World’s largest community of statisticians honors Lili Tian

Lili Tian, professor in the Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Health Professions, has been elected a fellow of the American Statistical Association (ASA). Tian received this award, according to ASA, for “key and significant contributions to statistical methodology for biomarker evaluation and biomarker combination, for leadership in statistical education and for exemplary service to the statistics profession.”

ASA is the second-oldest continuously operating professional association in the country, composed of the world’s largest community of statisticians. Formed in 1839, its membership includes more than 14,000 professionals in academia, government, research and business.

The distinction of ASA fellow is prestigious and based on the member's outstanding professional contributions, leadership and commitment to the field of statistical science. The title of ASA fellow is awarded to just one-third of the top 1% of ASA members, reflecting their outstanding contributions to statistical sciences. This year, ASA bestowed the prestigious distinction of fellow on 47 members.

In considering new fellows, the ASA looks closely at each candidate’s contributions to the advancement of statistical science through published works and professional activities. Tian has made major contributions to statistical science in the areas of statistical methods in classification metrics, biomarker evaluation, classification algorithms and small sample inference.

“Dr. Tian is a recognized leader in the areas of biomarker evaluation and classification methods,” says Douglas Landsittel, chair of the Department of Biostatistics. “Her methodological work has contributed valuable extensions to popular statistical methods, which are essential for accurate evaluation of biomarkers and diagnostic tests across a greater range of applications. Many of her nearly 120 publications are published in highly ranked statistical journals.”

During her career, Tian has also focused on exact and computationally efficient statistical procedures for reliability and other important measures in applied fields, including public health, cancer research, epidemiology and health policy studies. She has made significant contributions to statistical/biostatistical research, demonstrated by her many citations in scientific research journals as well as books and proceedings.

Tian’s ongoing work in academia highlights her talents as an educator. She serves as associate chair and graduate director in the Department of Biostatistics and is one of the editors-in-chief  for Statistical Methods in Medical Research. She also serves on the statistical advisory panel for Nature Medicine.

“A central theme in my research is the development of proper performance metrics and accurate classification methods for facilitating biomarker evaluation and disease diagnosis,” Tian explains. “These metrics and methods are vital in medical and biological research, especially in biomarker discovery and diagnostic studies, as well as in information theory and other related fields.

“I am honored to be elected an ASA fellow and recognized by my profession,” she says. “I'm truly grateful for the support I've received from my department, school and university. I'd like to thank my colleague, Dr. [Marianthi] Markatou, for the entire nomination process and my supporters for their strong endorsement.”