Get to know Biostatistics MS student Bridget Mayrer.
Since moving to Pittsburgh from Columbus, Ohio in 2020, Bridget Mayrer has found her community at Pitt Public Health.
“The overwhelming amount of support I have received from everyone within the Department of Biostatistics and Pitt Public Health has been amazing,” she says. “I feel loved at this school and that is very important to me.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayrer moved to Pittsburgh to work as a research coordinator for the Renal-Electrolyte Division in Pitt’s Department of Medicine where she found her passion for clinical research. Throughout her research journey, Mayrer met and built connections with public health students and faculty.
“I talked to people who were in the master’s programs, PhD programs, and even faculty members,” she says. “Everyone had nothing but positive things to say about the school. I knew I wanted to go back and I thought, I don't know where else I would go other than the University of Pittsburgh.”
The next step in Mayrer’s academic career path was figuring out which program best suited her interests. She has statistician colleagues to thank for helping her find the perfect program.
“I’m a very math-oriented person,” explains Mayrer. “In my research position, I was surveying, recruiting patients and figuring out where all the data collected is going. It made me think, ‘how do we analyze this?’ ‘How do we answer the questions we are asking in clinical research?’ I talked with a few statisticians who worked on the research studies that I was on, and they talked to me about their processes, coding, and the type of statistical methods used when analyzing data,” she says.
This conversation fueled her interests in the various degree programs offered at Pitt Public Health, and she quickly discovered that Biostatistics was a perfect fit because of its focus on statistics and biology.
The program has allowed Mayrer to continue to work in clinical research while utilizing knowledge she has gained from her classwork.
As Mayrer enters her second year in the program, she credits faculty member Jenna Carlson, assistant professor of Human Genetics, for helping build a strong sense of community.
“I would say one of the best things about my education has been Dr. Carlson,” says Mayrer. She is able to connect with us on a real level. When she was my professor my first semester, I always felt like a part of the conversation and could talk to her as a person.”
Mayrer stresses that students should not be afraid to ask for help from their peers, advisors and professors.
“Everyone wants to see you do the best you can here, so they're going to give you whatever kind of support that they can to help you succeed. So, if you are willing, be open to seeking help from others,” she says.
While graduation is fast approaching for Mayrer, the education and support she received from the Department of Biostatistics community will stay with her throughout her future endeavors.
-Jackie Friedman