Biography

Zhu received a B.S. (1982) in computational mathematics and computer science from Shanghai University, a M.S.(1987) and a PhD(1992) in statistics from Queen's University and the University of Toronto, respectively. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in environmental health with Health Canada before joining the faculty of University of South Florida College of Public Health. He was the founding director of the first biostatistics PhD program in the state of Florida for over a decade. He joined University of New Mexico Health Science Center in 2017

Personal Statement

Dr. Zhu has conducted research, both as an independent investigator and a collaborator, in diverse health-related fields. His research interest and expertise have expanded to include biostatistics, environmental health, health service research, health system and policy, and data science. He appreciates and values the important role biostatistics plays in multi-disciplinary research and education in team science settings. He has been exploring and practicing interdisciplinary teaching in his decade-long leadership role in graduate Biostatistics programs. Dr. Zhu proactively promotes science-based policy and practice through service at national committees and advisory boards in areas of health protection and health.

Areas of Specialty

Biostatistics and Data Science

Environmental Health and Health Risk Assessment

Health Service Research

Design, Conduct, and Evaluation of Clinical Studies (e.g. Clinical Trials)

Health System and Policy in Rural China

Achievements & Awards

Fulbright Scholar, Public Policy in China, 2012-2013

American Association for the Advancement of Science, Science and Technology Policy Fellow, US Environmental Protection Agency, 2013-2015

Faculty Research Excellence Award for Individual Contribution to Team Science, UNM Health Science Center, 2023

University of South Florida President's Faculty Excellence, 2003

University of South Florida Outstanding Faculty, 2013

Gender

Male

Languages

  • Chinese
  • English

Courses Taught

Dr. Zhu has taught biostatistics and research method courses at undergraduate, Master's and PhD levels for over two decades, covering survival data analysis, survey and sampling, experimental design, probability theory, statistical inference, statistical computing methods, and spatiotemporally clustered data. He has also conducted workshops and summer programs both in the US and internationally on research methods in multidisciplinary settings.

Research and Scholarship

Dr. Zhu's current research and scholarship are focused in five broad-based areas, analytic methods in data sciences, rural health in China, environmental health and risk assessment, innovative and adaptive training in biostatistics and research methods, and broad-based collaboration in health-related research. Dr. Zhu leads the Loess Plateau Health Project, an 18-year cohort study in rural northwestern China, which aims to inform evidence-supported health policies and program implementation. Dr. Zhu also develops innovative methods to implement pathway-informed multi-sector data integration across heterogeneous systems to support environmental health risk assessment and policy impact assessment. He is also developing personalized, on-demand, and adaptive training in biostatistics and research methods for health researchers.