Alumni Spotlight: Mingzhang Yin - Exploring the Frontiers of Data Science and Marketing

Dr. Mingzhang Yin is forging new ground at the intersection of statistics, machine learning, and quantitative marketing. Now an Assistant Professor in the Marketing Department at the University of Florida, Mingzhang’s journey began with a PhD in Statistics from UT Austin (2020). He then continued to Columbia University’s Data Science Institute and Irving Institute for Cancer Dynamics as a joint postdoctoral scholar, collaborating closely with Professors David M. Blei and Simon Tavaré.

During his time at IICD, Mingzhang’s research focused on distinguishing true causality from misleading correlations—a challenge at the heart of modern data science. “I worked on leveraging the invariance of multiple environment data to distinguish causality from spurious correlation, estimating individual treatment effect under unmeasured confounding, and developing efficient Bayesian inference algorithms,” he explains.

His work has broad applications, from better understanding how treatments impact individuals in the real world to developing faster, more accurate methods for data analysis in healthcare and beyond.

Mingzhang was drawn to IICD by the opportunity to pursue bold, high-impact research questions. “The research topics are challenging and meaningful,” he shares. “The institute provides high freedom to choose directions with long-term impact. It was my fortune to learn from my advisors Simon Tavaré and David Blei in many aspects.” One of his proudest achievements during his time at the Institute was publishing his research in leading peer-reviewed journals. 

Looking back, Mingzhang credits his IICD experience with helping expand his research interests and affirming his path in academia. Among his fondest memories are group activities and social events organized by the institute, which helped foster a sense of community within the institute.