We are pleased to announce the 2020 Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology Young Alumni Professional Award winner is Dr. Dana Mowls Carroll!
Dana graduated with a PhD in Epidemiology from the Hudson College of Public Health in 2017 and currently serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
Dana’s undergraduate degree in molecular genetics from The Ohio State University sparked her interest in the role of genetics in behaviors and health outcomes. This led her to the public health program at Kent State, where she earned an MPH in epidemiology and conducted epidemiologic research in COPD. Immediately upon joining the OU Hudson College of Public Health doctoral program in epidemiology, Dana became an important member of the tobacco surveillance and evaluation team, working as a graduate research assistant. Dana provided epidemiological expertise for the Stephenson Cancer and the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust. She distinguished herself as an active participant, earning a perfect GPA. This is impressive considering the advanced coursework in epidemiology and biostatistics that comprised her plan of study. She was named one of the first recipients of the Hudson Fellows in Public Health. Dana was also the recipient of numerous College and campus awards, indicative of her outstanding achievements in scholarship and service.
Dana achieved notable success in research as a student with a successful funding application to NIH/NIDA for her dissertation research. Dana then went on to complete a post-doctoral fellowship in the Tobacco Research Programs of the University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer in 2019 and was immediately recruited into a faculty position there at the School of Public Health. This August she received a K01 award from the NIH NIMHD to expand her research and training in the area of personalized smoking cessation treatment in the American Indian population.. She has published and presented her work in the leading tobacco research journals and societies. She has a strong commitment to developing an independent research enterprise focusing on the elimination of tobacco-related disease and death with a special emphasis on populations that bear the greatest burden. She is dedicated, talented and possesses a strong set of professional ethics. In addition, she has outstanding critical thinking skills, attention to detail, and has mastered epidemiological research methods. All of this, in combination with her excellent communication skills, ensures Dana’s continued success as a leading health disparities researcher.
Here are a few excerpts from her nomination letters:
“I can state unequivocally that Dana is one of the most outstanding young investigators that I have had the opportunity to work with. She has a strong commitment to research, has demonstrated academic excellence throughout her educational career, and has an outstanding work ethic.”
“Dana is kind, thoughtful, and simply a delight to be around. Her work ethic is one of the best I have ever encountered. She is dependable, efficient and extremely responsible. I am pleased to give Dana my highest recommendation for this award.”
Please help us congratulate Dr. Dana Carroll on this prestigious award.