Ciolino Honored with National Mentoring Award
Northwestern biostatistician Jody Ciolino, PhD, associate professor of Preventive Medicine in the Division of Biostatistics and Informatics, recently received the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusiveness Special Interest Group Mentoring Award at the 2025 Association for Clinical and Translational Science (ACTS) annual meeting in Washington, D.C. The award recognizes Ciolino’s exceptional dedication to mentorship, particularly in support of early-career scientists.
A member of the NUCATS Institute-supported Biostatistics Collaboration Center and Northwestern University Data Analysis and Coordinating Center, Ciolino has long championed collaborative research. Her mentoring philosophy is grounded in organic connection and mutual growth, approaches which led to her nomination from mentee Sima Sharghi.
“This award is an illustration for me of the impact that we all may have on others without realizing it,” says Ciolino. “I thought I was simply being a good collaborator and offering spontaneous advice to an earlier career colleague, and little did I know of the impact that it was having for her. I am humbled and honored to have played a role in helping her grow.”
This award is an illustration for me of the impact that we all may have on others without realizing it ... I thought I was simply being a good collaborator and offering spontaneous advice to an earlier career colleague, and little did I know of the impact that it was having for her.”
This informal mentorship began during a collaborative manuscript project within the Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design working group. The resulting publication, Race, ethnicity, and considerations for data collection and analysis in research studies, was the byproduct of team scholarship and Ciolino’s valuable guidance.
Ciolino says she frequently attends the annual ACTS conference.
“I try to attend the meeting every year if I can, and it was even more meaningful this time as an award recipient. Hearing what my mentee wrote about me was truly touching.”
Within the NUCATS and Feinberg communities, Ciolino is known for leading with empathy and precision; these traits, as colleagues share, make her a vital collaborator and mentor
“One of the things that makes Dr. Ciolino an effective leader is that she applauds others’ strengths and contributions. She identifies critical problems, devotes herself to addressing them, and motivates those around her to coalesce as a team to solve them,” says Leah Welty, PhD, professor of Preventive Medicine and director of the Biostatistics Collaboration Center. “Jody always gives everyone around her credit, so it’s wonderful to see her recognized with this award.”
As Ciolino continues to lead biostatistical research and mentorship efforts at Northwestern, this national honor highlights her contributions to equity-driven science, and the people she’s inspired along the way.
Written by Alex Miranda
