As a part of the Iowa Summer Institute in Biostatistics, participants are given a list of potential projects and choose the one that looks the most interesting to them.  They work as a biostatistician on the project and give a presentation on their findings at the end of the summer program.

The 2010 participants’ presentations are listed below along with their comments about the program.

Darius McDaniel, Jennifer Griffiths, Yawa Adonsou, Florencia Tolentino

Presentation

Helping With Science From Home: Volunteer Computing (pdf), Computing on Graphics Cards: Testing a New R Library (pdf)

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Darius McDaniel

“The ISIB has been a fun and great learning experience. I thank God for this wonderful opportunity I was given. Dr. Zamba is one of the coolest professors with great knowledge of statistics and has revealed so many possibilities with statistics. Along with the other professors in the Biostatistics department, I have been motivated more to tell and help others one day be a part of this summer experience. And I’m sure the friends I’ve made from all over this summer will be around for a long time.”

Jennifer Griffiths

“Participating in the ISIB was an excellent experience for me. I have always been interested in math and biology and the ISIB showed me how I can combine both disciplines. It was very interesting for me to see how statistics can be applied to public health and medical research. The biostatistics faculty, TAs, and other graduate students played a huge role in my success in the ISIB.  Each professor within the department had a genuine interest in the students participating in the ISIB; they all made sure that everybody understood the concepts being presented. Also, the ISIB gave me a glimpse into what it’s like to be a graduate student. I’ve learned what to look for and what to expect when applying for graduate schools. Overall, the ISIB was a great learning experience, and I know that in the future I will benefit from what I’ve learned.”

Yawa Adonsou

“ISIB was an amazing program. I learned a lot in 7 weeks – From what Biostatistics is about, through how to get ready for graduate school, to what it is being graduate student. I met a bunch of pleasant people including, teachers, mentors, TA, and students and I felt a candid interaction with them. Thank ISIB to give me that great learning experience, which made me, wanted to learn more and become more.”

Florencia Tolentino

“The ISIB is a great motivation learning experience that allows us to grow as professionals and persons. Making us to believe in ourselves and always look for ways to achieve our goals. We all had the opportunity to meet wonderful people that inspire us, including professors, graduate students, TAs, RAs and students. Thank you for an awesome summer!”

Lisaurie Lopez Rivera

Presentation

Measuring periciliary liquid depth in newborn pigs with cystic fibrosis disease and in control pigs (pdf)

Marie Ozanne

Presentation

Comparing the Spatial Qualities From Two Measurements of Air Quality Over Chicago(pdf)

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“The ISIB program has been a fantastic experience for me.  As a Chemistry major, I was looking for a way to combine my mathematical and scientific interests. Biostatistics has been very exciting because it allows me to do just that. I can learn about environmental and medical issues while doing data analysis. The professors here at the University of Iowa are fabulous; they will help you in any way they can, regardless of whether or not they are involved in your project. I would highly recommend the ISIB to anyone, but especially to science majors who are looking for a cross-disciplinary experience!”

Carey Stuart, Alex Sawyer

Presentation

Biomarker Analysis for Early Signs of Cancer Treatment Response (pdf)

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Carey Stuart

“I had an awesome time here this summer.  I learned a lot, got to interact with a great group of people, and got to see a part of the country I had never seen before.  While I’ve decided that I won’t be pursuing Biostatistics in graduate school, I don’t regret doing this program in the least.  It was a great chance for me to expand my horizons and I feel I am a better student and person because of it.”

David-Erick Lafontant, Yao Tapoayi

Presentation

Electronic Data Patterns in Vehicles Involved in Unsafe Outcomes (pdf)

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David-Erick Lafontant

“Applying to the ISIB program is one of the best decisions I have made in my life. Not only I learned a lot, I also enjoyed being around the students and the very friendly and important mentors. If you want to learn a lot about biostatistics, apply for ISIB. Everything is interesting, the course, the research, R, etc… It is not every day you can learn a lot while having fun at the same time. The mentors are so smart, helpful and caring about their students. I think that is what makes a good mentor. I recommend this program to anyone who wants to be knowledgeable on Biostatistics or even statistics, and have fun for a summer.”

Yao Tapoayi

“Being part of the ISIB- 2010  was one of my best time I  have ever had since I came to the USA. One specific thing I appreciated about this program is that, it was not about learning only, it was also about having some experiences. To be honest, everything was interesting: the course, the instructors, the TA, the projects, the tool for the research etc. Besides learning a lot, we also had a lot of fun times. I definitely recommend the ISIB program to every undergraduate student who is willingly to change his or her future in a positive way. Coming to ISIB program is a great opportunity for an awesome future career.”

Gloriell M. Cardona-Meléndez, Vanessa Rivera-Quiñones

Presentation

Study of Glaucoma Change Probability for Open-angle Glaucoma (pdf)

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Vanessa Rivera-Quiñones, ISIB ‘10

“Being a part of the ISIB 2010 was probably one of the best decisions I’ve made. In those seven weeks I learned a lot of what it means to be a Biostatistician and all the amazing opportunities of interdisciplinary research it involves. This summer I lived some of the best experiences I’ve ever have in my life. Each of our wonderful mentors, professors, TA’s and the entire faculty from the biostatistics department was great! Their commitment to the students and passion for their research work was a real inspiration for me. Also through this experience I have gained friends that I will forever hold close to my heart. If you want a unique summer opportunity that will open your mind to many possibilities, then the ISIB program is for you. You won’t regret it!”