Mukherjee to lead research data services strategy

Bhramar Mukherjee, who has pioneered critical advancements in how disease is detected and projected through innovative statistical analysis, will lead a universitywide strategy designed to support and enhance research data services.

Her appointment within the Office of the Vice President for Research as the inaugural assistant vice president for research – research data services took effect Sept. 15.

Mukherjee, chair of the School of Public Health’s Department of Biostatistics, will maintain her faculty appointments in biostatistics, epidemiology and global public health at SPH. She also continues to serve as associate director of quantitative data sciences at the Rogel Cancer Center.

As assistant vice president for research – research data services, Mukherjee will collaborate with faculty and staff from across the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses to identify and forecast which resources and services are necessary to support the collection, management and statistical analysis of research data across disciplines.

“Big data is a powerful resource that allows researchers — regardless of their discipline — to generate new knowledge and catalyze new discoveries for the betterment of society, but only when it is used, analyzed and interpreted thoughtfully, with honest uncertainty quantification,” said Mukherjee, the John D. Kalbfleisch Distinguished University Professor of Biostatistics.

“I am incredibly excited to join the Office of the Vice President for Research and partner with colleagues from across the University of Michigan so that, together, we can strengthen our research data services infrastructure. This is particularly important in a new AI-augmented world, when data is being analyzed at an unprecedented scale and pace.”

Mukherjee, who received a Ph.D. in statistics from Purdue University, joined U-M in 2006 as an assistant professor of biostatistics. Throughout her 17 years at U-M, Mukherjee has held multiple faculty leadership positions, often with a focus on enhancing access to reproducible and rigorous cutting-edge statistical analysis.

A member of the National Academy of Medicine, Mukherjee has co-authored more than 370 academic publications that focus on statistics, biostatistics, medicine and public health. Her research interests include the development and application of statistical methods in environmental health, epidemiology and disease risk assessment using heterogeneous data sources.

Mukherjee and her colleagues also led international efforts to model the SARS-CoV-2 virus trajectory in India during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Data is an essential component of research, and if we truly want to push the boundaries of discovery and innovation, we must equip our community with the necessary tools and resources to advance their work,” said Rebecca Cunningham, vice president for research and innovation.

“Bhramar Mukherjee is a national leader in this space, and I am confident that she will play a critical role in enhancing research data services across our three campuses.”