Kristina received a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and MS in Biostatistics from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. During her master’s degree, she worked as an analyst for the Massachusetts General Hospital Biostatics Center under Dr. Dianne Finkelstein and for the Allegheny County Health Department. Currently, Kristina is enrolled in the doctoral program in Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh and employed as a full-time statistician for the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy Program Evaluation Research Unit.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Anthony Fabio and Dr. Jeanine Buchanich, Kristina’s research focuses on the social and spatial epidemiology of firearm violence and substance use disorders. Kristina is particularly interested in data feminism, statistical consulting, and statistical communication for diverse audiences. After completing her PhD, she intends to continue working in academia. 

Select presentations 

• Finkelstein DM, Horick NK, Ramchandani R, Boyd KL, Rana HQ, Bychkovsky BL. Are rare cancer survivors at elevated risk of subsequent new cancers? BMC Cancer. 2019 Feb 21;19(1):166. doi: 10.1186/s12885-019-5358-1. PMID: 30791872; PMCID: PMC6385466. 

• Horick NK, Muzikansky A, Gutierrez HL, Boyd KL, Finkelstein DM. Physical symptoms in long-term survivors of rare cancer. J Cancer Surviv. 2018 Dec;12(6):835-842. doi: 10.1007/s11764-018-0721-9. Epub 2018 Oct 12. PMID: 30315392; PMCID:PMC6503956.