Feifan Cao

Statistics Graduate Student

Statistical Analysis & Data Science

fionacaobd@gmail.com
312-731-7640
St. Paul, MN

About Me

Statistics graduate student with experience in data analysis, causal inference, and statistical modeling. Skilled in applying statistical methods to solve problems across various domains.

Proficient in R, Python, and statistical software for extracting insights from complex datasets. Interested in challenging analytical problems and data-driven decision making.

Skills

Computer Languages

Python R SAS Java SQL JMP SPSS

Software

Microsoft Office Google Workspace Git

Languages

Mandarin English

Education

Master of Science, Statistics

August 2024 - May 2026

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Bachelor of Science, Statistics

August 2020 - May 2024

Iowa State University, Ames, IA

GPA: 3.71/4.0 | Minor: Data Science

MAGNA CUM LAUDE

Research Experience

Research Assistant

May 2025 - Continue

University of Minnesota, Department of Biostatistics with Professor Jue Hou

  • Investigating variance properties of average treatment effect estimators in multi-arm causal inference settings
  • Extending prior work on propensity score weighting and doubly robust estimation, focusing on theoretical derivation and empirical validation
  • Designing and implementing Monte Carlo simulations in R to assess estimator bias, variance, and efficiency
  • Comparing multinomial logit, Random Forest, and XGBoost-based cross-fitted DR estimators

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Sep 2023 - May 2024

Iowa State University, Department of Statistics with Professor Jarad Niemi

  • Investigating riffle shuffling randomness using experimental and theoretical analyses
  • Designing and implementing controlled experiments; collecting and structuring data for reproducibility
  • Detected dependence and modeled participant variability with a mixed-effects logistic model
  • Developing R package and functions for simulating and visualizing the shuffling process

Undergraduate Research Assistant

May 2023 - Aug 2023

Iowa State University, Department of Statistics with Professor Mack Shelley

  • Analyzed longitudinal data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine the impact of perceived housing problems on depressive symptoms among adults aged 50+
  • Applied Negative Binomial Mixed-Effect Models to address overdispersion and within-subject correlation in repeated measures
  • Processed multi-wave data, created variables, and ran diagnostics in R
  • Managed and cleaned large, multi-wave datasets (2006–2018) ensuring reproducibility and code transparency
  • Contributed to a peer-reviewed publication in Innovation in Aging (DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igad104.3517)

Undergraduate Research Assistant

June 2023 - Aug 2023

Iowa State University, Department of Statistics with Professor Mack Shelley

  • Conducting Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) integrating MIBI and Neighborhood Characteristics data
  • Applying Principal Component, Maximum Likelihood, and PAF with Varimax/Oblimin rotations using SPSS
  • Assessing scale reliability (Cronbach's α) and construct validity via KMO, Bartlett's test

Leadership

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant

August 2022 - December 2022

Iowa State University Math & Stat Learning Community

  • Led weekly orientation sessions for first-year statistics and math majors (3-8 students)
  • Guided discussions, reviewed course materials, and helped students adapt to college academics
  • Collaborated with faculty and peer mentors to promote student success

Honors and Awards

  • Dean's List: Fall 2020-Fall 2021, Fall 2022-May 2024
  • International Merit Scholarships: Aug 2020 - May 2024
  • Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium: Aug 2023, April 2024