Zizhuo Xu

Zizhuo Xu has seen the power of data science in medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2021 graduate of the biostatistics and data science track of the MS in Healthcare Policy and Research program, he is motivated to use his skills to bring health knowledge to those around him.

With an undergraduate degree in statistics from the University of Delaware, Zizhuo was able to deepen his knowledge at Weill Cornell Medicine to become a more holistic researcher. His favorite course was Biostatistics II — Regression Analysis, taught by Dr. Jihui Lee, instructor in population health sciences. This course focuses on the theory and application of different types of regression analysis. “Not only does the content clearly go through the basic data analysis processes, like linear regression and the logistic regression model, but the professor and teaching assistant were also patient with students’ questions,” Zizhuo said.

For Zizhuo, the opportunity to expand his scientific knowledge was extremely beneficial for his career trajectory and professional growth. However, building personal connections was also a valuable part of his time in the program. He is grateful for the friendly professors, teaching assistants, and classmates that joined him at Weill Cornell Medicine. In particular, Dr. Kathy Zhou, program director of the biostatistics and data science track, was an influential advisor. “My impression of Dr. Zhou was great because she made one-on-one meetings with all the students in the track,” he said. “During my first meeting with her, she took my opinions very seriously while also providing a lot of advice for my job search.”

Dr. Zhou also helped Zizhuo’s team successfully complete their capstone project, a year-long program that allows students to gain real-world experience by working with different healthcare sector stakeholders. “Not only did Dr. Zhou motivate us in the different project stages, but she also patiently offered advice,” Zizhuo said. “I am very appreciative of her positive influence on me, which will be incredibly helpful for my future studies and work.”

Next, Zizhuo is set to begin his doctoral studies in data science and analysis at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.