News In Brief

Biostatistician joins UC Davis

Laurel Beckett, a biostatistician with extensive experience in medical research, was appointed professor of epidemiology and preventive medicine and director of the biostatistics unit at the UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center.

Beckett assists researchers in a wide range of studies, including clinical trials, population health studies and basic science investigations. She also works with the UC Davis Department of Statistics in developing a new graduate-level curriculum in biostatistics and is teaching medical school students, fellows and junior faculty how to apply statistical methods to their research.

Beckett comes to UC Davis from the Rush School of Medicine at the Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, where she was a professor of internal medicine. While at Rush, she was involved in research into Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and other chronic diseases of aging.