, assistant professor in the at the (COPH), has been honored with the 2025 Early Career Epidemiologist Award from the American College of Epidemiology (ACE).
The award recognizes early career epidemiologists who have made significant contributions to the field in one of three areas: methods development, etiologic research or applied epidemiology. Recipients receive a monetary prize, complimentary annual meeting registration and a mentorship opportunity with a senior epidemiologist on the ACE board.
Rijnhart said the recognition is deeply meaningful and affirms the value of her work in making complex research methods more accessible to the broader research community.
Dr. Judith Rijnhart presents at an event. (Photo courtesy of Vishkaha Agrawal)
鈥淢ost of the work that my colleagues and I do is aimed at making novel research methods accessible to a wide range of researchers. We try to bridge the gap between the 鈥榯echnical鈥� statistical literature and the practical research questions posed by substantive researchers,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t means a lot to me that this work is recognized by the American College of Epidemiology. It provides motivation to continue with this work.鈥�
Rijnhart credits collaboration and mentorship as key influences throughout her early career.
鈥淐ollaboration and mentorship have had a profound impact on my early career,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y PhD advisors, Drs. Jos Twisk and Martijn Heymans of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, introduced me to the field of methodology and gave me the opportunity to pursue a dissertation on mediation analysis methods. I鈥檝e learned most of what I know about mediation analysis from my Fulbright mentor, Dr. David MacKinnon of Arizona State University. Through David MacKinnon I also met , who has become my partner in life and in research.鈥�
COPH Alumna Dr. Sharonda Lovett with Drs. Judith Rijnhart and Jason Salemi at the 2025 American College of Epidemiology annual conference in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo courtesy of Salemi)
Inspired by the mentorship she received, Rijnhart co-founded the Causal Inference in Public Health Research (CIPHR) Lab with Valente in January 2024. The lab provides students with opportunities to develop methodological skills and collaborate on research projects.
鈥淭he exemplary mentorship I鈥檝e had throughout my early career has been an inspiration to found the CIPHR lab together with Matthew Valente,鈥� Rijnhart said. 鈥淚n our lab, we mentor students on research projects while also fostering collaboration among students in the lab.鈥�
Rijnhart said the most rewarding aspect of her work is seeing students鈥� progress and confidence grow.
鈥淔or me, the most rewarding aspect is to see the progress that students make during the course of a semester or during the course of a research project,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t is incredible to see how much students can learn and grow in a relatively short period of time. The students continuously make me realize that you can do anything as long as you set your mind to it. It makes me really proud when I see students become more confident in their methodological skillset and being able to bring these skills into practice.鈥�
Drs. Judith Rijnhart (far left) and Matthew Valente (far right) with students in the Causal Inference in Public Health Research (CIPHR) Lab (Photo courtesy of Valente)
As an early-career researcher, Rijnhart said she is most proud of what she and Valente have accomplished with the CIPHR lab.
鈥淚t had been our dream to co-lead a research lab where we would create an environment in which students can learn about research methods and build essential research skills,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e started the lab in January 2024 and since then the lab has grown and matured at a rapid pace. The students in our lab are all actively working on research projects and seeing them learn and grow as researchers makes me really proud.鈥�