Waylon J. Howard, Ph.D.2008 - Present

Research
Appointments

Quantitative research leadership and collaboration across research institutes, academic medical centers, universities, and life-science analytics organizations.

13
Appointments
18
Years
8
Institutions
$21.6M+
Total Team Grant Funding
Current
2022 - Present
Seattle, WA

Principal Biostatistician

Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Analytics in Research
Seattle Children’s Research Institute
  • Lead quantitative research strategy across clinical, translational, and behavioral science programs, advising investigators on study design, measurement, analytic strategy, and evidence generation.
  • Provide senior methodological leadership across NIH, PCORI, CDC, and foundation-funded programs, contributing to $19M+ in awarded research funding and an additional $14M+ active grant pipeline.
  • Apply advanced quantitative methods - longitudinal and multilevel modeling, latent-variable methods, psychometrics, causal inference, and predictive modeling - to complex clinical and behavioral research questions.
  • Build reusable analytic frameworks, reproducible workflows, and research tools that extend methodological capabilities across projects and programs.
  • Partner with clinicians, investigators, epidemiologists, and data scientists to translate complex research questions and data into rigorous designs, analyses, publications, and funding proposals.
  • Mentor investigators and quantitative staff in study design, grant development, advanced methods, reproducible analysis, and scientific communication.
  • Authored 20+ peer-reviewed publications since 2024, spanning pediatric clinical, behavioral, developmental, and translational research.
Previous
2021 - 2022
Bethesda, MD

Director of Research, Patient-Centered Outcomes

Patient-Centered Outcomes
Open Health
  • Directed global quantitative analytics operations supporting oncology real-world evidence programs and $12M annual revenue.
  • Led a 10-person US/India analytics organization delivering statistical programming, data analytics, and evidence generation solutions.
  • Built analytics infrastructure supporting the transition from traditional biostatistical workflows to scalable SQL/cloud-based delivery pipelines.
  • Partnered with clinical, product, engineering, and commercial teams to operationalize analytics capabilities during rapid organizational growth.
  • Developed automated R/Shiny tools reducing analyst training time by approximately 40%.
  • Established standardized analytic processes, SOPs, and quality frameworks improving reproducibility and delivery consistency.
2019 - 2021
Boston, MA

Director of Biostatistics and Data Analytics

Health Economics and Outcomes Research
ConcertAI
  • Directed a 10-person global analytics team (US and India) supporting $12M in annual revenue during rapid organizational growth and platform transition.
  • Scaled analytics operations with zero delivery disruption through the shift from SAS-based biostatistics to SQL data management and analytics on AWS delivery pipelines.
  • Developed R/Shiny workflow tools, reducing staff training time by ~40%.
  • Co-developed 15+ SOPs to standardize analytics delivery and improve team performance.
  • Managed global project delivery, onboarding, and resource allocation across distributed teams.
2018 - 2019
Charlotte, NC

Director of Research in Biostatistics and Data Management; Associate Professor

Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation
Atrium Health
  • Directed biostatistics (6 staff) and data management (4 staff) teams supporting real-world evidence and patient-centered outcomes research.
  • Expanded institutional research capacity through a 6-course training series reaching 150+ medical residents.
  • Oversaw study design, analysis, and reporting across a diverse clinical portfolio.
  • Increased accepted abstracts and publications by 37% and presentations by 10%.
2015 - 2018
Seattle, WA

Director of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Econometrics, and Programming Core

Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development
Seattle Children’s Research Institute
  • Led a 5-person biostatistics and analytics research support core with a $600K operating budget, supporting institutional research and grant development.
  • Developed automated workflow and capacity management tools across R, Qualtrics, and Asana to improve efficiency and transparency.
  • Expanded Core-supported NIH grant submissions from 10 to 60+ annually, contributing to ~$5M in new funding.
  • Strengthened core infrastructure to support growing institutional demand.
2014 - 2015
Amherst, MA

Faculty Research Methodologist

Institute for Social Science Research
University of Massachusetts
  • Directed methodology training and consulting services supporting research across seven colleges.
  • Led a team of 5 consultants delivering internal research support.
  • Organized a 12-course advanced methodology conference training 124 participants.
  • Expanded institutional capacity in research design and analytic methods.
2012 - 2014
Baltimore, MD

Director of Research and Evaluation

Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities
Kennedy Krieger Institute
  • Led research, evaluation, and policy-focused initiatives to improve outcomes for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
  • Led community-based research, program evaluation, and needs assessments in collaboration with the Senior Director.
  • Supported multidisciplinary efforts spanning public health, policy, and service delivery.
2014
Baltimore, MD

Visiting Assistant Professor

Bloomberg School of Public Health
Johns Hopkins University
  • Contributed to graduate teaching and research in public health methodology, disability research, and epidemiology.
2014
Baltimore, MD

Affiliated Faculty Member

Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities
Johns Hopkins University
  • Collaborated on interdisciplinary research and training initiatives in autism and developmental disabilities.
2013 - 2014
Baltimore, MD

Co-Director, Knowledge Acquisition and Scientific Inquiry Core

Center for Innovation and Leadership in Special Education
Kennedy Krieger Institute
  • Led development of curriculum and training programs to strengthen research literacy and methodological rigor among special education and research professionals.
2013 - 2015
Bayview, MD

Senior Research Data Analyst

Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Data Management Core
Johns Hopkins University
  • Provided statistical design, data management, and analytic support across funded research programs.
  • Contributed to 10+ publications, presentations, and invited talks.
  • Served as methodological consultant on grant-funded program evaluations.
2008 - 2012
Kansas City, KS

Quantitative Psychology Research Assistant

Juniper Gardens Children’s Project
University of Kansas
  • Provided research methods and data analysis support for community-engaged research on child development, early literacy, and behavioral interventions.
  • Contributed to development of the Early Communication Indicator (ECI), a standardized early childhood language development tool.
2010 - 2011
Lawrence, KS

Quantitative Psychology Research Assistant

Center for Research Methods and Data Analysis
University of Kansas
  • Provided methodological consulting and analytic support across academic departments and external partners.
  • Assisted with research design, statistical analysis, and software training workshops.
Research Appointments13 of 13 appointments shown