Cristian Matic

Throughout my academic journey as an M.S. in Epidemiology, I have focused on gaining as much research experience as possible to prepare me for a successful career in public health. My research experience spans various facets of public health, including reproductive/perinatal epidemiology, psychiatric epidemiology, infectious disease epidemiology, and molecular evolution.

I am currently in my second year of the Master’s of Science program in Epidemiology at UMass Amherst, and I will be graduating in May 2025 and relocating to the Philadelphia area. Through my prior education, I have achieved an Associate's degree in Biology, an Undergraduate degree in Medical Anthropology, and a minor in Microbiology. With this diverse educational background, I am equipped to apply my unique perspective to consulting, allowing me to address complex health challenges that require an understanding of both biological and social factors.
 

Within my Master’s program, I have engaged in multiple academic research projects involving psychiatric epidemiology, infectious disease epidemiology, and reproductive/perinatal epidemiology that are currently in the publishing stage to achieve the experience necessary to pursue a consulting position. Through my research assistant position at UMass Chan Medical School researching social and psychiatric epidemiology, I conducted literature reviews to examine quality of life variables within Black populations. I also utilized advanced SAS techniques including data manipulation and longitudinal analysis. Additionally, I worked with NHANES and BRFSS data to further analyze these health disparities and provide insights into the health trends affecting these communities. As a research technician studying infectious disease epidemiology at UMass Amherst, I conducted literature reviews to culminate sampling protocols and methodologies for tick collection to create a cohesive study design. After collecting data from the field, I input the results into an academic database, then cleaned and visualized the final dataset to present the preliminary associations between property characteristics and tick populations. Currently, in my Master’s thesis project, I am writing SAS Macros and using survival/stratified analysis to evaluate the influence of participant demographics and behaviors on pregnancy risk, using data collected from a clinical trial. 

In addition to my research, I’ve led mentorship and teaching initiatives grounded in inclusivity and equity. As a Teaching Assistant at UMass Amherst, I design and lead SAS and R workshops, mentoring undergraduates in applying statistical methods to real-world data. At Springfield Technical Community College, I’ve supported students from historically marginalized backgrounds through TRiO and STEM advising roles, helping them navigate academic challenges and succeed across disciplines.