Brandon Grossardt

Graduation Date: May, 2001

Undergraduate Degree: Bachelor of Science in Mathematics

Faculty Mentor: Charles Moore, Ph.D.

Research: "The Cyclic Nature of Matrix Ciphers"

Post-Baccalaureate Degrees: M.S. in Statistics, Kansas State University (2003)

Current Situation: Biostatistician with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

Brandon writes: “I work full-time on the grant entitled Epidemiology and Genetics of Parkinson's Disease (EGPD) funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). I oversee the collection of data and statistical analyses, and I am also fully involved in writing manuscripts for publication in medical journals. Our main study questions include (1) the relationship of estrogen to PD, (2) how personality measured at a young age is related to later risk of PD, and (3) how normal exposures to the environment (e.g., smoking, coffee use, occupational hazards, etc.) are related to the risk of PD. Our study team consists of approximately 20 people including several physicians, nurses, interviewers, and coordinators. In total, the Division of Biostatistics at the Mayo Clinic employs over 150 statisticians who work on more than 1,000 ongoing projects. The Division is one of the largest groups of medical research statisticians in the world.”