Biostatistics Chair Kiros Berhane Named AAAS Fellow

Kiros Berhane, PhD, the Cynthia and Robert Citrone-Roslyn and Leslie Goldstein Professor and Chairman of the Department of Biostatistics at Columbia Mailman School, has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals.

Berhane is among the 471 scientists, engineers, and innovators elected as 2024 Fellows for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements throughout their careers. He is also among eight Columbians newly named as Fellows. 

Berhane is recognized for his groundbreaking contributions to biostatistics, particularly in the development of innovative statistical methods for environmental health, chronic disease, and public health research. His work has advanced the understanding of how environmental exposures impact human health, and his methods have been widely adopted in large-scale epidemiological studies. His leadership in the Southern California Children’s Health Study has been instrumental in shaping public health policies and interventions. Berhane has also played a pivotal role in strengthening biostatistics capacity in Africa, leading initiatives to develop training programs that equip researchers and public health professionals with advanced statistical skills.

Berhane has been serving as the Cynthia and Robert Citrone-Roslyn and Leslie Goldstein Professor and Chair of the Department of Biostatistics since 2020. Under his leadership, the department has expanded its research portfolio, strengthened its educational programs, and fostered collaborations across disciplines. Recently, he was named co-director of the Columbia Mailman Center for Achieving Resilience in Climate and Health (C-ARCH), which aims to be a global “solutions lab” for responding to and mitigating the manifold detrimental health impacts of climate change.

Prior to joining Columbia, Berhane held faculty positions at the University of Southern California and the University of Pittsburgh. He earned his PhD in Biostatistics at the University of Toronto. He is an elected fellow of the American Statistical Association and was a 2016-2017 Fulbright Scholar.

“I am deeply honored to be elected as an AAAS Fellow,” said Berhane. “This recognition reflects the collective efforts of my colleagues, students, and collaborators who have worked tirelessly to advance the field of biostatistics as well as data science for health and its applications to public health. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to science that improves lives and addresses some of the most pressing health challenges of our time.” 

A tradition dating back to 1874, election as an AAAS Fellow is a lifetime honor, and all Fellows are expected to maintain the highest standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity. Distinguished past honorees include Ellen Ochoa, Steven Chu, Grace Hopper, Alan Alda, Mae Jemison, and Ayanna Howard.

Berhane is among the few Fellows elected from Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health throughout its history. Gary Miller, Vice Dean for Research Strategy and Innovation, and Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, was named a Fellow in 2021; Constance Nathanson, Professor Emerita of Sociomedical Sciences, was named a Fellow in 2006.

“This year’s class of Fellows are the embodiment of scientific excellence and service to our communities,” said Sudip S. Parikh, PhD., AAAS chief executive officer and executive publisher of the Science family of journals. “At a time when the future of the scientific enterprise in the U.S. and around the world is uncertain, their work demonstrates the value of sustained investment in science and engineering.”