Biostatistics Professor Receives Noether Award (web article)

Ciprian Crainiceanu, PhD, assistant professor in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Department of Biostatistics, received the 2006 American Statistical Association’s Noether Young Scholar Award. The award honors researchers younger than age 35, who have performed significant research and teaching in nonparametric statistics. These methods are designed to rely less on modeling assumptions and more on empirical evidence to draw conclusions.

The Noether Award was established to foster, encourage and support both research and teaching in nonparametric statistics. It also includes a substantial monetary prize. Crainiceanu was recognized at the ASA’s Joint Statistical Meeting in Seattle, Wash., on Aug. 8, 2006.

Crainiceanu develops novel methods for regression analysis, the process of describing a health outcome as a function of predictor variables. His methods require fewer assumptions about the form of the function, allowing the data to speak for itself.

“Ciprian is a rising star that we are very proud to have on the Johns Hopkins faculty. His ideas and methods can make us better public health researchers,” said Scott Zeger, PhD, chair of the Bloomberg School’s Department of Biostatistics. —Kenna L. Lowe