Justin Liu is a second-year student in the Master of Biostatistics program. He is from Suzhou, China and earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in Genetics from the University of California, Irvine.
What first sparked your interest in biostatistics?
After entering my junior year in college, I began taking upper-level biology courses that involved reading different research articles. From reading and analyzing these papers, I gradually realized that biological research not only focuses on theoretical concepts, but also on the design of the experiments and interpretation of data. This drew my attention and inspired me to pursue a degree in Biostatistics to further explore the role of statistics in biological research.
What attracted you to the Master of Biostatistics program at Duke?
The career development support that the Master's program offers is the main reason I chose Duke. After graduating from college, I realized that it is important to think thoroughly about my interests and plan my future career accordingly while completing courses for my Master's program. Therefore, I considered the career development program to be a great way not only to evaluate my own strengths, but also to develop strong writing and communication skills as a preparation for potential job opportunities.
What do you enjoy most about this program?
The inclusive and supportive learning environment is what I enjoyed the most. At Duke's Master of Biostatistics program, we can build strong connections with both our classmates and faculty. Advisors and faculty members in the B&B department at Duke, value the thoughts of each student and do their best to help students succeed. Furthermore, students can also find numerous internship and research opportunities to help them explore their interests and decide on a potential career pathway for the future.
What are some of your favorite classes?
My favorite class is Biostat 702 Applied Statistical Methods I taught by Dr. Tina Davenport. Besides introducing basic statistical theories and methodologies commonly used in data analysis through lectures, Dr. Davenport also shared her perspective on how to develop a way to critically think about research questions and reporting study outcomes through every homework assignment and exam. As one of the introductory level courses in the first year of the Biostatistics program, Dr. Davenport's class helped me build a strong foundation in the application of statistical methodologies and a professional way of evaluating research objectives, which will benefit me significantly in future collaborations with other biostatistics scholars.
What's the most challenging aspect of the program?
The most challenging aspect for me is balancing time and effort between coursework and research/internship. It's especially difficult during the second year when courses start to become harder and the addition of the Master's Project.
Did you participate in a summer internship?
I participated in the internship program offered by the Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) at Duke. This program sparked my interest in AIDS research and prepared me for future research projects with critical thinking and communication skills. I recommend this program to students with an interest in both biomedical and quantitative science.
What type of work did you do for your internship?
In this program, I was supervised by both Dr. Guido Ferrari from the Department of Surgery and Dr. Janice McCarthy from the B&B department to investigate the performance of antibodies targeting HIV-1 by developing quantitative methods using R. I also presented my research progress approximately once per 2-3 weeks during the weekly seminar session. During the end of the program, I constructed an abstract and a project poster and presented my poster at the Duke CFAR retreat in September 2023.
What advice do you have for incoming students?
My advice for incoming students is to think early on what type of career pathway they want to pursue after graduating from the Master's Program so that there will be enough time to look for research or internship opportunities and utilize other Duke resources that can help them succeed in the future.
What type of work do you see yourself doing in the future?
I am planning to pursue a PhD degree in biomedical science because my career goal is to become a scientist who can integrate biological research with quantitative skills when investigating disease and developing feasible treatments.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I like to explore great restaurants around the city of Durham and visit state/national parks with friends. When I am alone, I like to listen to music and play video games.