Rachel Akers, MPH
Manager
rachel.akers@cchmc.org

I am an epidemiologist by training and have focused my career on providing clinical data management support to researchers across the institution. I enjoy working to develop processes and procedures to ensure good clinical data management practices and standards.

Mekibib Altaye, PhD
Director, Data Management and Analysis Center
Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
mekibib.altaye@cchmc.org

My research focuses on the design and analysis of correlated data, particularly high-dimensional data obtained from neuroimaging studies such as MRI, functional MRI (fMRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). I enjoy helping others, solving problems and making sense of data. My work takes place in a highly collaborative environment; I partner with teams of basic and clinical scientists representing a variety of disciplines that leverage neuroimaging as part of their studies.

Read my full web bio.

Matthew Fenchel, MS
Manager
matthew.fenchel@cchmc.org

I am a biostatistician who has been at Cincinnati Children's for over 17 years. My statisticial work spans a wide variety of medical specialties, using mainly general linear models, generalized linear models, and mixed modeling. I especially enjoy helping non-statisticians understand the results. As a manager, I find it rewarding to help establish long-term collaborations between the stats' team and researchers/divisions.

Kelly Olano
Manager
kelly.olano@cchmc.org

I am a data programmer with over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and academia. As a certified SAS programmer and manager, I enjoy supporting researchers by providing high quality analysis datasets, tables, reports, and graphics. My experience spans diverse projects, ranging from Phase I research to clinical trials.

Cynthia Wells, BS, LPN, CCDM
Manager
cynthia.baker@cchmc.org

With over 23 years of experience in data management, my career has spanned diverse sectors including medical devices, pharmaceuticals at a contract research organization (CRO), and academia at Cincinnati Children's. I am a certified clinical data manager with a passion for fostering collaboration and leading teams to establish robust processes and standards. My expertise lies in providing exceptional support in data management, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and efficiency in every project.

Christine Alvarez
Data Specialist
theresa.alvarez@cchmc.org

I have been with Cincinnati Children's since 2007, starting as a nurse for the Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Trauma unit. I received my Masters in Health Informatics in 2015 and transferred over to research. I have been working as a data management specialist since 2020.

Michael Askin, CCDM
Senior Data Specialist
michael.askin@cchmc.org

With 12 years of experience in Contract Research Organizations and academia as a senior data manager, I've gained extensive exposure to various study types. My expertise lies in managing clinical and research trials from inception to database lock. I thrive on complex projects that leverage my certification as a clinical data manager, enabling me to uphold high-quality standards and best practices throughout.

Rachel Bode
Data Coordinator
rachel.bode@cchmc.org

As a data management coordinator, I focus on maintaining data integrity and collaborating closely with study teams for precise data oversight. With previous experience as a clinical research coordinator, I bring a valuable perspective on efficient database management and understanding the nuances involved with data entry.

Cheryl Brown
Data Coordinator
cheryl.brown@cchmc.org

I have been with Cincinnati Chidlren's since 2021 and have over 5 years experience in Clinical Data Management. As a data management coordinator, I collaborate with a variety of teams and am involved with database building and testing as well as resolving data discrepancies to provide high quality data.

Adriane Davis-Jordan
Data Specialist
adriane.davis-jordan@cchmc.org

As a data management specialist, I bring nearly 16 years of Contract Research Organization (CRO), and academia experience here at Cincinnati Children’s. I have worked on several types of clinical trials and enjoy collaborating with a team that continues to advance this industry. I specialize in managing multiple clinical trials while meeting deadlines and providing the highest quality and integrity for these trials while adhering to good clinical data management practices and standards.

Nathan Hawk, CCDM
Lead Data Specialist
nathan.hawk@cchmc.org

With 17 years of experience spanning academia and the pharmaceutical industry, I have accumulated extensive expertise as a data management professional. Holding certification as a clinical data manager enables me to effectively design and implement data management processes aligned with best practices in clinical data management. In my capacity as a lead data specialist, I focus on training and development efforts aimed at enhancing efficiency and maintaining high standards within our organization. Currently, I am keenly interested in initiatives that integrate medical record data into clinical research on a global scale, and I am exploring the transformative potential of artificial intelligence as a tool within the industry.

Judd Jacobs, CCDM
Lead Data Specialist
judd.jacobs@cchmc.org

As a data management lead with nearly 18 years of experience, I specialize in developing, implementing, and maintaining robust data management policies and procedures, as well as training and education initiatives. As a certified clinical data manager, I bring experience in clinical research and clinical trials across both industry and academia, and am dedicated to ensuring the highest standards of data integrity, quality, and security. Currently, I am particularly interested in exploring the opportunities for leveraging artificial intelligence in clinical research and the ever-expanding field of Data Science.

Emily Louden, MPH, CCDM
Data Specialist
emily.louden@cchmc.org

I have been with Cincinnati Children's since 2005, working in Pediatric Surgery Research and then Outcomes Coordination for Orthopaedics prior to working as a Data Management Specialist. I am a Certified Clinical Data Manager (CCDM) with extensive experience in clinical research trials and quality improvement projects in academia. My expertise is in developing collaborative relationships with the study team where I gain an understanding of objectives and logistics which in turn allows me to implement the highest level of data management practices from study design through final analysis.

Christopher Meyer
Data Coordinator
christopher.meyer@cchmc.org

With over 17 years of working in clinical research across the pharmaceutical and consumer product industries and academia, I’ve had a variety of experience in working with multiple teams to identify and resolve data discrepancies and provide quality assurance. As a data management coordinator, I work to ensure data quality through query management as well as thoroughly testing new databases builds and modifications before they go into use by the studies’ sites.

Amita Mirani, MBA, CCDM
Lead Data Specialist
amita.mirani@cchmc.org

As a lead data specialist in the Data Management Analysis Collaborative (DMAC), I bring over 18 years of clinical data management experience, including 14 years at Cincinnati Children's and 4 years in a Contract Research Organization (CRO). I am a Certified Clinical Data Manager (CCDM). I hold an MBA from the University of Cincinnati and a Bachelor's in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Mumbai. I have worked on various clinical trials, cardiovascular research, and NIH-funded studies. My responsibilities include implementing data standards, developing SOPs, work instructions, and templates, and training and consulting with team members and researchers. I am committed to staying current in data management and data sciences, with a particular focus on data standards, exploring the application of AI and machine learning, risk-based data cleaning methodologies, and the integration of medical record data into clinical research.

Carolyn Powers, CCDM
Data Specialist
carolyn.powers@cchmc.org

I am a data specialist with over 25 years of Contract Research Organization and Academia experience, managing multiple projects while meeting or exceeding deadlines. I received my Clinical Data Manager Certification in 2015 and have worked with a variety of research databases. I enjoy being part of a team that works toward providing high quality data.

Jeanne Spaulding, MAIS, BS, BA
Data Specialist
jeanne.spaulding@cchmc.org

I am a data specialist dedicated to the field of academic research for over 15 years and hold a Master’s degree from Northern Kentucky University in Integrative Studies focused on multiple disciplinary research methodologies, design, scientific writing, and data collection and management. I have been with Cincinnati Children's for over 10 years in both a data manager and research coordinator capacity. My specialties are survey research, manual process conversion to electronic processes, and database systems design and development.

Jennifer Andringa
Data Programmer II
jennifer.andringa@cchmc.org

I have been a data management professional since 2002 at Cincinnati Children's. I bring experience from being involved with numerous and varied studies and projects in academic and clinical research. My expertise is in database design, development, and maintenance during the lifecycle of the project. I work closely with our data management and project teams to follow best practices and to ensure clean, high-quality data. I'm also a Medidata Rave Certified Study Builder.

Melissa Armor
Analyst II
melissa.armor@cchmc.org

As a data management professional with over 20 years of experience in both pharmaceutical industry and academia, I have substantial experience across a variety of clinical research and clinical trials from study design to lock. My expertise includes database design and development, ensuring the highest standards for data quality and adherence to best practices are met.

Lavanya Balakrishnan
Data Programmer II
lavanya.balakrishnan@cchmc.org

I am data programmer with 2 years of experience with Cincinnati Children's. In my role I clean, validate and prepare SAS datasets ready for the derived /summary data from the raw data.I write/debug SAS codes to do data manipulation, reporting and analysis.I use SAS procedures to perform statistcial analysis such as descritive statistics.

Justin Bates, MA
Data Programmer II
justin.bates@cchmc.org

I am a data programmer who has been at Cincinnati Children's for 15 years. In that time I have worked on a variety of data management and analysis projects, including reseach projects with Adolescent Medicine, quality improvement projects with the Anderson Center, and data integration and reporting work with Every Child Succeeds.

Shiran (Olivia) Chen, MS
Biostatistician I
shiran.chen@cchmc.org

I specialize in providing data and statistical programming and analytical support for research projects, including creating analysis datasets and programming statistical tables and graphics.

Faustino (Sunny) Daria, MSPH, MBA
Data Programmer II
faustino.daria@cchmc.org

As data programmer, I analyze Phase I, II and III clinical trial data, focusing on clinical data review and safety and efficacy analyses. I specialize in QC of clinical laboratory data.

Logan Herbers
Data Programmer I
logan.herbers@cchmc.org

As a data programmer, I work on a variety of projects to transform raw data into the datasets or reports that the project needs. I work primarily in SAS, but also use R and Python when the situation calls for it.

Pierce Kuhnell, MS
Lead Data Programmer
pierce.kuhnell@cchmc.org

I am a data programmer who has been with Cincinnati Children's for 10 years. I have worked with a wide variety of projects in both a programming and statistical analysis capacity using both SAS and R. I enjoy working collaboratively with project teams to leverage my expertise to meet the needs of projects I work on.

Yanhong (Amy) Liu, MS
Senior Data Programmer
yanhong.liu@cchmc.org

I joined Cincinnati Children's in 2017 as a data programmer, where I apply SAS and R to support various projects. My role includes ensuring data quality through cleaning and validation, generating datailed reports with listing, graphics and tables, and developing analytical datasets to meet specific project needs.

Laurie Smith, MS
Senior Data Programmer
laurie.smith@cchmc.org

I am a senior data programmer working with Cincinnati Children's for more than twelve years with a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Sciences degrees in Mathematics from the University of Cincinnati. As a certified base SAS programmer, in addition to working on many complex research projects within Cincinnati Children's with multiple divisions, I have also presented original papers at various SAS conferences and have been established as co-author for multiple research papers. I am currently interested in exploring how using artificial intelligence can help improve programming efficiency.

Amy E. Cassedy, PhD
Research Associate
amy.cassedy@cchmc.org

I am a PhD sociologist and have been working in the Division of Biostatstics and Epidemiology for 18 years at Cincinnati Children's. My main area of interests center of patient- and parent-reported outcomes including quality of life measures.

Qing Duan, PhD
Biostatistician II
qing.duan@cchmc.org

I am a biostatistician with over a decade of experiences in statistical data analysis. With a background in both biostatistics and bioinformatics, my expertise spans statistical computing, statistical modeling, and data visualization, as well as statistical genetics, high dimensional data analysis, and geospatial data analysis. I have enjoyed contributing to a wide spectrum of research projects at CCHMC, collaborating closely with the Geospatial Research Accelerator for Precision Population Health (GRAPPH), the Microbial Metagenomics Analysis Center (MMAC), and the Division of Anesthesia.

Lindsey Hornung, MS
Senior Biostatistician
lindsey.hornung@cchmc.org

As a biostatistician with over 11 years at Cincinnati Children's, I work mainly with the divisions of Endocrinology and Gastroenterology (primarily the Pancreas Care Center). I enjoy collaboratively working with medical research teams doing statistical consulting, analyses/modeling, helping prepare manuscripts and grants as well as create graphical output and tables for easier interpretation of data. I mostly work with retrospective or clinical trial data and use a variety of methods with an interest in generalized linear/mixed modeling.

Chunyan Liu, MS
Senior Biostatistician
chunyan.liu@cchmc.org

As a biostatistician, I have been working in the Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology for more than 17 years. I have provided statistical support on a wide variety of projects and grants from basic medical research to clinical trials. In addition to statistical consulting, I also assisted with statistical methodology research. I am passionate about helping researchers answer their questions using statistical tools.

Aisaku (Isaac) Nakamura, PhD
Biostatistician II
aisakuIsaac.nakamura@cchmc.org

As a biostatistician, I currently work collaboratively with a team of medical researchers in the Division of Pulmonary Medicine. I provide statistical consulting, conduct statistical modeling and analyses, write programs (R, SAS, Python), report results, and write statistical method sections of manuscripts. My interest is applications of data analysis methods to medical, public health and any business fields (such as marketing or manufacturing process) to create values to the world utilizing observational or experimental data.

Rashmi Sahay, MD, MS
Biostatistician II
rashmi.sahay1@cchmc.org

I am trained as an epidemiologist and have worked as a data analyst for over 10 years. I possess a medical background which is an asset in helping researchers from diverse areas of research in sample size calculation, analysis, graphics, and interpretation of study results. I work with both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, using SAS and R-programming, applying newer statistical methodologies as needed.

Qin (Kiki) Sun, MS
Biostatistician I
qin.sun@cchmc.org

I've been a biostatistician at Cincinnati Children's since 2017, specializing in statistical consulting, data analysis, model building, and data visualization primarily with the Divisions of Gastroenterology and Dentistry. I use SAS and R for my work and enjoy collaborating with individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Yin Zhang, MS
Biostatistician II
yin.zhang@cchmc.org

I am a biostatistician with over 7 years of experience at Cincinnati Children's. As a co-investigator on several institution- and NIH-funded grants, I am dedicated to developing and applying statistical methodologies in the design and analysis of various study types. I am currently a PhD candidate, focusing my dissertation on integrating machine learning algorithms and causal inference methods to assess the effectiveness of interventions, treatments, and policies. Additionally, I serve as a statistical reviewer for top-ranked journals.