Data Science


An image of Dr. Tyler Hicks analyzing data on a screen.

What is Data Science?

The KU Center on Disabilities (KUCD) is a designated research center in the Life Span Institute at the University of Kansas, housing multiple funded projects at any given time. The mission of the KUCD data science team, comprised of three Ph.D. level statisticians, is to offer the top-caliber statistical services needed to advance this work. As part of the mission, the KUCD Data Science team also tests and disseminates novel applications of statistical methods promising to advance disability studies. 


Supports and Services

We provide the following services on a fee-for-service basis. Statistical services offered by the KUCD Data Science team include:

A series of charts on a purple screen

Engineering Data Systems and Analyzing Data

We will help KUCD affiliates design robust data systems to satisfy the needs of projects to protect sensitive data. This work can include systems to manage data, clean data, model data, visualize data, and otherwise curate data for reporting purposes. In addition, we can automate these processes with validated coding scripts for quality assurance to ensure data integrity, develop custom data dashboards for projects to help teams maintain data systems, and write up results for knowledge dissemination purposes to ensure technical accuracy.
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Grant Development

We will help KUCD affiliates to develop competitive research designs to procure grant awards. This includes alignment among logic models, measures, and research questions. In addition, we can develop analysis plans customized to the needs of the project, including running the power analyses for determining sample sizes.
Open Science image: A book opening up to an endless array of possibilities

Open Science

We will help KUCD affiliates implement the best practices in open science. This includes publishing project data with dictionaries on open data repositories after de-identifying them, publishing annotated scripts to reproduce any data analyses, and the preregistration of studies through either registered reports or preregistration websites.
Tyler presenting research findings to his colleagues

Statistical Education

We will help all KUCD affiliates, ranging from doctoral students to senior investigators, deepen their understanding of research methods by offering open study groups, one-on-one consultation services, and workshops for small groups.
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Measurement

We will help KUCD affiliates develop and validate new measurement instruments, customize online surveys with advanced accessibility features, and apply advanced techniques to refine scoring procedures for tests to produce the highest quality data.

Data Science Team

Thumbnail List

  • Tyler Hicks, Ph.D.

    Tyler Hicks, Ph.D.

    Director of Quantitative Methodology

  • Johnny Chien, Ph.D.

    Johnny Chien, Ph.D.

    Postdoctoral Researcher

  • Dasha Gerasimova, Ph.D.

    Dasha Gerasimova, Ph.D.

    Assistant Research Professor

  • Helena Ferreira

    Helena Ferreira

    Graduate Research Assistant