Kavita Batra, a biostatistician at the UNLV Kirk Kerkorian College of Medicine, regularly sends out information-packed emails from her office in the Las Vegas Medical District to countries including Turkey, Poland and Italy.
Collaborating with researchers across the globe and working on multiple projects simultaneously, Batra’s inbox is filled with a dizzying amount of information: data sets, spreadsheets, formulas, graphs, research-related queries, etc. Not only does he need to stay organized, but he also needs to segment and prioritize his work schedule to meet multiple deadlines imposed on him by his equally talented colleagues, students and collaborators, all of whom are eager to get their research published.
In addition, as her reputation grows, she receives new invitations to join the editorial boards of scientific and medical journals and to collaborate, carrying with it even greater responsibility to provide unbiased judgement on papers submitted by the scientific community.
His most recent editorial board invitation was from Scientific Reports, the fifth most cited journal in the world. Dr. Batra also serves on the editorial board or as a consultant for publications such as the Annals of Epidemiology and the Journal of Medicine, Surgery and Public Health.
Growing up in India, she attended India’s most prestigious dental college and worked as a dental surgeon for five years before becoming a public health officer and becoming obsessed with statistics that illuminate disease trends. At age 30, she moved to the United States and earned her master’s and doctorate from the UNLV School of Public Health.
In just four years since arriving at the School of Medicine, Batra has worked with dozens of medical students, residents, fellows and faculty to produce more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, including full-length journal articles, book chapters, monographs and books. Her collaborations extend beyond the School of Medicine, as she also works with UNLV’s School of Public Health and School of Dentistry.
But that’s not all: her original research and teaching activities have resulted in around 100 academic publications, including editorials, published abstracts, posters and oral presentations at various levels, from local to international.
Though she’s busier than ever, Batra still looks up from her computer screen and greets visitors with a smile. “Do you have time to answer a few questions for the magazine article?” I ask.
“It would be an honor to join you,” she replied, politely as always.
What motivates you to pursue research?
The main motivation behind my research is the desire to solve problems and the sense of accomplishment I get when doing meaningful work. I feel proud to be part of an interdisciplinary research team dedicated to improving patient health. Moreover, it is rewarding to know that my work has practical application.
What project/accomplishment are you most proud of?
Nothing is greater to me than offering my expertise and contributing to the pool of knowledge to help clinicians and residents achieve their academic goals. My clinical training in dentistry and my PhD in Public Health allow me to share both the perspectives of individual patients and population health. These dual perspectives position me to make significant contributions to interdisciplinary research.
Additionally, my collaborators and I received a $650,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Health Care Financing and Policy to perform robust linkage of large datasets to analyze maternal and neonatal determinants of high Medicaid costs in Nevada.
Are there any interesting projects in the works that you’d like to talk about?
Yes, my long-term goal, which I share with Dr. Deborah Kuhls, Associate Dean for Research, is to develop a structured, research-focused mentoring program for the school community. Research is a long journey to an end result, and it is important to have the right environment for learning and conducting research. There is a long way to go in this endeavor, but the lab is committed to walking this long path.
How does research help improve the reputation and image of the medical school?
I believe that research is an essential part of foundational skills and provides a competitive advantage that medical professionals need to acquire in their continuing learning process. Publications and high-quality academic output can put learners and medical trainees in an advantageous position in this specialized world. Needless to say, increased research and academic productivity of learners, trainees and faculty will further contribute to our university’s goal of maintaining the R1 designation as a whole.
Simply put, more research leads to more academic output, which in turn leads to more funding and better visibility both nationally and internationally, all of which translates into a strong reputation, brand name, and good standing in academic health. Additionally, we are grateful to our leaders (Dr. Mark J. Kahn, Dean of the School of Medicine and Vice President for Health Affairs, Dr. Cools, and Dr. Robert Hernandez) for always supporting us in expanding our medical research enterprise.
Do you feel like the school is making progress in this area?
Yes, we are definitely heading in the right direction. Quantitatively, almost four years after I was hired, we have seen a significant increase in research output, which is definitely a good sign.
We have also noticed an increase in the rate of research project completion with an increased emphasis on dissertations. It is clear that we are moving towards a “Getting Things Done” model, which employs a more structured, action-oriented approach to stimulating research and scholarly activity. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Aditi Singh and Dr. Buddhadeb Dawn for supporting our first structured research elective for residents in the Department of Internal Medicine.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Yes, I would like to share my belief and what I have learnt in my research journey, which is, “If the right opportunity doesn’t knock on your door, create a door.” Always remember that the starting point of any great success is from training yourself.
