Laura Gibson

Senior Data Analyst at University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg Public Policy Center

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

About

• Highly experienced data scientist who has worked across a variety of content areas • PhD in Research Psychology, with over 15 years experience in health communication • Wide-ranging experience leading diverse teams that design and conduct quantitative studies of large-scale public health interventions (mostly pro-nutrition & anti-smoking) • A connector of people with extensive experience creating processes to foster collaboration • Committed to working with organizations who care about their workers, the planet, and live out their values through shared decision-making • Thrives when building products and opportunities accessible to all

Experience

  • University of Pennsylvania (17 yrs 11 mos)
    • Senior Data Analyst
      Jul 2024 - Present · 2 yrs 1 mo

    • Assistant Professor (Research track)
      Oct 2018 - Jul 2024 · 5 yrs 10 mos

      Faculty in the Medical Ethics & Health Policy Department, Perelman School of Medicine Deputy Director of the Psychology of Eating and Consumer Health (PEACH) Lab • Design and implement all data and operations for research studies on food policy, nutrition labeling, cash transfers, and Covid safety messaging funded by the NIH and Bloomberg Philanthropies • Work with public health officials to do just-in-time research (Philadelphia and Delaware) • Provide technical assistance on data analysis, summarizing findings in easily interpretable figures, troubleshooting code, and setting-up R and Stata syntax files for multiple users • Created a budgeting system, hiring process, data quality system, and walk-and-talks with staff • Designed and implemented diversity, equity, and inclusion process improvements

    • Research Director
      Jul 2010 - Jun 2020 · 10 yrs

      • Co-developed all research activities for anti-smoking media campaigns, tobacco media coverage, and cancer communication funded by the NIH and the CDC • Collaboratively created shared recommendations for measuring e-cigarette use • Built partnerships with multiple stakeholders to collect 5 streams of tobacco media coverage • Conducted quantitative research for the FDA on the effectiveness of graphic tobacco warning labels among vulnerable populations and messages for their smoking prevention campaign • Coordinated research that informed the development of Philadelphia's anti-smoking media campaign, as well as evaluated the campaign, showing small increases in the number of Philadelphia smokers using help to quit • Managed a team of 10-12 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows • Taught Research Methods to 30 UPenn undergraduates fulfilling the quantitative requirement

  • Evaluation Consultant at TCC Group
    Mar 2007 - Aug 2008 · 1 yr 6 mos

    • Designed and collected quantitative and qualitative program evaluation data from a variety of nonprofits (e.g., performing arts, science education partnerships, principal training programs, after-school and shelter services) for reporting to grant funders • Synthesized program and cluster evaluation data and recommended improvements

  • Graduate Student, Social and Cognitive Psychology at Harvard University
    Sep 2001 - Jun 2006 · 4 yrs 10 mos

    • Analyzed and managed a range of data including online Implicit Attitude Tests (IAT) measuring the strength of the association between race and weapons with 32,000 respondents • Designed and facilitated professional development curriculum for psychology graduate students (teaching award) • Designed curriculum and facilitated sections for psychology graduate-level courses; designed and administered all tests; graded materials (teaching awards)

  • Intern - Statistics Analyst at Sensory Spectrum
    May 2004 - Sep 2004 · 5 mos

    • Analyzed descriptive and consumer data to explain consumers' evaluations of clients' products • Interpreted consumer data in presentations and advertising claims for Fortune 500 clients

  • Research Assistant at Princeton University
    Aug 1999 - Sep 2001 · 2 yrs 2 mos

    • Programmed and analyzed experiments on visual attention and decision making (some using fMRI). • Edited book chapters, articles, and editorials for Nobel-prize winner Daniel Kahneman. • Solved hardware and software problems for both Macintosh and Windows users (self-taught).