SUMMARY
Felicity T. Enders, Ph.D., is a professor of biostatistics at Mayo Clinic. As a highly successful collaborative biostatistician, she has more than 150 publications with an H index of over 40. Dr. Enders has partnered with researchers in clinical areas across the translational science spectrum; most recently this has included women's health and psychology.
Dr. Enders' personal research focuses on educating researchers. For about 15 years, this took the form of statistics education. Leveraging her award-winning expertise, Dr. Enders developed a national statistics education research team within the Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Design special interest group of the Association for Clinical and Translational Science. Her research interests have evolved to include hidden curriculum for research, a topic that impacts all trainees and junior faculty. Hidden curriculum provides a novel lens through which to understand and overcome barriers for researchers with diverse backgrounds.
Hidden curriculum aligns with Dr. Enders' leadership in the areas of education and diversity. She is the associate program director for Mayo's TL1 program and director of curriculum and methods for the Minnesota Learning Health System K12. In 2020, she was named inaugural associate chair for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Mayo Clinic Department of Quantitative Health Sciences. Dr. Enders has held multiple leadership positions with the American Statistical Association, in which she is an elected fellow, and with the Association for Clinical and Translational Science, for which she is currently a member of the board of directors.
Focus areas
- Hidden curriculum for research. Diversity, equity and inclusion are essential to researchers seeking to achieve health equity for underserved populations. Diversity, equity and inclusion drive onboarding, retention and success for students and junior faculty who are diverse, yet research has historically focused on the diverse individuals themselves rather than on the environment in which they are situated. Hidden curriculum for research includes topics that an institution needs researchers to learn but does not typically teach in formal training. Dr. Enders has identified hidden curriculum topics for research and demonstrated that diverse individuals need more help in gaining these competencies, while their mentors need more help in elucidating these skills.
- Biostatistics education. Dr. Enders' personal research focuses on statistics education for nonstatisticians. Her most recent efforts include establishing competencies for biostatistics and developing and evaluating instruments to assess understanding of biostatistics. Her work in this area is focused on learners in clinical and translational science, including predoctoral students and physicians engaged in research.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Enders' work as a collaborative statistician has transformed patient care, from developing noninvasive scoring and scoping systems to linking medications to potential harm for patients.
Professional highlights
- Co-Principal Investigator and Associate Director, Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCaTS), Mayo Clinic, 2023-present.
- Director, CCaTS Education Resources, Mayo Clinic, 2023-present.
- Fellow, American Statistical Association, 2020-present.
- Scholar, Aresty Institute of Executive Education, the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, 2018.
- Presidential Poster Award, American College of Gastroenterology, 2010, 2013, and 2015.
- Educator of the Year Award, CCaTS, Mayo Clinic, 2013.
- Biomedical Statistics and Informatics Meritorious Award, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, 2012-2013.
- Author, President's Plenary Session, American College of Gastroenterology, 2011.