Dr. Douglas Landsittel joins the department from the University of Pittsburgh
Douglas Landsittel, PhD, has been appointed Chair of the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Dr. Landsittel comes to the School of Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh.
"As the incoming Chair of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, I am honored to have the opportunity to lead such an enthusiastic and talented group of faculty," says Dr. Landsittel. "Their research has made critical contributions across infectious disease modeling, genetics and bioinformatics, nutritional and social epidemiology, and statistical methods development. I look forward to many years of working with our faculty to further strengthen and expand the department's research agenda and influence on critical health issues."
Dr. Landsittel earned his PhD in Biostatistics from the University of Pittsburgh in 1997 and has held numerous academic appointments and leadership positions there over the past 20 years. He has most recently served as a Professor of Biomedical Informatics, Biostatistics, Medicine, and Clinical and Translational Science in the School of Medicine, where he was Director of the Biomedical Statistics & Data Science Lab, Director of Biostatistics (for Research), Starzl Transplant Institute, and Director of the Expanding National Capacity in PCOR through Training & Collaboration (ENACT) Network.
"Dr. Landsittel has a substantial background in occupational injury and exposures, biomarkers and prognostic models, and causal inference. His leadership experience at the National Institutes for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has been lasting and impactful," says President of Principal Evidence LLC Dr. Lemuel Moyé, a member of the Dean's Alliance, the school's top advisory board. "His recent work in the departments of Biostatistics and Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh is the perfect foundation for his new position. Dr. Landsittel is a wonderful cornerstone for the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington's Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics."
Executive Director of the American Statistical Association Dr. Ron Wasserstein says, "Dr. Landsittel brings a wealth of expertise and experience to the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at a crucial time. Biostatisticians and epidemiologists are playing key roles in the struggle against COVID-19 as well as other public and individual health issues. Doug's leadership will enhance the great work of this department and the School of Public Health."
Dr. Landsittel has years of experience mentoring faculty, postdoctoral students, and graduate students. He has collaborated on more than 145 published manuscripts and has a consistent history of grant support. He is a member of the American Statistical Association and serves as the Epidemiology Section Representative. He was an appointed member (2013-2017) of the NIH Kidney, Nutrition, Obesity and Diabetes Study Section and the Editorial Board for the Journal of Clinical Oncology and is currently an appointed member (2018-2022) and Chair of the CDC NIOSH Safety and Occupational Health Study Section. Dr. Landsittel has served on numerous other individual review committees on an ad hoc basis for PCORI, NIOSH, the Department of Defense, and several NIH institutes. He is a member of an NIDDK External Expert Group for a large consortium and an NIDDK Data Safety Monitoring Board for a large pragmatic trial.
"Dr. Landsittel possesses strong leadership capabilities, great drive and enthusiasm, substantial expertise and experience, a national reputation in biostatistics, data coordinating centers, nutrition, obesity, diabetes, and cancer research, and above all else, a palpably positive spirit. With this combination, we cannot lose," says School of Public Health-Bloomington Dean David B. Allison. "We are so fortunate to and excited about bringing him on board to help us grow our already strong department far stronger."
Dr. Landsittel will join the department on July 1. Dr. Michael Hendryx will continue to serve as Interim Department Chair through June.
"I am grateful for the leadership Dr. Hendryx has provided to the department during the last academic year," says Executive Associate Dean Carrie Docherty. "He has done an outstanding job of supporting faculty, staff, and students during the time of transition."