Jennifer E. Mason http://people.engr.ncsu.edu/jemason2/ jemason2@ncsu.edu, (803) 608-0727 Research Interests Stochastic dynamic programming and stochastic models Applications in health care delivery and medical decision making, especially treatment of patients with chronic conditions Education North Carolina State University (NCSU), Raleigh, North Carolina Doctorate in Industrial Engineering, anticipated graduation May 2012, GPA: 4/4 Dissertation: Markov Decision Processes and Approximate Dynamic Programming Methods for Optimal Treatment Design Advisor: Dr. Brian T. Denton Master of Science in Operations Research, August 2009, GPA: 4/4 Thesis: Optimal Timing of Statin Initiation for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Available online via http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/resolver/1840.16/1728 Advisor: Dr. Brian T. Denton University of South Carolina (USC), Columbia, South Carolina Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, May 2007 With Honors from the South Carolina Honors College, GPA: 3.66/4 Senior Honors Thesis: Traffic Grid Simulation and Optimization Budapest Semesters in Mathematics, Budapest, Hungary, Fall 2005 Relevant Course Work: Calculus; Probability and Statistics; Stochastic Processes; Linear Programming; Production Planning, Scheduling and Inventory Control; Network Flows; Queues and Stochastic Service Systems; Design and Analysis of Algorithms; Algorithmic Methods in Nonlinear Programming; Integer Programming; Simulation; Statistics; Medical Decision Making; Healthcare Policy Experience Research Assistant January 2009 - Present Collaborator on Mayo Clinic/NCSU research project Developed Markov decision process models and Approximate Dynamic Programming (ADP) methods related to the treatment of diabetes patients Research Intern, Division of Health Care Policy and Research Summer 2011 Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN Researched ADP methods for optimal control of medical decisions Developed models for optimal control of blood pressure and cholesterol for patients with type 2 diabetes using ADP methods and simulation Participated in an NSF-funded project with health services researchers and endocrinologists Created a patient survey to measure the burden of treatment Instructor Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Fall 2008 Online Teaching Portfolio: http://jemason2.wordpress.com Taught ISE 361: Deterministic Models in Industrial Engineering (Spring 2011), Overall Teaching Effectiveness: 4.6/5.0 1
Co-taught ISE 361 (Fall 2010), 4.5/5.0 Taught MA 131: Calculus for Life and Management Sciences (Fall 2008), 4.7/5.0 Research Intern, Division of Health Care Policy and Research Summer 2008 Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN Researched the optimal start time of statins treatment for type 2 diabetes patients Created a diabetes statins treatment model in C/C++ Contributed to an AHRQ-funded project Teaching Assistant 2007-2008 Performed duties as a lecture assistant for MA 141: Calculus I (Fall 2007) and MA 131 (Spring 2008) Graded all exams, held office hours to help students with the material Officiated weekly recitations to go over material for MA 131 (4.8/5.0) Head Teaching Assistant Counselor Summer 2007 Summer Institute for Mathematics at the Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA Lived with and organized activities for high school participants for six weeks Assisted instructors in teaching of courses Taught a lecture on projective geometry Coordinated duties of other Teaching Assistant Counselors Grader 2006-2007 USC Math Department, Columbia, SC Fall: Graded math homework assignments for a Number Theory class Spring: Graded math homework assignments for a Differential Equations class Teaching Assistant Counselor Summer 2006 Summer Institute for Mathematics at the Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA Lived with and organized activities for high school participants for six weeks Assisted instructors in teaching of courses Math Research Assistant November 2004 - May 2005 Industrial Mathematics Institute, Columbia, SC Programmed in C++ Reviewed methods of research in published Mathematical Biology papers under the counsel of the Graduate Director for Mathematics at USC Office Assistant for the Billing Department May 2004 - May 2005 Doctors Care, Columbia, SC Improved and maintained the filing system for Workman s Compensation Compiled information on 33 doctors offices and over 100 doctors Grant Funding Experience 2011 Mason, J.E. (PI), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) R36- HS020878-01 Dissertation Grant, Optimal Design of Guidelines for Preventative Treatment to Manage Cardiovascular Risk for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes, September 1, 2011 - August 31, 2012, $35,363. Description: The research objective of this dissertation grant is to understand the effects of poor medication adherence on intermediate outcomes of blood pressure and cholesterol and long term outcomes of stroke and heart attack over the course of a patient s lifetime. A Markov decision process model will be developed to determine the optimal (or near optimal) time to initiate blood pressure and 2
cholesterol medications given uncertainty about the patient s future health status and adherence to medication. Multiple perspectives will be considered including both patient quality of life and costs of treatment. 2010 Assisted in writing NSF Grant CMMI-0969885, Denton, B.T. (PI), Shah, N.D., Smith, S.A., Optimization of Medical Treatment Decisions for Type 2 Diabetes, September 1, 2010 - August 31, 2013. Honors and Awards NCSU - ISE departmental nominee for INFORMS Doctoral Colloquium (2011) - Preparing the Professoriate Fellow (2010-2011) - ISE Department Outstanding Teaching Assistant (2010-2011) - Certificate of Accomplishment in Teaching (2009-2011) - Dean s Fellowship for Industrial Engineering (2009-2010) - Provost s Fellowship (2009-2010) - Mathematics Department Outstanding Teaching Assistant (2008-2009) - Dean s Fellowship for Operations Research (2007-2008) USC - Alumni Scholar (2003-2007) - Awarded to 15 incoming freshmen based on academic achievement, leadership, talent, and service - Palmetto Fellows Scholarship (2003-2007) - A merit-based Scholarship administered by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education to students in the top six percent of their High School graduating class Papers Archival Journal Articles 1. Mason, J.E., Denton, B.T., Shah, N.D., Smith, S.A., Using Electronic Health Records to Monitor and Improve Adherence to Medication, submitted, 2012. 2. Mason, J.E., Denton, B.T., Shah, N.D., Smith, S.A., Optimization of Treatment Decisions for Cholesterol and Blood Pressure Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes, Working Paper (to be submitted to Manufacturing & Service Operations Management), 2011 (submitted to NSF Grantees Conference, Atlanta, GA, January 2011). 3. Mason, J.E., Denton, B.T., A Comparison of Decision Maker Perspectives for Optimal Cholesterol Treatment, IBM Journal of Research and Development, special issue on Technologies for Healthcare Transformation, in press, 2011. 4. Mason, J.E., England, D.A., Denton, B.T., Smith, S.A., Kurt, M., Shah, N.D., Optimizing Statin Treatment Decisions for Diabetes Patients in the Presence of Uncertain Future Adherence, Medical Decision Making, 32(1): 154-166, 2012. 5. Shah, N.D., Mason, J.E., Kurt, M., Denton, B.T., Schaefer, A.J., Montori, V.M., Smith, S.A., Comparative Effectiveness of Guidelines for the Management of Hyperlipidemia and Hypertension for Type 2 Diabetes Patients, PLoS ONE, 6(1): e16170, 2011. Book Chapters 1. Zhang, J., Mason, J.E., Denton, B.T., Pierskalla, W.P., Applications of Operations Research to the Prevention, Detection, and Treatment of Disease, to appear in Wiley Encyclopedia of Operations Research and Management Science, 2010. 3
Papers in Progress Presentations 1. Mason, J.E., Denton, B.T., Shah, N.D., Smith, S.A., Approximate Dynamic Programming Approaches for Optimal Treatment of Diabetes Patients, 2011. 2. Gionfriddo, M.R., Mason, J.E., Shah, N.D., LeBlanc, A., Van Houten, H.K., Understanding the Influences of Medication Availability, Clinical Trial Outcomes, and Guidelines on Prescribing Patterns for Blood Pressure Medications, 2011. Oral Presentations 1. ADP Methods for Optimal Control of Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes, INFORMS Annual Meeting, Charlotte, NC, November 14, 2011. 2. ADP Methods for Optimal Control of Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes, NCSU Health Systems Seminar, Raleigh, NC, November 3, 2011. 3. Evaluating the Role of Aspirin for Cardiovascular Risk Management for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes, 33rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Medical Decision Making, Chicago, IL, October 25, 2011 (Finalist for the Lee Lusted Award). 4. Evaluating the Role of Aspirin for Cardiovascular Risk Management for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes, Working Group on Risk, Communication and Health Care Decision Making, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, Chapel Hill, NC, September 20, 2011. 5. Approximate Dynamic Programming Methods for Optimal Control of Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes, SE/OR Forum, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, June 24, 2011. 6. An ADP Approach for Optimal Control of Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes, INFORMS Healthcare 2011, Montreal, Canada, June 20, 2011. 7. Optimizing Statin Treatment Decisions for Diabetes Patients in the Presence of Uncertain Future Adherence, INFORMS Annual Meeting, Austin, TX, November 8, 2010. 8. Optimal Design of Multiple Medication Guidelines for Type 2 Diabetes Patients, INFORMS Annual Meeting, Austin, TX, November 7, 2010. 9. Evaluating the Impact of Optimal Management for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes, 32nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Medical Decision Making, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, October 25, 2010. 10. Optimizing Statin Treatment Decisions for Diabetes Patients in the Presence of Uncertain Future Adherence, NCSU Health Systems Seminar, Raleigh, NC, October 21, 2010. 11. Optimal Design of Multiple Medication Guidelines for Type 2 Diabetes Patients, NCSU Health Systems Seminar, Raleigh, NC, September 30, 2010. 12. Estimating the Effect of Adherence on Statin Treatment Decisions, Working Group on Risk, Communication and Health Care Decision Making, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, Chapel Hill, NC, November 3, 2009. 13. Optimizing the Timing of Statins for Patients with Uncertain Adherence, IN- FORMS Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, October 12, 2009. 14. Optimizing the Timing of Statins for Patients with Uncertain Adherence, NCSU Health Systems Seminar, Raleigh, NC, October 1, 2009. 15. An MDP Model to Compare Decision Maker Perspectives on Optimal Statin Treatment Policies, INFORMS Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, October 12, 4
16. An MDP Model to Compare Decision Maker Perspectives on Optimal Statin Treatment Policies, NCSU Health Systems Seminar, Raleigh, NC, October 2, 17. Evaluating the Impact of Different Perspectives on the Optimal Start time for Statins, Second Systems Engineering and Operations Research Seminar Series, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, August 1, Poster Presentations with Published Abstracts 1. Optimal Management of Blood Pressure and Cholesterol for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes, 6th Annual NC State Graduate Student Research Symposium, Raleigh, NC, March 21, 2011. 2. Estimating Societal Willingness to Pay Based on ATP III Guidelines for the Optimal Start Time for Statins, 31st Annual Meeting of the Society for Medical Decision Making, Hollywood, CA, October 18, 2009 (presented by Shah, N.D.). 3. The Effect of Adherence on Optimal Start times for Statins, 30th Annual Meeting of the Society for Medical Decision Making, Philadelphia, PA, October 19, Societies and Service - ISE Graduate Student Library Representative (2011-2012) - Created textbook problems for Project MINDSET (NSF-sponsored operations research program for fourth-year high school students) - Referee for Medical Decision Making - Alpha Pi Mu Industrial Engineering Honor Society (inducted 2010) - Research Lab Webmaster (2010 - present) - Omega Rho Honor Society for INFORMS (inducted 2009), Vice President (2009-2010), President (2010-2011), Webmaster (2009 - present) - Society for Medical Decision Making (2008 - present) - INFORMS (2007 - present), session chair at annual meeting (2010, 2011) - USC Alumni Scholars Association (2003-2007), Secretary (2004-2005) - Pi Mu Epsilon National Mathematics Honor Society (inducted 2004) - Math Tutor (2000-2010) Computing Skills Experienced with programming in C/C++, ILOG OPL, CPLEX Concert Technology, L A TEX, Arena, and Excel 5