The Center for Statistical Sciences welcomes three new staff members.

We welcomed Akhil Ambekar as a Medical Image Scientist. Akhil will apply his specialized training and expertise to develop software, workflows, and scripts to aid the team in analyzing longitudinal biomarkers, particularly focusing on cancer and Alzheimer's disease research. Akhil earned his Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from St. Peters Engineering College in India and a Master's in Data Science from the University of St. Thomas in the US. With 6 years of professional experience, Akhil has worked in research environments on diverse subjects, including NLP, computer vision, and reinforcement learning. Outside of work, Akhil enjoys long walks while listening to science-related podcasts.

We also welcomed Seth Bittig as a Biostatician. Seth will assist with the monitoring of clinical research studies currently undergoing patient accrual, provide statistical insights and analyses, and offer statistical programming support in the field of cancer research. He received his Bachelor’s degrees in Statistics and Economics from the University of Connecticut and returned to UConn to earn his Master’s in Biostatistics. With experience in a variety of fields from clinical trials to epidemiology, he now aims to apply everything he has learned to oncological research. Seth’s hobbies and interests include calisthenic fitness, connecting with his friends through tabletop games, and continuing to improve his skills as a self-taught pianist.

Lastly, Thomas Kenny joined us as our new Grants and Financial Specialist. As a Grants and Financial Specialist, Thomas will provide pre- and post- award management, subcontract administration, and financial analysis for the PIs in his portfolio. Thomas is from a small farming community in Central Illinois. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in History from Eastern Illinois University,  a master’s degree in Public Administration and certificate in Management of Nonprofit Organizations from the University of Illinois Springfield. While earning his master’s degree, he was an intern at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as a Grant Administrator Intern.  He comes to Brown most recently from the University of Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute where he was a Budgets and Contracts Specialist. When he is not going on hikes and exploring his surroundings, he enjoys playing pub trivia with his wife, Michelle, or fetch with his dog, Fitzgerald.