The power of machine learning for data analysis: A conversation with Sara Howard, Ph.D.

Sara Howard, Ph.D., is an epidemiologist in the Health Studies group at ORAU who earned her doctoral degree in 2025. For part of her dissertation, she used machine learning techniques to analyze data from the National Supplemental Screening Program, which ORAU manages with several partners for the U.S. Department of Energy, to examine the link between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and occupational exposures. While we often think of COPD in the context of smoking, Howard wanted to look at the potential to be exposed to something other than smoking. Her dissertation, An Epidemiologic Study of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in the United States, was published by the University of Tennessee in 2025. In this conversation, Howard talks about data in the context of epidemiology and the rising use of Artificial Intelligence and how, when used correctly, it can be transformative for data analysis.

To learn more about the National Supplemental Screening Program, visit https://orau.org/nssp/index.html