Biostatistics Behind the Scenes

Grad Helping To Develop New Anti-Cancer Drugs

Developing a cancer drug that will give patients more time and a better quality of life takes years of painstaking research and detailed clinical trials. A Georgia Southern biostatistics graduate is on the front lines of that work at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Yang Feng (’04) is a biostatistician who designs and analyzes oncology clinical trials and pre-clinical studies. “Our research will, hopefully, lead to more effective cancer therapy,” said Feng.

Feng said it was a clinical trial that led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in August to approve early release of Zelboraf, a drug shown to lengthen the lives of late stage melanoma patients whose tumors have a certain gene mutation. While not involved in that project, Feng said that is an example of how her career in biostatistics has the power to impact patients. “This was very exciting because it has provided successful treatment to these patients,” explained Feng.

Feng credits the work of the Georgia Southern biostatistics faculty like Karl Peace, professor and founder of the Center for Biostatistics, with giving her the real world skills she would need as she headed into her field.

“Professors really cared about our professional development and paid individual attention to each of us,” Feng said. “Our classes laid theoretical foundations of biostatistics for us and led us beyond the textbooks into the real world, as well.”

The biostatistics program in the University’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health is preparing graduate students for a career where learning is always at the forefront.

“Learning something new is the most exciting part of each day,” said Feng.