Instructor Spotlight: Marissa Ashner, PhD

Marissa Ashner, PhD, teaches applied methods and survival analysis in Duke’s Master of Biostatistics program, where she is known for helping students connect complex concepts and build strong communication skills. In addition to teaching, she contributes to aging-related research through the Duke Center for Aging & Human Development.

Could you share a bit about your background and what led you to the field of biostatistics/bioinformatics?

I entered college at Illinois Institute of Technology as a physics major and quickly realized that wasn’t for me. I knew I loved math but wasn’t sure what career paths there out there for mathematicians. After some research, I found biostatistics, the intersection of statistics (my favorite type of math!) and medicine/health. It seemed like the perfect fit. After completing a summer research program during my undergraduate in the University of Michigan’s Department of Biostatistics, I was sold. I went to UNC-Chapel Hill right after I graduated to pursue my PhD.

What is your current research or professional focus outside of teaching?

Half of my effort is focused on teaching and curriculum development, and the other half of my effort is focused on collaborative biostatistics in the Duke Center for Aging & Human Development. I work on a variety of different aging-related projects with clinicians.

Which course(s) do you teach in the program?

I teach the first-year applied biostatistical methods sequence (702 and 705) as well as the second-year survival analysis elective (713). 

What do you most enjoy about teaching this/these course(s)?

I enjoy teaching this set of courses because they all flow into one another. I can relate back to concepts I taught them in a previous course and make analogies or build on those concepts. Looking at how the different techniques they are learning are related to one another can help them to make connections that (hopefully) make the new skills less daunting. 

What are the key skills or concepts you hope students will take away from it/them?

I try to instill in my students that biostatistics is both an art and a science, and that there is often more than one right answer. Many of us come from an education where there is right and wrong, but the reality of our field is much more nuanced. I hope they leave my courses understanding that as long as they can justify the techniques they are using, it is a valid way forward. I also hope that my students take away the importance of integrating their technical skills with scientific communication skills. Statistical results mean nothing if we can’t communicate them to someone without our expertise.

What do you enjoy most about working with Duke MB students?

The Duke MB students are all so hardworking, inside and outside of their classes. The students are eager to get involved in research and teaching assistantships, and they ask questions to relate their research projects to what we learn in class. They often ask about details on assignments or projects that never crossed my mind, and it’s rewarding to know they are thinking outside the box with the assessments I give them.

How do you see students grow or change as they move through your course and the program?

In my survival analysis course, I give students three data analysis projects throughout the semester. It is very rewarding for me and for them to see the improvement in the quality of their deliverables and communication throughout the course. Now that I am teaching three courses, I am excited to follow students through their entire time in the program and watch them grow into professional biostatisticians.

What advice do you give students for getting the most out of your class?

Ask all the questions! Ask in class, after class, in office hours, over email. When I lecture, I try to explain concepts to the “average” student in my class, but as statisticians, we know that no one exactly fits the average profile. Therefore, letting me know which pieces you need one-on-one help with will greatly enhance your experience in the courses. 

What do you enjoy doing outside of teaching and research?

I am a competitive weightlifter and weightlifting coach. I also love traveling and hiking around the world, photographing the outdoors.