Obed Koomson, PhD, has recently joined the Georgia Cancer Center as a biostatistician, marking a significant step in his career. Originally from Ghana, Koomson moved to the United States in 2017 to pursue a master’s degree in mathematical sciences at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). There, he developed an interest in statistics and its impact on health outcomes.
“After earning my bachelor’s in actuarial science, I knew I wanted to pursue a quantitative field,” said Koomson. “While at East Tennessee State, I took mostly statistics courses, and that’s where I first saw how statistics could directly impact health outcomes. Biostatistics felt like the way I could be part of delivering quality health outcomes, even though I’m not in the lab finding cures myself.”
Koomson completed his master’s degree requirements in December 2018 and began working with Anant Godbole, PhD, at ETSU’s Center for Excellence in STEM Education. It was during this time that he learned about Augusta University’s PhD program in Biostatistics and decided to enroll.
His transition to Augusta came with challenges. While he started his doctoral studies at Augusta University (AU), his wife remained in Johnson City to finish her own degree. The couple managed these circumstances while raising their young daughter and expecting their second child.
“Rachel had to stay in Tennessee to finish school, so I traveled back and forth between states,” Koomson said. “My mom, my sister, my father-in-law and my ‘Tennessee mom’ were very supportive and offered a lot of encouragement during this period.”
The move coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2020. Despite these difficulties, faculty members from AU’s School of Public Health provided support that helped him balance academic responsibilities with family needs.
“Obed joined the PhD Biostatistics program in Fall 2020 and quickly distinguished himself as one of the top students in our program. He took two courses with me — Generalized Linear Models I and II — in which he consistently demonstrated deep analytical thinking and strong mathematical maturity,” said Santu Ghosh, PhD, associate professor at AU.
“When I opened up to my faculty about my situation, they were incredibly supportive. They allowed me to take certain courses remotely and helped me balance academics and family life. It wasn’t just academic support. The faculty cared about my personal and social well-being,” Koomson added.
In turn, Koomson supported faculty members facing personal hardships. Ban Majeed, PhD, recalled: “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Obed. That semester was an extremely challenging time for me as I experienced the loss of my father and later faced a life-threatening diagnosis… Throughout this difficult period, Obed was exceptionally kind and dependable… His professionalism and compassion made a significant difference.”
Koomson also worked closely with Jie Chen, PhD: “As a student, Obed is highly capable of pursuing a coherent scientific argument both orally and in writing… His dissertation contributes solidly to the literature of statistical change point analysis with modern applications. Obed has excellent theoretical and computing skills… Obed has tremendous potential for making positive contributions to the research at his job.”
Reflecting on working with Chen on change-point analysis research projects: “When I first heard Dr. Chen present her work… That’s when I knew I wanted to work with her,” Koomson said.
He presented his research at AU’s Graduate Research Day earlier this year as well as at national conferences such as the spring 2025 meeting of the Eastern North American Region International Biometric Society.
Ghosh noted: “I served as a member of Obed’s dissertation committee… His work was rigorous, well-organized and reflected an independent research ability… Beyond his academic strengths, Obed is a humble and thoughtful individual…”
Currently working under Ramses F. Sadek, PhD., Koomson is part of Georgia Cancer Center’s Biostatistics Core team supporting cancer researchers through data analysis drawn from clinical sources such as SEER Program databases.
“It felt like it was written in the stars. Now I get to contribute to clinical research right here in Augusta,” he said. “Augusta University has been very helpful to me… If anyone asks me where they’ll find support, I have evidence that AU provides it.”
