Dr. Qian (Michelle) Zhou is the recipient of a three-year NSF award entitled "Copula-based Methods for Multivariate Survival Analysis." The aim of her research is to develop new statistical methods to analyze multivariate survival data. This project is particularly interested in problems involving time to different nonfatal events. For example, cancer survivors often experience adverse health outcomes resulting from treatment or disease progression. Understanding the dependence among times to such events is crucial for designing effective care. This project leverages copula, a popular tool for analyzing multivariate random variables, to model such dependencies and how the occurrence of these nonfatal events affects overall survival. The results of this research can inform new treatment strategies and improve the quality of life for many patients.
This project will integrate the research with curriculum development and the training of graduate students and provide research opportunities for undergraduate and high school students.