Our Team

Our consulting network consists of highly educated and experienced scientists, many of whom have Ph.D. degrees from leading American universities and are published academics and authors. We are actively involved in cutting edge work in biomedical research, clinical research, drug development, environmental health, epidemiological studies, health behavior, health policy and research, health services research, nutrition, occupational health and safety, as well as in statistical and bioinformatics methods research and development projects.

Celestin Missikpode, MD, MPH, PhD
Epidemiologist-Biostatistician
Executive Director

Dr. Celestin Missikpode is a scientist with backgrounds in Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Medicine. He holds a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Iowa, where he also earned a graduate certificate in Biostatistics. He obtained an MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Celestin Missikpode also holds a MD degree from the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin. His career has included stints as biostatistican, epidemiologist, researcher, methodologist, modeler, public health analyst, and clinician. His research interests include epidemiologic methods, clinical research, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease, injuries, statistical modeling, group-based trajectory modeling, propensity score matching, systems thinking and simulation. His professional and scholarly output includes several peer-reviewed articles in leading journals and consultancies with researchers, clinicians, and students.

Christian Johnson, MPH, PhD
Epidemiologist
Christian Johnson is an epidemiology doctoral candidate at the University of Iowa. He brings nearly 10 years of experience conducting public health research at the state, national, and international levels. Christian has experience in survey design and analysis, program evaluation, statistical modeling, and study design. His research interests include injury epidemiology, the drug development life cycle, disease surveillance, and health IT policy. He has experience writing a wide variety of professional and scientific deliverables, including federal regulations, government contracts, reports and testimony to Congress, data briefs, conference proceedings, and peer-reviewed journals. Christian earned both his Bachelor of Science in Integrative Physiology and his Master’s in Public Health from the University of Iowa.

Michael Chastkofsky, M.S., PhD
Research Scientist – Biostatistician
Dr. Michael Chastkofsky is a research scientist with nearly 20 years experience in biochemistry and cellular biology and 10 years experience in biostatistics. He earned his PhD from the University of Illinois at Chicago while investigating the biology of skin cancer and identifying significant factors across multiple cancer types and has published several peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals. Dr. Chastkofsky also has a Masters Degree in Data Analysis from Western Governors University and utilizes SAS, R, and Python to perform statistical analysis of large data arrays to identify patterns, correlations, and statistical significance. He has an eclectic mix of experiences and enjoys projects which require him to learn new techniques and expand his horizons.

Himel Mallick, M.Sc., PhD
Biostatistician
Dr. Himel Mallick is a Biostatistician and Computational Biologist with almost two decades of experience in Statistics, Biostatistics, and AI/ML in academia and industry. He received his PhD in Biostatistics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and completed his postdoctoral training at Harvard University and Broad Institute. Dr. Mallick has published more than 50 papers in top-tier scientific journals including Nature and Lancet. His major research interests include statistical and computational methods for statistical genetics and genomics as well as general Biostatistics research. He is efficient in R, Python, and SAS, and his skills are well-suited for providing innovative and rigorous solutions to complex analytical needs and study designs. A recipient of the IISA Early Career Award in Statistics and Data Science, Himel is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association (FASA) and an elected member of the International Statistical Institute (ISI).

Yangyang Deng, MS, PhD
Biostatistician
Dr. Yangyang Deng is an experienced biostatistician. He holds a PhD in Biostatistics from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Master of Science in Bioengineering and a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics both from Mississippi State University. He has years of experience in data analysis, computer programming, data management, mathematical modeling, longitudinal data analysis, project management, and teaching.

Alan Yeung, PhD
Statistician
Dr. Alan Yeung is an experienced statistician. He received his PhD in Statistics from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Dr. Yeung has years of experience as an analyst at Public Health Scotland and research fellow at Glasgow Caledonian University. His current research is primarily based on the prevention and management of blood-borne viruses but extends to other infectious diseases. He has expertise in data analytics, statistical modeling, and machine learning. He has carried out several epidemiological research studies resulting in publications in major peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Yeung is efficient in R programming and is a supporter of reproducible research using tools such as RMarkdown.

Ayesha Bryant, MD, MSPH
Clinical Researcher and Editor
Dr. Ayesha Bryant obtained her MD from the University of Alabama School of Medicine and her MSPH from the University of Alabama School of Public Health. Her primary areas of interest include cardiothoracic surgery, clinical trials, peri-operative outcomes, quality of life studies, quality improvement and measure, medical student and resident education. Dr. Bryant has published over 100 manuscripts in peer reviewed journals and currently is an editorial peer reviewer for four high impact journals.

Michael N. Kessler, MD, MA, CRP
Editor
Dr. Kessler graduated from Brandeis University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. From there he earned a Master of Arts degree in Psychology from Central Connecticut State University and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. At both graduate schools, Dr. Kessler spent additional time learning advanced statistical analysis and writing for peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Kessler has published in numerous national and international science and medical journals and has been a peer reviewer for an international medical journal since 2007. Since earning his paralegal certificate and obtaining his life & health insurance license in four states, Dr. Kessler has published book chapters and articles on taxation and health insurance and written many legal briefs for civil and criminal cases throughout the country. He has been an expert editor and proofreader for many years assisting some of the top attorneys and scientists perfect their writing to win over judges and juries or to improve the chances of being accepted for publication in prestigious journals. His expertise comes from being a polymath who combines psychology with editorial expertise and a superior eye for detail.

Sara N. Frye, OD, MPH
Editor
Dr. Sara Frye is both a clinician and a public health professional. She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Arizona and a Doctor of Optometry from Nova Southeastern University. She currently works in private practice ophthalmology but has several years of academic experience, earning the title of Associate Professor. Dr. Frye has published several abstracts and manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. The combination of her clinical and academic experience gives her the necessary perspective to review a wide variety of documents for accuracy, language and styling. She is meticulous and detail-oriented, making her an exceptional editor.

Donna Schwontkowski, MS, D.C.
Editor
Dr. Donna Schwontkowski is top-rated health and medical editor. After working in the field of nutrition after her B.S. degree, she returned to school at Northern Illinois University to earn an M.S. degree and also was accepted at National University for a doctorate in Chiropractic Medicine. Later she worked with nutritional supplement companies as a Technical Advisor, searching for any and all scientific documentation on the herbs used in the supplements and writing up findings in ways that laymen could understand. A few years later, she ran clinical studies on the effects of those herbs. She has worked in private practice for over 20 years, has written several books, was Senior Editor for a top health and fitness magazine in California, and has been a successful freelance writer and editor as well.

Other Staff Members. Other team members are Biostatistician and Statistician Consultants, Clinical Researchers, Epidemiologists, Statistical Programmers, and Editors, all of whom have advanced degrees. These staff members have been selected for their academic achievements, their clinical research experience, and their commitment to quality and timeliness.