Lauren Cruz, originally from Lexington, Ohio, completed her Master of Public Health (MPH) and then pursued further studies in the PhD program in Biostatistics and Epidemiology at ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½. While initially intending to pursue an MD, Lauren discovered her interest in epidemiology and data analysis during her MPH studies. She also realized that with the right guidance, statistics doesn’t have to be intimidating. Motivated by this realization, Lauren made the decision to continue her academic journey at ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ as a PhD student in the Biostatistics and Epidemiology program.
In graduate school, Lauren, like countless other college students, has encountered the challenge of imposter syndrome. Scientific research proves to be intricate and often lacks straightforward answers, which easily triggers self-criticism when attempting to comprehend complex topics. When imposter syndrome sets in, Lauren finds it helpful to engage in conversations with her PhD mentors and fellow students to reinforce that her feelings are not unique.
One of the most valuable lessons she is learning throughout her graduate education is the importance of being comfortable with uncertainty. If she were to offer advice to current students interested in advancing their education, she would advise them to "get out of your own way." Lauren also encourages others to follow their passion, nurture healthy coping skills, and refrain from hindering their own progress.
Learn more about Lauren’s journey at ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ through the questions below:
What specific research areas or projects interest you and why? I have always been interested in the role of genetics in disease etiology, especially in chronic complex disorders. The factors that make humans so similar and yet so different are fascinating to me. I also have a strong desire to champion inclusion of historically underrepresented populations in research to better understand disease outcomes and strive for health care equity. My PhD dissertation will use data from NIH’s All of Us Research Program, the most diverse large, national US cohort study to date, to understand the role of genetic ancestry in development of glaucoma. This work is really interesting to me because the incidence and prevalence of glaucoma (and blindness due to glaucoma) is alarmingly higher in those of African ancestry compared to those of European ancestry - but we don’t understand why. To better characterize the role of genetic ancestry in disease, we need to develop large, well-powered research studies. This allows us to more confidently identify the signal from the noise. The ability to achieve sufficient sample sizes and access (and share) large-scale genomic data is a luxury only recently afforded to us in the last couple decades. Surprising to no one, the earliest large epidemiological studies consisted of mainly European-descent individuals. Encouraging racial and ethnic minorities in the United States to participate in biomedical research has been difficult given the blatant abusive and devious treatment by those in power in the past (i.e. the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, Eugenics-inspired forced sterilizations/institutionalization). In order to do better to serve these communities’ health needs, we must build back trust and make a seat at the table for diversity. This is why working with data from the All of Us Research Program is so exciting - because it’s the first time we have been able to aggregate health data to this scale on such a diverse cohort of participants across the United States. I look forward to learning how this representation will change our understanding of complex diseases like glaucoma.
Which professors or courses have greatly influenced your studies? My PhD co-mentors (Drs. Dana Crawford and Jessica Cooke Bailey) have really influenced me academically and professionally. They have shown a lot of support and patience as I learn how to become a scientist. Arguably more important than subjective knowledge, I am learning from my mentors how to balance the daily stresses and demands of life with a full workload. It doesn’t get easier, you just get better at it! The course that sticks out in my mind as one of the most impactful courses is Tom Love’s Statistical Methods series. Not only is Dr. Love an approachable and considerate professor, but he makes the subject material relevant to a wide audience of students, at varying levels of comfort around statistical software and data. To be honest, this class was intimidating to me early on. There are a lot of pieces to keep up with, but it is so worth it. Successfully completing that class was a major confidence booster, plus I gained some new skills in a subject that was originally perplexing to me.
What long-term career goals do you have? I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up, but I am keeping an open mind. In debating whether to stay in academia or go to industry, I am currently leaning towards academia. The ability to develop and pursue my own research questions as well as the opportunity to mentor young scientists are two components of academia that are particularly appealing to me. I have TA’d a handful of courses, and I really enjoy interacting with students. Explaining a complex topic to someone new to the field is a great way to solidify my own understanding and to learn something from a new perspective. A career in academia comes with its own challenges, but for me, the prospect of being able to lead my own research team to pursue areas of interest is one of the biggest draws for staying in academia.