Dr. Zia Chowdhury

Biography

I am a biostatistician and health data scientist specializing in biostatistics and machine learning for population health and health services research. I am currently a Senior Analyst/Research II at Provincial Research Data Services, Alberta Health Services, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. My research focuses on developing, validating, and interpreting predictive models using large-scale administrative health data and longitudinal cohort studies to address complex methodological and applied questions in chronic disease and mental health research.

My research program centers on predictive modeling and risk stratification using both conventional statistical approaches and modern machine learning methods. My methodological expertise includes advanced biostatistical analysis, epidemiological methods, machine learning algorithms, and evidence synthesis using meta-analysis. My PhD work developed and compared machine learning and conventional statistical models for hypertension risk prediction, and my recent research extends these approaches to dementia, cognitive decline, and geriatric mental health. Across projects, I emphasize model calibration, explainability, and real-world applicability to support precision health and evidence-informed decision-making. Moving forward, my research aims to advance responsible AI in health by developing transparent, validated, and equitable prediction models, with applications in neurodegenerative disease, mental health, and chronic disease epidemiology.