Research Services provides consultation, training, and tutorials to support computing and research at Boston College. The Research Services staff has expertise in statistics, statistical software, qualitative research, surveys, scientific computation, data analysis, computational mathematics, and HPC best practices. We also provide assistance with statistical sections of grant applications, creation of data collection tools and repositories as well as consultation for research hardware purchases.
The Research Services staff provides consultation, training, and tutorials to support computing and research at Boston College.
Matt Gregas
Research Services Director
Matt Gregas has twelve years of experience as a biostatisitican. Upon receiving his doctoral degree at the University of Minnesota, where his research focused on statistical methods for estimating the firing rate of a single neuron, he spent two years as a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health. There he continued his work on statistical analysis of neural data. In addition we was part of a research team studying the natural history of Alzhiemer's disease. In 2007 he joined Children's Hospital Boston as a Senior Biostatistician and an Instructor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Gregas has extensive experience in Biomedical research. He has served as the project biostatistician on several clinical trials. The focus of these trials were new interventions for autism spectrum disorders and neo-natal seizures. He has collaborated with scientists primarily in pediatric neurology. He has published articles on epilespy, autism, treatment of neonatal seizures, muscular dystrophies, and stroke. His statistical interests are semiparametric regression and curve-fitting, non-linear regression, and longitudinal data analysis.
Selected Publications:
- Peters JM, Sahin M, Vogel-Farley VK, Jeste SS, Nelson CA 3rd, Gregas MC, Prabhu SP, Scherrer B, Warfield SK: (2012) Loss of white matter microstructural integrity is associated with adverse neurological outcome in tuberous sclerosis complex: Acad Radiol. 2012 Jan 19(1): 17-25.
- Rutkove SB, Shefner JM, Gregas M, Butler H, Caracciolo J, Lin C, Fogerson PM, Mongiovi P, Darras BT (2010): Characterizing spinal muscular atrophy with electrical impedance myography.Muscle Nerve. 2010 Dec; 42(6): 915-21.
- Krishnan ML, Commowick O, Jeste SS, Weisenfeld N, Hans A, Gregas MC, Sahin M, Warfield SK. (2010): Diffusion features of white matter in tuberous sclerosis with tractograph: . Pediatr Neurol. 2010 Feb;42(2):101-6.
- O'Leary H, Gregas MC, Limperopoulos C, Zaretskaya I, Bassan H, Soul JS, Di Salvo DN, du Plessis AJ (2009): Elevated cerebral pressure passivity is associated with prematurity-related intracranial hemorrhage: Pediatrics. 2009 Jul; 124(1): 302-9
Education:
- Ph.D. Statistics. University of Minnesota
- B.S. Mathematical Sciences. Michigan Technological University
Melissa McTernan
Manager Research Statistics
Melissa McTernan holds a Ph.D. in Quantitative Psychology from the University of California, Davis. Prior to joining Boston College, she was an Assistant Professor at California State University in Sacramento. Melissa's primary research interests are in the area of applied statistics for the social and behavioral sciences. Some areas in which Melissa has expertise are methods for zero-inflated and longitudinal data, and random-effect models. She has experience with R, SAS, SPSS, Mplus, as well as Markdown and LaTeX.
Education:
- B.S. in Psychology, University of Mary Washington
- Ph.D. in Quantitative Psychology, University of California, Davis
Wei Lucy Qiu
Senior Scientific Computational Consultant
Wei has experience as a Scientific Researcher and Scientific Software Engineer in both academic setting and industry. Prior to joining Boston College in 2009, she worked for Meteorological Services of Canada, Mass General Hospital, Hospira Inc and Weather Services International, where she invented scientific algorithms, developed software tools and created real-time embedded applications.
Wei has expertise in open source and commercial software engineering, cross platform computing, and real-time embedded system. She is skilled in programming with C/C++, MATLAB, PERL and other languages.
Education:
- M.S. in Computer Science, University of Western Ontario in Canada.
- B.S. in Applied Chemistry, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University
Selected Publications:
- Kuo, B., Itzhak, A., Qiu, W., Urma, D., Kwong, K., Mao, J., Rosen, B. Dynamic Imaging of the Brain Activity During Feeding and Epigastria Discomfort/Pain with a Physiological Gastric Stimulus. Gastroenterology, 2005; 128, 4 (Suppl. 2): A-372.
- W. Qiu, R.E. Mercer, J.L. Barron (2001), 3D Storm Tracking in 3D Doppler Precipitation Reflectivity Datasets. Irish Machine Vision and Image Processing conference (IMVIP2001), pp79-86 (best paper award).
Yixin Pan
Senior Research Statistician
Yixin has a Master's degree in Data Science from University of Rochester. Prior to joining Boston College, she has working experience of Statistics and Data Science in biostatistics industry. Yixin has strong interested and background in the areas of Machine Learning, Statistical Analysis and Data Science. She has knowledge of Python, R, SAS, SQL and Tableau.
Education:
- M.A in Data Science, University of Rochester
- M.S in Chemical Engineering, University of Rochester
- B.A in Chemistry, Tianjin University
Viktoriya Babicheva
Research Data Consultant & Acquisition Analyst
Viktoriya holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in Community Health and has extensive experience in both clinical and research settings. With eight years of clinical experience, she has worked with healthcare teams to optimize operations and improve patient care through research data analysis, systems thinking, and process optimization.
Since joining Boston College in 2022 as a Research Implementation Specialist at the Connell School of Nursing, she has contributed to impactful epidemiological studies on Tuberculosis and HIV in Africa, diabetes in Haitian-Americans, and worked with datasets for the international I-CARE4OLD project. Her clinical background, including experiences as a Medical Scribe at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a Medical Assistant in a private dermatology clinic, complement her expertise in data management and research, helping her navigate the complexities of data types, participant pools, and experimental design.
Viktoriya is a lead administrator for research platforms such as REDCap (including advanced logic, HTML, and SQL design) and Qualtrics, offering consultation on survey design, data quality considerations, and human subject research considerations and best practices. She is skilled in statistical software including SAS, STATA, and R, qualitative analysis software such as NVivo, and is experienced in data visualization tools like Tableau and ArcGIS.
Education:
- Certificate in Applied Biostatistics: Methods and Application. Harvard UniversityMasters in Public Health. Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health SciencesB.S. in Pre-Medical and Health Sciences. Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Selected Publications:
- Gregory, K.E., Babicheva, V., Chen, E., McTernan, M., Alberti, T.L., Waddell, A., Meedzan, N. and Warshawsky, N., 2025. The Influence of Burnout, Resilience, and Resources to Support Clinical Practice Among Newly Licensed Nurses Intended Job Plans. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 55(1), pp.22-31.
- Lee, C.S., Chu, S.H., Dunne, J., Spintzyk, E., Locatelli, G., Babicheva, V., Lam, L., Julio, K., Chen, S. and Jurgens, C.Y., 2024. Body listening in the link between symptoms and self-care management in cardiovascular disease: A cross-sectional correlational descriptive study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 156, p.104809.
Manjiri Sahasrabudhe
Research Statistician
Manjiri has a Master’s degree in Public Health from Boston University. Prior to joining Boston College, she was working as a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco. Manjiri has interest and a strong background in areas of Epidemiology and Statistical Analysis. She has experience with R, SAS, and REDCap.
Education:
- B.S. in Human Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz
- MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Global Health Monitoring and Evaluation, Boston University
Joe DiLascio
Research Systems Administrator
Joe joined BC in 2022, bringing over 20 years of experience at the intersection of technology and education in both secondary and higher ed environments. His experience includes user support, client and server system administration, software development, network administration, and departmental management. Joe’s academic background encompasses physics, philosophy, and neuroscience including research in HPC environments and instruction of high school and undergraduate students.
Leonard Faul
Research Statistician
Leonard Faul holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and Neuroscience from Duke University, where his research examined the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying how emotional events are experienced and remembered, as well as how emotional memories can change over time. He subsequently completed postdoctoral training at Boston College to evaluate age-related differences in the neural reinstatement of memories across the adult lifespan. Leonard joined Research Services in 2025, where he applies his methodological and statistical training to support research initiatives throughout Boston College.
Leonard maintains advanced proficiency in a range of analytical methods, including mixed-effects regression, mediation, and multivariate statistics. He is also experienced with multiple programming languages and statistical tools (R, SPSS, Python, MATLAB, Bash), as well as data collection platforms such as REDCap and Qualtrics.
Education:
- Ph.D., Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University
- B.S., Psychology and Biology, University of Louisville
Yufeng Shi
Graduate Assistant
Yufeng Shi is a Ph.D. candidate in Economics at Boston College. His research interests lie in Microeconomic Theory, Labour Economics, and Experimental Economics. His work concentrates on endogenous social minimum, population policies, and risky sales promotion, with a particular focus on distributive justice. Yufeng holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Social Science (Psychology) from New York University, and an en route Master of Arts in Economics from Boston College. He has experience with Stata, MATLAB, and R.
Education:
- Ph.D. Candidate in Economics, Boston College
- M.A. in Economics, Boston College
- B.A. in Economics and Social Science (Psychology), New York University
Tevin Li
Graduate Assistant
Tevin Li is a Ph.D. student in Chemistry at Boston College. His research interests are in the use of machine learning and first-principles theory to investigate problems in photochemistry and excited state dynamics. His work focuses on the use of regression methods which rely on Gaussian Processes in order to model potential energy surfaces around conical intersections without diabatization or derivative coupling vectors. Tevin holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His experience in computing revolves around programming in Python, C/C++, and MATLAB, as well as compilation and execution of chemical data simulation packages (e.g. Vienna Ab-Initio Simulation Package, AMBER 24) within the UNIX environment.
Pawemi Kumwenda
Graduate Assistant
Pawe Kumwenda is a dual Master’s candidate in Applied Economics and Applied Analytics at Boston College. His academic interests include econometric modeling, time-series forecasting, and stochastic analysis. His practical work focuses on labor-market data analysis, financial risk patterns, and economic problem-solving. Pawe completed his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with a minor in Finance at Mississippi College. His technical skill set includes Python and SQL, with experience using statistical and machine learning methods for predictive modeling.
Manchun Wang
Graduate Assistant
Manchun Wang is a Ph.D. candidate in Economics at Boston College. She holds a Master’s degree in International Economics and Finance from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from China Foreign Affairs University.
Her research interests lie in Macroeconomics, International Trade, and International Finance, with a particular focus on supply chains, firm heterogeneity, production networks. She has experience conducting empirical analysis using granular firm- and transaction-level microdata, as well as developing structural models to study their macroeconomic implications. Manchun is proficient in Stata, Python, and MATLAB, which she uses for empirical analysis, quantitative modeling, and simulation-based research.
Education:
- Ph.D. in Economics (Candidate), Boston College
- M.Sc. in International Economics and Finance, Johns Hopkins University SAIS
- B.A. in Economics, China Foreign Affairs University
Jake Scally
Graduate Assistant
Jake Scally is a Ph.D student in Physics at Boston College. In research, he uses various density functional theory (DFT) computational packages to predict, simulate, and discover new phenomena in condensed matter systems before creating and characterizing these materials in the lab. Jake has a B.S. in Physics from Florida State University. A computing enthusiast his whole life, Jake has experience with GPU acceleration, a wide variety of operating systems, and numerous programming languages. He also plays piano, skis, and does photography.
Thomas Ackon
Graduate Assistant
Thomas Ackon is a doctoral student who is currently pursuing a PhD in Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics, and Assessment (MESA) at Boston College. He holds a Master’s Degree in Development Studies, and a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science; both from University of Ghana.
His professional interests focus on research and evaluation of social interventions related to Education, Poverty reduction, Environmental sustainability, and Agriculture. He currently works as a Graduate Assistant with the Research Services, Boston College. He has experience in psychometrics and statistical analysis using STATA, SPSS, and IRTPRO.
Education:
- Ph.D. Student (Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics, and Assessment), Boston College
- M.A in Development Studies, University of Ghana
- B.A in Political Science, University of Ghana
Mohamed Al-Begaowe
Graduate Assistant
Mohamed Al-Begaowe is a Ph.D. candidate in Physics at Boston College. His research sits at the interface of physics and machine learning, focusing on how neural networks represent and generalize across multiple tasks, drawing on tools from statistical physics to study the critical transitions that govern learning in multi-task systems.
His computing background centers on Python and PyTorch, along with Anaconda/conda environment management. As a Research Computing Assistant with BC's ITS, he supports researchers on the Andromeda HPC cluster through Slurm job scheduling, software environment deployment, and AI-tool integration, alongside hands-on tutorials for cluster users.
Education:
- Ph.D. in Physics, Candidate, Boston College
- B.Sc. in Physics, specialization in High Energy Physics, University of Science and Technology (UST), Zewail City, Egypt