Nicholas Jewell

The ASA Statistics in Epidemiology Section recently announced Nicholas Jewell, professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, as this year’s Nathan Mantel Award winner.

The annual award recognizes contributions to the development and application of statistical science to problems and issues in epidemiology.

Jewell has published more than 190 articles about statistics, mathematics, epidemiology, medicine, and history. He is also the author of the book Statistics in Epidemiology.

Jewell’s most recent work includes the first gold-standard trial, which successfully infected the Aedes aegypti mosquito with Wolbachia, reducing dengue cases in areas of Indonesia by 77 percent. Jewell was the study statistician on the trial—run by the World Mosquito Program—and conceived the design, statistical methods, and ultimate data analysis.

Jewell said, “I am delighted and honored to receive the 2021 Nathan Mantel Award. Mantel played a major role in developing statistical methods for applications to epidemiology, and I am awestruck to join the list of extraordinary prior recipients of this award. It is very humbling indeed.

“The very first conference presentation that I ever gave on a medical statistics topic was in front of Nathan (and David Cox and Norm Breslow—the first recipient of the Mantel Award), and it was a nerve-wracking experience. From those early days, I have been blessed to work with many wonderful collaborators on several major infectious and chronic disease challenges in epidemiology. It is deeply satisfying to have our work recognized.”

Jewell will be presented with the award, which consists of $1,000 and a plaque, by the section at the Joint Statistical Meetings in August.