Jin Zhou, PhD, assistant professor of biostatistics at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, received a five-year $570,000 research career development award (K01) from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to conduct precision medicine-based diabetes research.
Dr. Zhou’s research will focus on developing a data-driven model using electronic medical records data to understand heterogeneity effects of the medical treatment for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and to provide an evidence-based treatment guidance that is tailored to subgroups of patients who share similar characteristics. Her work will contribute to the field of personalized medicine in T2D patients.
Dr. Zhou received her master’s degree in applied mathematics from Nankai University in China and a doctoral degree in biostatistics and bioinformatics from the University of California, Los Angeles. She did post-doctoral training in genetic epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health before joining the University of Arizona as a tenure eligible assistant professor of public health. With an outstanding interdisciplinary training background and working experiences, Dr. Zhou has been extremely productive and motivated in applying her quantitative skills towards research in personalized medicine.
“Given the well-known limitations of a one-size-fits-all-approach in medicine, precision medicine research holds the promise for better personalized diagnosis and treatment in clinical practice,” said Zhao Chen, PhD, MPH, department chair of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health. “The proposed precision medicine research by Dr. Zhou is tied perfectly with our departmental strategic plan for clinical and translational research. We are thrilled with her accomplishment as a junior faculty member and will provide full support for the most fruitful outcome in her research.”
Dr. Zhou will be guided by an exceptional mentor team that she put together for this K-award. Her primary mentor is Peter Reaven, MD, professor of clinical medicine (UA College of Medicine - Phoenix and the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix). Co-mentors include Craig Stump, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine and chief, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism (UA College of Medicine -Tucson); Hsinchun Chen, PhD, UA Regents’ professor and Thomas R. Brown, chair in management and technology; and Lee-Jen Wei, professor of Biostatistics (Harvard School of Public Health).
About the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health
Established in 2000, the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona is the first nationally accredited college of public health in the Southwest. Today the college remains the only accredited college of public health in the State of Arizona with campuses in Tucson and Phoenix. The college enrolls more than 1,100 students per year across degree programs at the bachelor, master and doctoral levels. Through research, education, and community engagement the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health continues to find solutions to public health problems in Arizona, the southwest and globally.
About the University of Arizona Health Sciences
The University of Arizona Health Sciences is the statewide leader in biomedical research and health professions training. The UA Health Sciences includes the UA Colleges of Medicine (Phoenix and Tucson), Nursing, Pharmacy and Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, with main campus locations in Tucson and the growing Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix. From these vantage points, the UA Health Sciences reaches across the state of Arizona and the greater Southwest to provide cutting-edge health education, research, patient care and community outreach services. A major economic engine, the UA Health Sciences employs almost 5,000 people, has nearly 1,000 faculty members and garners more than $126 million in research grants and contracts annually. For more information: http://uahs.arizona.edu
