Bhramar Mukherjee, the John D. Kalbfleisch Distinguished University Professor and chair of Biostatistics at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, received the 2024 Marvin Zelen Leadership Award in Statistical Science from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Recipients of the annual award demonstrate their exemplary commitment to statistical science theory and practice.
“It would not have been possible to receive this leadership award without the many opportunities I received in the Department of Biostatistics over the past 18 years. This award really goes to my department,” says Mukherjee, who is also the assistant vice president of research in research data services strategy at the University of Michigan. “The University of Michigan has exceptional talents in statistics and biostatistics. I was so fortunate to be the first woman chair of the biostatistics department, and it has been a spectacular journey to see the department grow and reach new heights.”
Mukherjee is an influential figure in public health globally. She led crucial disease modeling research during the COVID-19 pandemic, has co-authored more than 380 publications, has supervised over 20 PhD students and actively mentors a new generation of data scientists through initiatives like the School of Public Health’s Big Data Summer Institute. The program introduces undergraduate students to the intersection of big data and human health and has trained over 320 undergraduate students since first established in 2015. During her term as department chair, the department witnessed major expansion and growth in terms of number of faculty and students.