Guiding the future of Biostatistics at Michigan Public Health
Veera Baladandayuthapani
Chair of Biostatistics
For Veera Baladandayuthapani, his ascension to chair of the Department of Biostatistics at the University of Michigan School of Public Health is deeply rooted in his passion for public health.
Baladandayuthapani’s career is highlighted by significant contributions to cancer research and a commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration.
He has been a professor of Biostatistics at Michigan Public Health since 2018, after spending 13 years in the Department of Biostatistics at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. His research interests are focused on statistical and machine learning modeling of high-dimensional biomedical data, especially genomics and imaging.
Baladandayuthapani, director of the Cancer Data Science Shared Resource (CDSSR) at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, is a fellow of the American Statistical Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science and an elected member of the International Statistical Institute and has received several prestigious awards. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computing from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, a master’s degree in statistics from the University of Rochester and a PhD in Statistics from Texas A&M University.
The breadth and depth of research at the University of Michigan are incredible. The connections the Department of Biostatistics has across the university with major initiatives and the types of science we enable are truly remarkable.”
With family roots in South of India and born in East of India, Baladandayuthapani grew up in Lucknow, in the northern part of India. This diverse upbringing exposed him to different cultures and languages, experiences that would later shape his worldview.
“It was a different culture outside and inside our home” said Baladandayuthapani, who was named chair of the department in July 2024. “It set me up for a lot of things later in life.”
As the new Biostatistics chair, Baladandayuthapani is committed to fostering a culture of high-impact science within the department. Acknowledging the department’s strong and visionary leadership, he aims to build on its strengths.
“Having spent six years here, I believe the school fosters one of the most collegial environments I've encountered,” he said. “It’s a culture marked by kindness, generosity and collaboration. This atmosphere significantly contributes to the production of high-impact science. We should continue to nurture and build upon this foundation.”
Public health was always in the background of Baladandayuthapani’s life, stemming from stories about his grandfather, a village doctor during British rule in India. His father played the role of a compounder, mixing ingredients to create medications prescribed by his grandfather. These early exposures unknowingly planted the seeds for his future in public health.
One of the pivotal moments in Baladandayuthapani’s life came at the age of 17, when he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. At that time, healthcare for diabetes in India was not as advanced, especially for young adults. Doctors advised him to stay close to home for college, but he was determined to attend the IIT Kharagpur, located hundreds of miles away.
Through disciplined diet and exercise, he has managed his condition effectively. This personal battle instilled in him a deeper understanding of chronic disease management and influenced his eventual interest in public health.
“Being faced with a long-standing chronic disease at some level latently made me study human health,” he said.
Initially focused on mathematics and computing at IIT Kharagpur, Baladandayuthapani had no direct connection to health sciences. However, during his senior year, he received a scholarship to pursue a graduate program in biostatistics, an opportunity that would steer his career toward public health.
While pursuing his graduate studies, he worked with a cancer-focused lab studying diet and colon cancer. This experience was transformative, as he engaged in data analysis and hypothesis testing that quantified complex health constructs.
“That interaction seeded not only my research work but also my GSR (graduate study research) work and my dissertation work,” Baladandayuthapani said. “The ability to quantify complex health constructs was a process I thoroughly enjoyed.”
After completing his PhD at Texas A&M, Baladandayuthapani joined the MD Anderson Cancer Center. His role there offered an invigorating experience, engaging with a broad spectrum of scientists and contributing to cancer research. This exposure further solidified his passion for public health, particularly in cancer research.
Recruited to Michigan Public Health in 2018, Baladandayuthapani has held various roles, including director of CDSSR. This group that is housed in the School of Public Health serves as a one-stop shop for various quantitative needs at the Rogel Cancer Center.
His collaboration with cancer researchers at Michigan Medicine has driven significant cancer research initiatives.
“The breadth and depth of research at the University of Michigan are incredible,” Baladandayuthapani said. “The connections the Department of Biostatistics has across the university with major initiatives and the types of science we enable are truly remarkable.”
His integration into the department and the broader university framework has allowed him to view the collaborative potential of biostatistics in advancing human health critically.
One of Baladandayuthapani’s most cherished roles is that of a mentor. Over his career, he has mentored more than 30 trainees, both students and postdocs.
We focus on developing students who can think like co-scientists, centered on human health. ... Biostatistics will hold the key for many future scientific ventures, especially those driven by data like personalized medicine and AI applications.”
“That’s probably one of the most enjoyable aspects of my career,” he said.
Baladandayuthapani emphasizes the importance of mentorship in shaping his professional journey, having benefited from outstanding mentors himself.
His vision for students in the Biostatistics program involves developing them into collaborative, quantitative co-scientists. He aims to nurture out-of-the-box problem solvers who can think creatively while maintaining rigorous, reproducible methods.
“We focus on developing students who can think like co-scientists, centered on human health,” he said.
Reflecting on the importance of biostatistics, Baladandayuthapani highlights its role in connecting data to sound decision-making—a superpower in scientific endeavors.
“Biostatistics will hold the key for many future scientific ventures,” he said, “especially those driven by data like personalized medicine and AI applications.”