Musaad Lab Members

Primary Investigator

I am currently an associate professor of pediatrics in the Children’s Nutrition Research at Baylor College of Medicine.

My research focuses on understanding the environmental, molecular and behavioral risk factors that influence the development of unhealthy weight gain and chronic disease progression including immune dysfunction and cardiovascular disease risk. I am particularly interested in developing contextual and other data-driven methods to determine how the risk factors differ across populations from a wide range of backgrounds and the effect of behavioral interventions on improving outcomes. 

I also mentor undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral Fellows in the Department of Pediatrics and find my role as a Statistical reviewer for the Journal of Nutrition Education & Behavior a rewarding experience.

Assistant Research Coordinator

I graduated from the University of Houston in May 2023 with a B.S. in Public Health and a double minor in Management Information Systems (MIS) and Data & Society. Under Dr. Musaad’s lab, I explore the impact of social determinants on obesity and assist with data analytical tasks using R and SAS. Currently, I’m a master’s student in UTHealth’s dual MPH/MS Biomedical Informatics program, with an expected graduation date in May 2026. I hope to pursue a career at the intersection of healthcare, business, and data. In my free time, I enjoy writing food reviews on Yelp, photography, shopping, and bullet journaling!

Statistician

I earned a Master’s degree in Applied Statistics from the University of Delaware, after completing my Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from the University of Minnesota. I am interested in addressing topics such as data missingness to find the appropriate methodology to reduce biases introduced into the data after performing an imputation, appropriate advanced experimental design techniques in research, and Bayesian approach to research problems. 

During my Master’s degree I completed a research project about the impact of obesity in the US among adolescents and children between the age of 3 and 15 years by using multinomial logistic regression technique. I believe my findings from my thesis, coupled with my interest in solving the many health challenges generated by obesity, especially on children’s health, will be tremendously helpful to my work in the Department of Pediatrics-Nutrition. During my free time I enjoy jogging. 

Coordinator, Program Management 

I graduated with a Master’s in Public Health from Temple University and a B.S. in Public Health from the University of North Texas. I have a passion for maternal and child health, particularly in addressing gaps in healthcare.

During my master’s program, I conducted a program evaluation study that explored the perspectives of community partners through a needs assessment. The study examined the barriers they face in providing necessary support to breastfeeding mothers and in helping families achieve their infant feeding goals.

In my free time, I enjoy baking and exploring local coffee shops.

Data Analytics Associate

I graduated from the University of Houston in May 2019 with a B.S. in Mathematics and a minor in Economics. After this, I graduated from Texas A&M University in August 2021 with a M.S. in Statistics. Under Dr. Musaad’s lab, I perform data analysis utilizing appropriate analytics methodologies, specializing in R programming software. I have a passion for using data analytics to answer real-world questions through data-driven decision-making based on my results. In my free time, I enjoy reading, shopping, and spending time with my pug!

Lead Biostatistician

I hold a Ph.D. in Applied Statistics and work as a biostatistician supporting clinical trials and observational research in pediatric health and nutrition. My work focuses on designing rigorous studies, developing statistical analysis plans, and implementing advanced statistical methods to address complex research questions. I collaborate closely with investigators and multidisciplinary teams to ensure statistical integrity, reproducibility, and clear interpretation of research findings.

My methodological interests include simulation-based sample size and power calculations, longitudinal and survival modeling, and developing efficient statistical workflows that support collaborative research. I regularly contribute to grant development, manuscript preparation, and mentoring students and early-career researchers in statistical principles and programming using SAS, R, and Python.

I am particularly interested in strengthening statistical practice in interdisciplinary research and supporting the next generation of biostatisticians. Outside of work, I enjoy road cycling, stand-up paddleboarding, and making espresso.

Senior Biostatistician

My journey to this role began with a strong foundation in quantitative sciences. I earned my M.S. in Statistics from Penn State University. For the past five years, I have been deeply immersed in the world of clinical and biomedical research. Most recently, I served as a Biostatistician at the Biomedical Data Science Hub at Dell Medical School (UT Austin), where I supported Phase II/III clinical trials and served as the DSMB statistician for multi-site studies. Before that, I supported early-phase First-in-Human trials at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and provided statistical consulting at Penn State.

In terms of my technical toolkit, I specialize in advanced statistical modeling, including Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), Bayesian methods, and machine learning, using languages like R, SAS, and Python. I am also passionate about developing reproducible analytical pipelines and building interactive tools (like R Shiny apps) to help collaborators explore data more intuitively.

At the Musaad Lab, I am eager to apply these skills to support our research and derive actionable insights from our complex datasets to help move our science forward.

Outside of the lab, you can usually find me exploring new restaurants, hiking, or trying out new recipes in the kitchen. I am looking forward to getting to know everyone and contributing to the great work being done here.

Intern

I am currently a student at the University of Houston, expecting to graduate in May 2025 with a B.S. in Public Health and a minor in Nutrition. Through my experiences translating in clinics for the uninsured, volunteering with non-profit organizations, and assisting Houstonians from various backgrounds and cultures, I have witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by low SES communities in accessing adequate healthcare, resources, and education necessary for optimal health. My aspiration is to support underserved populations by participating in research initiatives aimed at fostering positive health outcomes through the integration of proper nutrition and healthy behaviors.

Intern

I’m an undergraduate senior at Sam Houston State University majoring in health sciences with a minor in chemistry. Upon graduation, I hope to apply to medical school and become an emergency medicine physician. While working as a part of Dr. Musaad’s team, I plan on researching how social determinants of health affect the health of adolescents. I also hope to increase my knowledge of statistics by working with SAS to interpret data. My previous study regarding how the social determinants of health play a major role in the health outcomes of incarcerated people has inspired me to continue research at the CNRC. When I’m not working or at school, I like to spend my time reading, working out, or exploring the outdoors.

Visiting Learner

I am a currently a pre-med student at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in public health. My coursework in biostatistics and nutrition inspired my interest in research, particularly in children’s health and nutrition. I am currently working on a systematic review, which has given me valuable insights into critical analysis, and the synthesis of scientific literature. Since joining Musaad lab I have expanded my skills further by being able to gain hands-on experience in data interpretation, literary analysis, and scientific communication. These skills will be instrumental as I pursue medical school and aim to make impactful contributions in public health and patient care.

Intern

I am a undergraduate senior at the University of Houston pursuing a B.S. in Health with a concentration in Public Health and a minor in Human Growth and Development. As an intern in Dr. Musaad’s lab at the Children’s Nutrition Research Center, I am interested in public health research that focuses on community-based interventions, addressing economic gaps in health outcomes, nutritional deficits, childhood obesity, and other nutrition-related factors that contribute to chronic health conditions.

My current research project focuses on examining the accuracy of BMI in assessing obesity and its relationship with diet quality as a primary outcome, along with other health indicators as exploratory outcomes. My academic background and research interests center on nutritional assessment, growth-related measures and the role of diet and body composition in long-term health outcomes. After graduating in May 2026, I plan to pursue a master’s degree in public health research and biostatistics. Outside of the lab, I enjoy cooking, going to the beach, running my small floral business, spending time with friends and watching anime!