Qixuan Chen

Columbia University

Qixuan Chen grew up on a beautiful island in southeast China, where education was highly valued in her family. Although her father did not have an opportunity to attend college when he was young, he later earned a self-taught associate’s degree in statistics while managing more than 100 employees. Despite being the oldest in his class, he achieved the highest GPA, consistently scoring above 95. “I vividly remember my amazement when he explained the elegant bell curve of the normal distribution to me—my first glimpse into the beauty of statistics,” Chen said.

Inspired by her father’s success as a manager, Chen initially considered a career in international business. However, during college, she discovered her passion for statistics and decided to pursue advanced studies in the United States. She earned a master’s degree in applied statistics from Bowling Green State University and a PhD in biostatistics from the University of Michigan.

While at Michigan, Chen worked on an environmental health study examining community exposure to dioxin. Beyond her role as a statistician, she engaged with the local community, listening to their concerns, conducting statistical analyses to address their questions, and presenting findings in accessible language. This experience shaped her research philosophy, which emphasizes problem-driven methods development, active listening, and clear communication with stakeholders.

These principles have guided her statistical methods research, which spans survey sampling, missing data, measurement error, data integration, and Bayesian modeling. She has designed and conducted community-based, national, and international surveys in Africa and South America to address critical population health challenges. “Now, 15 years after earning my PhD, I deeply value this approach for the trust it has fostered and the real-world impact of my work,” Chen said.

Chen is also proud to be an educator. “One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is making a difference in the lives of the students I have taught or mentored,” she said. As a faculty mentor and in her former roles as master’s program director and PhD program director, she enthusiastically supports talented, hardworking students by providing research opportunities, resources, and mentorship to nurture their growth and potential. “Working with students energizes me, and I firmly believe that every dedicated individual deserves the chance to succeed, just as my father—who had limited opportunities in his youth—proved it’s never too late to shine.”