Meet UNMC Distinguished Scientist Gleb Haynatzki, Ph.D.

Gleb Haynatzki, Ph.D.

• Name: Gleb Haynatzki, Ph.D.
• Title: Professor and graduate program director in the department of biostatistics in the College of Public Health
• Joined UNMC: July 2008
• Hometown: Yambol, Bulgaria, EU

Describe your research briefly in layman’s terms.
I work with campus researchers on the design and analysis of research studies, both designed and observational. These studies range from explaining the causes of health disparities, peripheral artery disease and pancreatic cancer to Alzheimer’s disease treatment. My statistical methodology work is developing methods for modeling hereditary and sporadic carcinogenesis, and genetic anticipation.

How does your research contribute to science and/or health care?

My studies in pancreatic cancer research, peripheral artery disease and Alzheimer’s disease focus on prevention, treatment and improving the quality of life for patients with these diseases.

What is the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you, professional or personal?
Mathematics is not only the queen but also a servant of science.

Name someone at UNMC who provides vital contributions to your success and briefly describe how they help you.

I owe everything valuable that I have achieved to my family, my teachers, and my collaborators. I am a third generation mathematician and fourth generation teacher, and everything for me started from my family. My high school teachers and university professors further showed me the right way. My UNMC collaborators are wonderful researchers that I learn from whenever I get the opportunity.

List three things few people know about you.

• I have two doctoral degrees but I still feel like a student.
• I still like mathematics high school contest problems (not surprising given the previous item).
• History and, particularly, history of mathematics are some of my favorite hobbies. Archimedes of Syracuse is my science hero, whom I consider first among the geniuses of science.