Emma K Benn, DrPH

Dr. Emma K. T. Benn (she/her) is an Associate Professor in the Center for Biostatistics and Department of Population Health Science and Policy at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS). She is also the Founding Director of the Center for Scientific Workforce Excellence and Advancement and Associate Dean of Faculty Well-being and Development at ISMMS. Dr. Benn has collaborated on a variety of interdisciplinary research projects over the course of her career and is particularly interested in health disparities research. She developed a graduate-level course at ISMMS, Race and Causal Inference, designed to increase the methodologic rigor by which students and trainees investigate health disparities with a goal of finding effective causal targets for intervention. Dr. Benn, through her leadership of the Center for Scientific Workforce Excellence and Advancement, is committed to increasing diversity, inclusion, and equitable advancement in the biomedical research workforce, more broadly, as well as reducing racial/ethnic disparities in faculty promotion in academic medicine.

Dr. Benn is the co-founder of the NHLBI-funded Biostatistics Epidemiology Summer Training (BEST) Diversity Program and a former co-Chair of the ENAR Fostering Diversity in Biostatistics Workshop. She has served on the American Statistical Association’s Task Force on Antiracism, LGBTQ Advocacy Committee, and Investments Committee. She also serves as a mentor for the JSM Diversity Workshop and Mentoring Program and the Math Alliance. Dr. Benn was co-PI of the NIGMS-funded Applied Statistics in Biological Systems (ASIBS) Short Course aimed at increasing the statistical competency and research capacity of early-stage researchers nationwide. She currently is PI of the NHGRI-funded Clinical Research Education in Genome Science (CREiGS) Short Course aimed at exposing doctoral students, postdocs, and clinical and research faculty to computational tools in genome science in addition to effective strategies for engaging underserved communities in genomics research.

Dr. Benn’s contributions have been celebrated by various organizations including Mathematically Gifted and Black and Graduate Women in Science. Dr. Benn holds the prestigious honor of being an American Statistical Association Fellow for her established reputation and outstanding contributions to the statistical sciences. She is also a member of the Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies Inaugural Leadership cohort for her important role in shaping the future of statistics. She has also received an Outstanding Teaching Award from ISMMS for her passion for education and her commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable learning environment.

Follow Dr. Benn on Twitter @ EKTBenn.