Unlocking Hidden Clues: How Censored Data Can Help Reveal the Secrets of Huntington Disease Progression
with Tanya Garcia, Ph.D.
Welcome to Science by the Slice! We're excited to host this hybrid event. We'll meet in in-person at 700 Park Offices Drive, (behind the Boxyard) to hear this month's speaker while we enjoy pizza, but space is limited. You can also join live remotely via Sigma Xi's Facebook page if you're unable to make it in person. A zoom link will also be sent out to registered attendees.
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About the talk
Have you ever watched a TV mystery where the key clue is just out of view? That’s a lot like what happens when scientists study diseases like Huntington disease. We can see some factors that affect disease progression, but other factors are only partially visible—or "censored"—because studies end before we can fully observe them. It’s like trying to figure out the full story of a mystery show when the last few minutes get cut off. Typically, scientists handle this problem using methods designed for "missing data," but here’s the twist: right-censored data isn’t quite the same. It contains partial information—hints about what the hidden values might be—unlike missing data, which gives us nothing. Our research bridges this gap. We show how to use these hidden hints to build better models, revealing important insights into disease progression that would otherwise stay hidden. Even better, we didn’t just connect these two ideas in theory. We rolled up our sleeves and built five new methods that can tackle right-censored data head-on, even when the usual assumptions don’t hold. Think of it like upgrading from a magnifying glass to a full-blown detective kit. We tested our methods with Huntington disease data, looking at how cognitive function changes before diagnosis. Our new approaches outperformed existing methods, providing clearer, more accurate pictures of how the disease unfolds over time. The takeaway? When it comes to analyzing disease progression, it’s not just about what you see—it’s also about what’s hidden. Our work shines a light on those hidden clues, giving researchers the tools they need to track disease progression more accurately and design better clinical trials. And when the stakes are as high as curing Huntington disease, every clue counts.
Speaker Bio
Tanya Garcia is an Associate Professor of Biostatistics, Provost Distinguished Faculty Leader, and Tyson Academic Leader at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). For over a decade, she has led a transdisciplinary research team of statisticians and neuroscientists toward designing robust statistical methods for neurodegenerative diseases. Since the start of her tenure-track career, she has maintained continuous funding as Principal Investigator of multiple competitive grants, including from the Huntington’s Disease Society of America and National Institutes of Health, most recently an R01 from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Dr. Garcia is also passionate about training the next generation of (bio)statisticians to confidently develop statistical methods and communicate those methods in a clear and simple way. How she mentors this next generation is largely motivated by 500+ hours of grantsmanship and leadership training. She teaches her mentees to embrace a growth mindset and tackle obstacles without judgment or fear. Her desire for every mentee to achieve success and fulfillment drives her every leadership decision. These decisions have led Dr. Garcia to not only earn multiple grants as Principal Investigator from the National Institutes of Health, but also help other faculty members win their own grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and other non-profit organizations. Her mentorship and leadership have earned her numerous accolades, including the prestigious 2024 NINDS Landis Award for Outstanding Mentorship and the 2022 Carolina Women’s Leadership Council Faculty Mentoring Award. She was also named a Fellow of the American Statistical Association and received the Gertrude M. Cox Award for her significant contributions to applied statistics. Outside of UNC, Dr. Garcia leads initiatives within national statistical organizations to support the success of underrepresented and early-career (bio)statisticians, fostering a more inclusive and dynamic field for future generations.
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Virtual attendees:
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W e will also provide a zoom link to view the event to registered attendees.
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Talks are co-organized with Science Communicators of North Carolina (SCONC). The RTP chapter of Sigma Xi is a co-organizer and co-sponsor, and encourages any interested scientists to get involved with the chapter and its upcoming events.