Abigail Sheena Charles
Address: 1902 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn NY 11233
Telephone: [Send email to request phone number] 07-8627
Email:[Send email using form at bottom]
Experience:
College of Physicians & Surgeons, Division of Gynecology and Obstetrics,
Columbia University 12/2010 - Present
Biostatistician
Responsibilities:
• Analyze data from clinical trials using SAS, STATA and SPSS. Methods for
analysis include, survival analysis, regression (OLS,GLM) generalized estimating
equation
• Designing small pilot studies to estimate statistical parameters for future
studies. The three large datasets frequently used are:
a. Premier’s Perspective Rx- the US’s largest hospital drug utilization and
financial database. It includes more than 500 acute care facilities and
approximately 80 million patient records.
b. Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS)- the US’s largest longitudinal all-payer
inpatient care database. It is also the only national hospital database
containing charge information on all patients, i.e. persons covered by Medicaid,
private insurance and uninsured.
c. National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Result Program
(NCI-SEER) – collector of information on cancer incidence, survival and
prevalence from specific geographic areas representing 26 percent of the US
population.
Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Biostatistics: Program in
Genetics of Complex Disorders, Columbia University
02/2011- Present
Associate Fellow
Responsibilities:
• Comparing the best parametric linkage method (MMLS) to the best nonparametric
linkage method (Kong & Cox LOD) under a variety of plausible complex trait
scenarios. The study requires investigating multipoint designs with missing data,
controlling type I error empirically, estimating power, and estimating disease
gene location when the generating model is a 1-locus model.
• R statistical package and Perl scripting language used for analyzing and
manipulating datasets.
College of Dental Medicine, Section of Social and Behavioral Sciences Division
of Community Health,
Columbia University 01/10- 12/10
Statistician/Research Coordinator
Responsibilities:
• Statistical analysis and interpretation for Oral Health research project
conducted in conjunction with the Oral Health in Community At-Risk Elder
Population Screening Study at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
• Quality Control Screening for the online data input system for the Oral Health
research project
• Ad hoc report production and statistical analysis for other studies as data
becomes available
• Implementing relevant statistical genetic methods to find connection between
genes and specific organs associated with oral cancer
• Authoring research papers for publication
• Tools used on the job include but not limited to statistical packages SPSS,
STATA and Microsoft Office. Analysis methods used includes, but are not limited
to, logistic regression, OLS regression, descriptive statistics, statistical
genetics applications, GIS (Geographical Information Systems) and non-parametric
methods.
Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University 09/08-08/09
Research Assistant
Responsibilities:
• Data management for Healthy Start Program (grant sponsored program for
pregnant and parenting mothers in low income neighborhoods)
• Using and teaching Challengersoft database system (specialized data management
program customized specifically for the Healthy Start Program)
• Supplemental use of statistical packages including STATA and SPSS for analysis
of data
• Training of case managers in the use of Challengersoft
NYC Department of Finance, Tax Policy Office 05/08 to 08/08
SAS Programmer/Data Analyst
Responsibilities:
• Organizing and Compiling tax payer information for New York City residents
into a SAS database.
• Production of reusable SAS macros for processing.
• Implementation of SQL statements into the SAS Macro language to produce a
simple random sample from a population of partnership records.
• VBA Excel programming to automate process in the Microsoft Office programs.
World Bank, Washington, DC 05/06 to 08/06
Consultant
Responsibilities:
• Data Analysis and interpretation for the islands St. Lucia, St. Vincent and
Grenada to yield information for the implementation for a Skills Enhancement
Program for the youth.
• Statistical Modeling (logistic and linear regression, factor analysis) to
inform policy making of the Ministries of Education
Central Statistical Office, Financial Complex, Ministry of Finance, St. George's
Grenada 05/04 to 06/06
Research Statistician
Responsibilities:
• Compiling, Analyzing and Interpreting Statistical Data including Census,
survey results and other economic data. Tools used on the job included
statistical packages SPSS, STATA, CSPro and Microsoft Office.
• Statistical Modeling to inform policy making
• The use of Visual Basic Applications and SQL for enhancing Excel spreadsheets
and Access databases were also integral to the job. These programs were used to
build Grenada's Business Register in an Access database with links to excel
spreadsheets for specialized graphical output.
Teaching Experience
• High School and A’Level Mathematics (2000 -2005)
• Probability and Statistics with SPSS
Education:
Columbia University, NY May 2012
Doctor of Philosophy
Mathematics Education
Research Field: Mathematical/Statistical Applications and Genetics
Dissertation Title: Cognitive Understanding of Statistics for Learning Genetics
Columbia University, NY May 2008
Master's of Public Administration - Advance Economic and Policy Analysis
Master's of Arts - Applied Statistics
St. Joseph's College, Brooklyn, NY May 2004
Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a minor in Mathematics
GPA: 3.83
Specialized/Skills Training:
• Certification in SPSS Training through the World Bank and OECS (Organization
of Eastern Caribbean States) Secretariat.
• Training in the use of STATA, Rand SAS.
• VBA (Visual Basic for applications) and SQL programmer with specialization in
Excel spread sheets and Access databases.
• HIPAA – Health Insurance Portability Act Research Training Course
• Human Research Curriculum certification through CITI Collaborative
Institutional Training Initiative
• Training in the CWIQ software and TELEform (industrial scanning software
program) for administering the CWIQ (Core Welfare Indicator Questionnaire)
Survey.
• Working with other specialized surveys including the Survey of Living
Conditions (SLC) and the Household Budget Survey which are both widely
implemented across the Caribbean.
• Computation and implementation of poverty indicators such as expenditure
related quintiles, poverty gaps, gap ratios and Gini indices/Lorenz Curves to
inform policy.
Special Awards:
• Associate Fellow, Program in Genetics of Complex Disorders, Columbia
University (2011-present)
• Research Assistant, Andrew Gelman Centre For Applied Statistics, Columbia
University (2007-2008)
• Fellowship Award from the School International & Public Affairs, Columbia
University, for academic achievement (2006-2008)
• Departmental Award for best performer in Economics (B.A. Degree Conferral, May
2004).
• Island Scholar Grenada 2002; scholarship for college awarded.
Publications and Scholarly Contributions:
• Joshua U. Klein, Werner M. Neuhausser , Michel Ferin, Abigail S. Charles, and
Rogerio A. Lobo. Obstetrics and Gynecology: Anti-Mullerian Hormone (Amh) And
Clomiphene Citrate (Cc) Response In Anovulatory Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
(Pcos)…2011
• Jason D. Wright, William M. Burke, Sharyn N. Lewin, Abigail S. Charles, Jin
Hee Kim, Alfred I. Neugut, Thomas J. Herzog, and Dawn L. Hershman: Comparative
Effectiveness of Robotic versus Laparoscopic Hysterectomy for Endometrial
Cancer…2011
• Abigail Charles. Thanos Zavras. Genomics in Tobacco Smoking … 2011
• Paula c. Brady, Lynn . Simpson, Sharyn N. Lewin , Dorothy Smok, Abigail S.
Charles, Jodi P. Lerner, Mary E. D’Alton, Thomas J. Herzog, and Jason D. Wright:
Safety of Conservative Management of Ovarian Masses During Pregnancy…2011
• Jason D. Wright, Neha Pawar, Julie Gonzalez, Sharyn N. Lewin, William M.
Burke, Lynn L. Simpson, Abigail S. Charles, Mary E. D’Alton, and Thomas J.
Herzog: Scientific Evidence Underlying the American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists' Practice Bulletins…2011
• Abigail Charles. Geometric Structures: A Primer for Using R Visualization
Techniques in the Applications of the Adjacency Matrix…2010
• Abigail Charles. The CAPE (Caribbean Advance Proficiency Examination) Approach
to Mathematics... 2010
• Abigail Charles. The Texas Controversy Over the Cervical Cancer Vaccine…2007
• Edwin St. Catherine, Wendel Thomas, Abigail Charles. Impact of Social
Protection Schemes in the Caribbean, 2008.
• Abigail Charles. Is Tourism Allowing Entrepreneurs to Have a Higher Likelihood
of Evading Poverty in St. Lucia?, 2008.
• Abigail Charles. Parliament of Grenada Cabinet Submission: Results of the
Grenada Core Welfare Indicator Survey (CWIQ)…2005.
• IS- LM Model and its Implementation to Today’s Global Economy…2005
• Timothy Marchant, Edwin St. Catherine, Dessima Williams, Michelle Gyles –
McDonnough, Elbert Elis, Leisa Perch, Abigail Charles, Halim Brizan. Grenada Core
Welfare Indicator Survey Final Report… 2006.
• How the Creation of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) will
Strengthen Caribbean Economies…2006
• Gender Dynamics of the Grenada Survey of Living Conditions (SLC) 1998…2006
• Andreas Blom, Christel Vermeersch, Abigail Charles. Report on Skill
Enhancement in the Caribbean: St. Lucia…2006.
Mathematical/Statistical Professional Association Memberships:
• American Mathematical Society
• American Statistical Association
• Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
• Eastern Economics Association
Additional Information:
• Authored M.A. thesis: “Is Tourism Driving Entrepreneurship in St. Lucia?” .
Multilevel random effects models, as well as nonparametric statistical methods
were used to investigate the research question.
• Experience in analytical writing with the compilation and editing process of
the Grenada CWIQ poverty document and other reports to inform policy formation
and implementation in Grenada.
• Speaker for several presentations including the UNDP CWIQ press releases in
Grenada April and Dec 2005, discussions for improvement in the next round of
Censuses in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM region) in the Bahamas, September
2005, and the Grenada National Budget Consultation 2004, 2005, as well as World
Bank presentations.
References:
• Available upon request
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