Yongyin Chen is a second-year student in the Master of Biostatistics program. Her hometown is Guangdong, China. Yongyin completed her undergraduate study at Imperial College London. She earned her degree in Medicinal Chemistry.
What first sparked your interest in biostatistics?
I am fascinated by how data can be analyzed efficiently and accurately using statistical models. I’m especially interested in how these models can be applied to predict interactions between small molecules and biological targets, providing insights that drive advancements in research and healthcare.
What attracted you to the Master of Biostatistics program at Duke?
The MB program at Duke is designed to be accessible for students with limited backgrounds in statistics (just like me), as the first-year courses cover most of the fundamental topics essential for becoming a biostatistician.
What do you enjoy most about this program?
The program brings together students from a variety of academic backgrounds, giving you the chance to work with people from diverse academic disciplines, which is such an important skill for a biostatistician.
What are some of your favorite classes?
I found BIOSTAT 702 very useful especially it was the first class for us to learn and use and investigate projects using R language. It really helped develop my coding skills using R.
What skills have you gained from the program?
I really enjoyed BIOSTAT 702! It was super helpful since it was the first class where we got to learn and use R for real projects. It definitely helped me build my coding skills and get more comfortable working with data in R.
What does the program do well?
The program does a great job of supporting students. Both the program coordinator and faculty are always helpful and approachable, whether it’s for day-to-day concerns or academic guidance.
What's the most challenging aspect of the program?
The most challenging aspect of the program is learning completely new concepts that I haven’t encountered before. Some courses can be quite intensive, which makes time management a key challenge as well.
Did you participate in a summer internship?
No, I started my master’s project during the summer.
What advice do you have for incoming students?
Don’t hesitate to reach out to the program coordinator, faculty, or anyone you think might be helpful when you face challenges you can’t handle on your own. Also, make sure to manage your time effectively, eat well, and get enough sleep to stay healthy and focused.
What type of work do you see yourself doing in the future?
I plan to work as a biostatistician in a data analysis-related field.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Hang out with friends, eat good food, and travel.
I have recently developed an interest in playing pickle ball.