This profile is part of a series to highlight the researchers who will be honored at a ceremony for UNMC’s 2019 Scientist Laureate, Research Leadership, Distinguished Scientist and New Investigator Award recipients.
The New Investigator Award
New Investigator Awards go to outstanding UNMC scientists who in the past two years have secured their first funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense or other national sources.
New Investigators also had to demonstrate scholarly activity such as publishing their research and/or presenting their findings at national conventions.
- Name: Hongying (Daisy) Dai, Ph.D.
- Title: Associate professor, UNMC Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health
- Joined UNMC: August 2018
- Hometown: Fuzhou, China
Research focus:
- Mixture modeling;
- E-cigarette use and prevention; and
- Small-area estimation.
The goal of my research is: To develop novel statistical methodologies and apply advanced statistical methods in population assessment of substance use.
My research will make a difference because: While the cigarette smoking rate among youth has been declining over the past several decades, electronic cigarette use increased dramatically among U.S. teens during the periods of 2017-2019. My research will integrate multiple interdisciplinary areas from public policies, statistical modeling and community engagement to prevent and reduce youth vaping.
The best advice I’ve ever been given is:
Be persistent and never give up.
Three things you may not know about me are:
- I love to play with my two boys in my spare time.
- My family has visited the Nebraska State Fair every year for the past six years.
- I enjoy gardening.