Mengbing Li

I obtained my PhD in Biostatistics in August 2025 from the Department of Biostatistics at the University of Michigan, working with Dr. Zhenke Wu. I got my bachelor’s degree in biostatistics from UNC-Chapel Hill. I am currently a biostatistician at Eli Lilly.

During PhD, my research focused on developing and applying statistical methods for individualized health. In particular, I am interested in incorporating structural prior information into Bayesian models. My methodological work includes topic models, latent class models, and reinforcement learning. I have worked on methods to evaluate treatment rules in mobile health studies, to facilitate patient health monitoring using medical claims data, and to derive dietary patterns using food survey data.

As a biostatistician, my goal is to be a responsible and innovative drug developer. I am committed to applying rigorous statistical methods to strengthen scientific evidence for regulatory and clinical decisions. I also aim to translate complex data into clear insights that support strategic business decisions, accelerate development processes, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

Keywords:

Methods: Latent variable models; Graphical models; Nonparametric Bayes; Bayesian computation; Reinforcement learning.

Applications: Individualized medicine; Mobile health; Nutritional epidemiology; Electronic health records/claims data; Health policy.

✍️ Recently I started writing blog posts that reflect on my PhD journey. Looking back, what I learned most from graduate school was not just technical skills. It was the confusion, the self-doubt, the small decisions, and the gradual learning of how to take care of myself while trying to get work done.

These articles are based on my personal stories. They are not manuals for surviving graduate school, and are certainly not meant to generalize anyone else’s experience. If any of these reflections happen to resonate with current PhD students, especially those who feel lost or overwhelmed the way I once did, then the writing has already served its purpose. I plan to keep updating this blog as a slow, honest record of what I have learned along the way.

⭐ While I was on the 2024-2025 job market, I created a collaborative Google Sheet for PhD job market information. The intention was to build a valuable resource for friends and colleagues looking for academic jobs, who contribute and share open information. Through here you can find the collaborative sheet for future cohorts.

🌿 I love the nature and enjoy the outdoors. What do I do outside of research?