Karen Kopciuk

Dr. Karen Kopciuk

PhD

Affiliations

Adjunct Professor

Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Oncology

Member at Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute

Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute

Member

O'Brien Institute for Public Health

Adjuct Professor

Community Health Sciences

Contact information

Phone number

Holy Cross Office: 403.698.8051

Location

Math Office: MS586
AHS Office: Holy Cross Centre 521

Preferred method of communication

Admin Assistant

Seuli Roy

Email: seuli.roy@ahs.ca

Office: 403.476.2566

Background

Credentials

Fundamentals of OCAP®, Algonquin College, 2020

Educational Background

PhD Statistics, University of Waterloo, 2001

M.Math. Statistics, University of Waterloo, 1995

B.Sc. Statistics, University of Calgary, 1994

Biography

Dr. Karen Kopciuk is a research scientist in the Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Cancer Care Alberta, Alberta Health Services. She also has an appointment of Adjunct  Professor, Departments of Oncology, Community Health Sciences and Mathematics and Statistics with the University of Calgary.

Research

Areas of Research

Area of Focus
  • Disease and genetic risk estimation
  • Survival and multivariate data methods
  • High dimensional data
  • Cancer prevention and screening in Indigenous populations
Summary of Research

My research interests include survival and multi-state models for estimating genetic and disease risks in families who carry a known mutated gene or putative genetic factors. Feature selection methods such as the group bridge estimator for high dimensional data including survival and other outcomes is another active research area. Lastly, projection to latent structures methods for metabolomics biomarkers measured over time are being developed to identify patterns of change. A current research project is evaluating factors associated with stage of cancer diagnosis to identify associated patterns of health behaviours using the Alberta Tomorrow Project data. Methods for ordinal scale response data and feature selection for complex, high dimensional health predictors factors are being created to address data-specific issues.

Cancer prevention and screening in Indigenous populations

My research interests focus on the early detection of cancer, identifying and evaluating risks for families who carry a gene mutation increasing their risk of cancer, evaluating cancer screening outcomes with and for First Nations and Metis peoples, and developing statistical methodology for survival and ordinal response data, especially in the context of high dimensional data. 

Participation in university strategic initiatives

Awards

  • Distinguished Service Award, Statistical Society of Canada. 2020

Publications