Robin Mejia

Robin Mejia is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Biostatistics at the University of Washington School of Public Health. She transitioned from a decade-long career as a science journalist, covering health and forensic science for outlets like Science, Washington Post, and CNN, to academic work. Her research focuses on health disparities, forensic statistics, and criminal justice reform. She co-directs the NIST Center of Excellence on forensic evidence and led the COVID-19 Trends & Impact Survey, collecting ~15,000 daily responses during the pandemic. She holds a PhD in Biostatistics from UC Berkeley (2016) and an MPH from UC Berkeley (2012).

Education:

• PhD in Biostatistics, UC Berkeley, 2016
• MPH in Epidemiology & Biostatistics, UC Berkeley, 2012
• BA in Biology, UC Santa Cruz, 1997

Research Focus: Her work bridges statistical rigor and societal impact, including:

• Quantifying biases in forensic evidence interpretation
• Addressing health inequities through data-driven interventions
• Evaluating criminal justice policies using statistical frameworks

Projects:

• Co-director, Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence
• Principal investigator, COVID-19 Trends & Impact Survey (2020–2022)

Teaching & Advocacy: Known for integrating communication skills into technical education, she previously taught at Carnegie Mellon University. Her 2005 CNN documentary on forensic science errors won awards, highlighting the intersection of data and justice.