Significant Alumni Award
Submit Nominations for the 2026 Significant Alumni Award
History of the Award
Established in 2025, the Michigan Biostatistics Significant Alumni Award honors outstanding early and mid-career alumni (within 20 years of graduation) from the University of Michigan’s Department of Biostatistics who have made significant professional contributions through research, teaching, leadership, mentorship, and/or innovation. Recipients exemplify the impactful application of biostatistical expertise to public health challenges, demonstrate a commitment to advancing science and equity, and show leadership in fostering collaborative communities. This award celebrates the diverse and lasting impact of Michigan Biostatistics alumni across the field and beyond.
Nomination and Selection Process
This award is given every year. All Michigan Biostatistics community members are eligible to nominate during the winter semester. Nominations are compiled and reviewed by the department's Alumni Committee, whose members determine the year's award recipient. The final announcement of the recipient will be made leading up to the annual Joint Statistical Meetings, where the recipient will be honored at the department's annual community reception. Additionally, the recipient will receive an honorarium and a physical award, and is invited to address the department community with a featured talk and individual/small group meetings.
2025: Laila Poisson, PhD '09
Vice Chair of Biostatistics & Senior Scientist
Henry Ford Health
Research Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Michigan State University
Dr. Laila Poisson, PhD, exemplifies the collaborative nature of biostatistics in addressing issues of significance in public health and medicine using data and science. A 2009 graduate of the University of Michigan School of Public Health’s doctoral program in Biostatistics, Dr. Poisson has since become a nationally recognized leader in neuro-oncology research, data integration, and biostatistics education.
She currently serves as Vice Chair of Biostatistics in the Department of Public Health Sciences and a Senior Scientist in the Hermelin Brain Tumor Center at Henry Ford Health in Detroit. In parallel, she is a Research Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Michigan State University.
Since 2010, Dr. Poisson has contributed to neuro-oncology research through the Hermelin Brain Tumor Center and served in analysis working groups for the TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas), TCIA (The Cancer Imaging Archive), and GLASS (Glioma Longitudinal AnalySiS) consortia. This includes foundational work on the molecular characterization of diffuse gliomas, and highly specific, non-invasive markers for glioma diagnosis. She also worked to develop standardized frameworks for longitudinal tumor data harmonization. Dr. Poisson has also recently completed an NIH-funded study, supported by an R01 award from the National Cancer Institute (R01CA222146), to evaluate molecular features of glioma that influence patient care and outcomes.
Believing that every moment is an opportunity to learn, Dr. Poisson is also a national leader in statistical education. She served for several years in leadership with the American Statistical Association’s Section on the Teaching of Statistics in the Health Sciences, including a term as Section Chair. Here she fostered community among educators and curriculum development for training health scientists and applied biostatisticians.
From groundbreaking analyses of tumor biology to mentoring diverse, early-career biostatisticians, Dr. Poisson’s career reflects the values of Michigan Biostatistics—innovation, impact, and inclusive excellence.
“Laila is a gracious and caring mentor who has made a significant impact on me beyond my time as an intern at Henry Ford Health. It is apparent that she has a passion for developing talent and mentoring young researchers. In her role as the Vice Chair of Biostatistics, Laila is a leader in our field and plays a role in advancing statistical practice and methodology in Michigan. From my understanding, she has contributed significantly in the area of glioblastoma research.”
- from the nomination of Dr. Poisson