graduation Term: Spring 2023

Naomi graduated from UC Berkeley with a bachelor's degree in Public Health and French, followed by an MPH in Epidemiology. She has worked or studied public health in India, Thailand, Brazil, and France. Most recently, she worked as a Statistician in a laboratory that studies respiratory pathogens at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Her interests lie at the intersection of randomized clinical trials analysis, global health, and infectious diseases. In her free time, she enjoys running, podcasts, and anything outdoorsy.

Henry Wong

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2022
• Graduation Term: Fall 2024

Henry was born and raised in Southern California. He completed his bachelor's degree
in probability and statistics at the University of California, San Diego. During his
undergraduate years, Henry developed an interest in global public health and
waterborne infectious diseases. He hopes to use mathematics to study infectious
diseases and learn how they impact communities. In his free time, Henry likes to enjoy
freshly baked donuts and go hiking.

Yijia Xue

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2022
• Graduation Term: Fall 2024

Yijia was born in eastern China. She got her bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics at UCSD. With her interest and passion in biostatistics, she hopes to make a difference in this area. In her free time, she likes traveling and doing different sports.

Kun Yang

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2021
• Graduation Term: Spring 2023

Kun comes from east China. He received a Bachelor's degree in Bioengineering at the Huazhong Agricultural University in China. After that, he studied Bioinformatics at the Huazhong Agricultural University, mainly focusing on machine learning methods. He developed his interest in Biostatistics as well when working on his projects and is interested in longitudinal data and data missing problems. He has been working on several projects as a visiting student at UCSD. Kun enjoys video games, music, and cooking in his free time.

Bowei Zhang

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2022
• Graduation Term: Fall 2024

Bowei is from Nanjing, a city in the East China region. He graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He developed his interest in biostatistics during the summer before his senior year when he worked on a project comparing and selecting different statistical models to forecast trends of Syphilis and Gonorrhea in China. He is interested in Epidemiology research and hopes to learn more about statistical modeling through his time at UCSD. In his spare time, Bowei enjoys watching movies and TV shows.

Jasen Zhang

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2020
• Graduation Term: Spring 2022

Jasen grew up in Central New Jersey (yes that exists) with his two younger brothers. He earned his B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Johns Hopkins University while also engaging in biostatistical coursework and research. His undergraduate research analyzed ICU data to assist physicians in making more data-informed clinical decisions. His interests include clinical trials and statistical genomics to assist in the next generation of personalized medicines. Jasen enjoys folding origami, playing board games, and the outdoors. 

Jennifer Zhang

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2022
• Graduation Term: Fall 2024

Jennifer grew up in Southern California. She graduated from UC San Diego in 2021, where she received her Bachelor’s degree in General Biology. Jennifer’s interest in biostatistics developed from undergraduate coursework in statistics and bioinformatics. She became drawn to biostatistics because she was fascinated by the universality of mathematics and data analysis, and the role it played in solving public health issues, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jennifer hopes to eventually go into infectious disease epidemiology and apply mathematical approaches to devise solutions for the control and prevention of infectious diseases. In her spare time, Jennifer likes to work out, go to the beach, and explore new places.

Alexander Zhu

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2020
• Graduation Term: Spring 2022

Alexander grew up in Lanzhou, northern China, where he enjoys awesome beef noodle soup. He finished his bachelor's degree in chemistry from Sun Yat-sen University and Hong Kong Polytechnic University.  Previously, he was a graduate student in Biochemistry program at UCSD, where he had some experience on epigenomic analysis and became interested in biostatistics. In his spare time, Alexander likes hiking and playing card games. 

Daniel Zoleikhaeian

• Degree Program: MS
• Entry Term: Fall 2022
• Graduation Term: Fall 2024

Daniel graduated with a B.S. in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental
Biology from the University of California at Los Angeles. At UCSD,
he is excited to further explore his interests in data science and
biomedical research. In his free time, Daniel enjoys trail running, gymming, playing piano, and exploring new places.