Thomas Achia

Thomas Achia serves as a Senior Biostatistician at the Biomedical Data Science Hub within the Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin. He holds honorary associate professor appointments at Strathmore University (Kenya), the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), and the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa).

Education

• Ph.D. in Mathematical Statistics, University of Nairobi
• M.S. in Mathematical Statistics, University of Nairobi
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of the Western Cape

With over two decades of experience, Dr. Achia specializes in spatial and spatiotemporal epidemiology, Bayesian hierarchical modeling, survival analysis, and longitudinal data methods to advance health equity through evidence-based public health interventions. His work spans global health initiatives across Africa and the United States, including contributions during his tenure as a senior statistician at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Achia demonstrates significant professional leadership as a Global Executive Board Member of the International Biometrics Society (2023-2026), former President of its Kenya Chapter (2023-2024), and former Vice President (2021-2022).

He actively mentors graduate students in biostatistics and epidemiology at his honorary academic appointments and collaborates within the Biomedical Data Science Hub on interdisciplinary teams to drive innovation in health data science and improve population health outcomes.