Dr. Karen Messer

Professor

Build a Statement of Purpose

Generate a tailored SOP for Dr. Karen Messer. Improve your application with a focused, well-structured draft.

Biography

Karen Messer is a Professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at the University of California, San Diego. She obtained her PhD in Mathematics (Statistics) from UC San Diego in 1985, her MS in Economics in 1983 and her BS in Mathematics from Harvard University in 1979. Dr. Messer's research focuses on causal inference, biomarker studies, survey statistics, and innovative clinical trial designs, especially as they relate to collaborative projects in cancer research, drug development studies, and therapeutic clinical trials. Her particular expertise lies in epidemiology, tobacco use, and clinical trials pertaining to Alzheimer's disease. She has served as Director of the UCSD Moores Cancer Center Biostatistics Shared Resource since 2006 and was the Chief of the UCSD Division of Biostatistics from 2013 to 2022. In her spare time, Karen enjoys birdwatching and riding her bicycle.

Research Interests

Requirements for University of California, San Diego

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:85
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Duolingo
Overall Score
Required:120
Overall
Required:120
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in physical, biological, or earth sciences, mathematics, or engineering. Differential and integral calculus. One year of calculus-based physics with laboratory. One year of chemistry with laboratory.
Application Checklist
  • Statement of Purpose (max 2 pages)
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Application fee ($135 domestic / $155 international)
Specialization Notes

Administered by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Curricular groups include Climate-Ocean-Atmosphere (COAP), Geosciences (GEO), and Ocean Biosciences (OBP).