“I have a knack for making sense of messy data. This helps decision makers get patients the services they need and improves health outcomes for whole populations.”
I’m from a small town in China called ZhaoQiang. It’s well known for its beauty. My life changed when my mother became ill. Being a child, I didn’t understand. Health care workers in white coats looked like angels. They made people well. I knew I wanted to be one.
This set me on a path devoted to health care and led me to Vancouver. I have a degree in Preventive Medicine, a Master’s in Epidemiology/Biostatistics and in Biochemistry/Microbiology and a few science awards. I’m a biostatistician. I have a knack for making sense of messy data. This helps decision makers get patients the services they need and improves health outcomes for whole populations.
The surveillance and data analysis my teammates and I did for the overdose crisis made it possible to pinpoint where services were needed and who needed them. Today, we have supervised consumption and opioid prevention services – the result of data used by leaders for change.
I like running, badminton, classical music and dancing. My husband keeps me out of the kitchen though. I forget minor details like turning the stove off. I’ll stay focused on data.
-- Helen Li, Biostatistician, Population Health Observatory team, Population & Public Health, Central City Office
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