CUFSAA-NA Distinguished Speaker Series

Table of Contents

1. Distinguished Speaker Series – Talk 13 (June 18, 2026 at 10:30am Eastern Time) Concluded!
2. Upcoming Talks of the Series
3. List of All Concluded Talks
4. Playlist of ALL Concluded Talks on Youtube

---

The Thirteenth Talk of the CUFSAA-NA Distinguished Speaker Series organized in association with the Stat Circle, Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo was delivered by Dr. Soutik Ghosal from the University of Virginia on June 18, 2026, 10:30AM Eastern Time (June 18, 2026 8:00pm Sri Lankan Time).

---

Event Flyer: 

 

---

Title: Real-World Applications of Biostatistics in Health Research

Speaker: Soutik Ghosal, PhD. , Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, USA.

Speaker Bio: Soutik Ghosal is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Biostatistics in the Department of Public Health Sciences. He joined the UVA faculty in June 2022. Prior to UVA, Dr. Ghosal was a Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow (2018-2021) and Research Fellow (2021-2022) at the Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Branch within the Division of Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Dr. Ghosal obtained his Ph.D. in Biostatistics from the University of Louisville in 2018.

Dr. Ghosal’s methodological research interests span various areas of biostatistics, such as diagnostic accuracy modeling and biomarker analysis and spatiotemporal modeling. He has developed methodologies in applications to neurology, pediatric and women’s health disorders, health and medical disparities, and observational studies. During his doctoral and postdoctoral training, Dr. Ghosal collaborated with medical doctors and practitioners of diverse backgrounds, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, In vitro fertilization, and pediatric health. Dr. Ghosal has more than 35 publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Abstract: This talk will provide an overview of how biostatistics and data-driven methods are used to address important challenges in modern healthcare and public health research. Following a brief discussion of the speaker’s academic and professional journey, several research projects will be highlighted, including work on Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers, maternal and fetal health, and diagnostic accuracy studies. Through these examples, the audience will gain insight into how statistical methods can be applied to analyze complex medical data, improve disease detection, understand health outcomes, and inform clinical decision-making. The session will also offer undergraduate students a practical perspective on interdisciplinary research and introduce potential career pathways at the intersection of statistics, data science, and health research.

Moderator: Dr. J.H.D.S.P. Thissera, Head, Department of Statistics, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

---

Join us LIVE! Concluded

Event Date & Time: June 18, 2026, 10:30AM Eastern Time (June 18, 2026 8:00pm Sri Lankan Time)

How to Join: All talks of the Distinguished Speaker Series are FREE and delivered via Zoom Technology.

Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81276049117?pwd=AHJbwTMnSEOZxfTiZu2psTc0vbMbuJ.1

Meeting ID: 812 7604 9117
Passcode: 993896

---