Alumni Spotlight: Jenna Krall, PhD '14

Jenna Krall, PhD '14, is an associate professor and the Director of Master’s Degree Programs in the Department of Global and Community Health at George Mason University, College of Public Health.

Jenna's work has been focused on developing methods for estimating sources of air pollution and their associations with health. Her thesis, under the direction of Roger Peng, was entitled, "Statistical Methods for Linking the Chemical Composition of Particulate Matter to Health Outcomes."

Describe your current position and responsibilities in a way that will inform current and prospective students about career opportunities in biostatistics.

I am an associate professor in the Department of Global and Community Health at George Mason University. Although George Mason is a large university, my department is relatively small yet still houses many of the traditional public health disciplines, e.g., epidemiology, social and behavioral sciences, environmental health, and biostatistics. Working in this position has been exciting because I get to learn from and work closely with researchers in many different fields. For example, although my research is focused on air pollution, several of my recent collaborations are in reproductive health including two NIH grants focused on endometriosis.

My position is somewhat unique because I am a tenured biostatistics faculty member in a non-(bio)statistics department. My responsibilities involve research and teaching (usually one class per semester), much like many faculty positions in biostatistics, though I also conduct a lot of collaborative work.  

What has been your most satisfying job experience using your biostatistics background?

As the only biostatistician in our department for many years, I was responsible for the biostatistics course sequence for our MPH and PhD in Public Health students. It has been challenging and rewarding to conceptualize courses that prepare our students to work in public health, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. I love seeing our students obtain their MPH degree and then become public health practitioners in local health departments. Also, I think a lot about how to best explain statistical concepts to MPH students, which I think has improved my ability to collaborate as a biostatistician on scientific projects.

The Department trains students holistically, so I feel like I was well prepared for all aspects of a faculty job including research, teaching, and collaboration.

How did your degree prepare you for current and future roles in Biostatistics? What aspects of the Hopkins program did you find most useful?

One of the most useful aspects of the program was having rigorous biostatistics training embedded within the Bloomberg School of Public Health. This means that I was able to see the methods I learned in class applied to address a range of public health problems. Another great part of the Hopkins Biostatistics program was the excellent mentoring I received. The Department trains students holistically, so I feel like I was well prepared for all aspects of a faculty job including research, teaching, and collaboration.

What is your advice for prospective students?

Both Johns Hopkins Biostatistics and the Bloomberg School of Public Health have so many wonderful people to learn from. My best piece of advice is to take advantage of the vibrant environment by attending seminars and engaging in one of the many research working groups.

What are your favorite memories of your time at Johns Hopkins Biostatistics?

Many of my favorite memories in Johns Hopkins Biostatistics occurred in our shared offices. I learned so much from my office mates and it was a great collaborative space. We had a lot of fun, including leaving supportive or silly messages on our office whiteboards. Also, I loved winning the recreational indoor soccer championship with our team, the Statistical Ninjas!

What was your favorite thing about living in Baltimore?

I loved living in Baltimore. I really enjoyed the eclectic art scene-there are so many great dance, music, and theater shows to enjoy!

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