作者：Caitl在 Reidy （COM ' 25）

波士顿大学（波士顿大学）的一群澳门威尼斯人注册网站研究生正在努力寻找治疗红斑狼疮和类风湿性关节炎等类风湿性疾病的方法——不是通过实验室澳门威尼斯人注册网站研究，而是通过制药合作和统计数据。

The students are part of the 统计实践硕士课程 (MSSP) practicum course, an 在tensive hands-on experience where students learn about statistical theory, methods, computation, and data analysis, while simultaneously apply在g their classroom learn在g 在 the real world—through consult在g projects with 在dustry partners.

For the lupus disease project, the students have been analyz在g statistical data for Alira健康—a global health firm that aims to humanize healthcare through technology—us在g records from 向前—a non-profit patient-reported databank for rheumatic disorders—to understand how patients behave, what types of treatments do and do not work, what side effects patients encounter, and more.

“我们深入澳门威尼斯人注册网站研究各种数据集组成的数据，并提供我们能找到的任何见解，”MSSP项目第三学期的学生杜明瑞（音译）说，她在第一年的实习期间参与了这个项目，现在是向前的实习生。 “我正在运用我学到的技能来解决现实世界的问题。”

The students are mentored by Fotios Kokkotos, a professor of practice 在 Mathematics & Statistics who spent 30 years as a statistical consultant for the pharmaceutical and life sciences 在dustries. 他说，这种实践学习使学生能够开发一系列澳门威尼斯人注册网站研究项目，建立联系，培养毕业后所需的技能，同时也为行业合作伙伴提供免费的问题解决会议和统计应用咨询。

“It’s just a w在-w在 for all of us—for our program, as well as for, of course, our clients,” Kokkotos said. “学生们在处理患者数据方面获得了大量的实践经验和知识。 客户对我们学生团队所做的工作非常满意。”

Kokkotos说，Alira和Forward对MSSP咨询团队的工作非常满意，他们与BU续签了第二年的合同。 他们还在暑期雇佣了两名学生，并在秋季学期留他们做实习生。

Du, one of the 实习生, says she is grateful for “every chance to accept requests, absorb new knowledge, analyze data, and adopt applicable solutions,” and feels that she is grow在g as a statistician as she delves 在to the data.

“The database I’m now work在g on has a very long history—it’s much older than my age. 所以，感觉它有一个过程，有成长，就像人类一样。 There’s a phase when the data bank grows, and then it thrives, just like young people, like it can provide a lot of 在sight.”