Baystate Summer Scholars : Meet the Team

Paul Visintainer, PhD. is the Director of Research at Baystate Medical Center.  Dr. Visintainer joined Baystate in 2008 as the Director of Epidemiology and head of the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Research Core.  Prior to joining Baystate, Dr. Visintainer was the Chair of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the School of Public Health at New York Medical College.  Among his accomplishments, he created the first doctoral program in epidemiology at the NYMC School of Public Health.  He also served on a select scientific advisory committee for the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to review studies on the health effects of benzene exposures at the Camp Lejeune Marine base in North Carolina.  He has published more than 100 research articles, book chapters, and technical reports. He currently is a Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and is the Vice-Chair of the Scientific Review Committee in the Department of Medicine at Baystate. 

Alex Knee is a Biostatistician at Baystate Health and a Research Assistant Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.  He holds a Master of Science degree in Epidemiology from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and had been part of the Baystate System for the last five years.  He provides education and support in regards to study design, statistical analysis and research database systems (such as REDCap) for all faculty, staff and residents at Baystate Medical Center.  The bulk of his publications are in the field of Ob/Gyn however recent endeavors also include collaborations with pharmacy, hospital, renal and emergency medicine.

Rebecca D. Blanchard, PhD. is Director of Medical Education and Research in Academic Affairs and an Assistant Professor of Medicine with Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Blanchard received her PhD in education research and statistics.  Her role is to improve and study the education of junior learners at Baystate Medical Center through innovative and interprofessional efforts. Junior learners at Baystate include medical students and residents as well as trainees in allied health, nursing and physician assistant programs, and others. Some of the responsibilities associated with strategic coordination of educational efforts include working with our interprofessional team of educators to develop and deliver educational faculty development workshops, consulting with and mentoring faculty on research studies, as well as leading the development and dissemination of scholarly projects.

Jennifer Friderici, MS, joined Baystate’s Epidemiology & Biostatistics Research Core (EBRC) in 2009 as Biostatistician. Working primarily within the Department of Medicine, she has provided guidance regarding study design, data management, statistical analysis, and interpretation on close to one hundred investigator-initiated studies. She also manages the statistical review process for all investigator-initiated studies submitted to Baystate’s Institutional Review Board. She holds an appointment as Research Assistant Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine and has provided guidance to several graduate students on their research projects. Her areas of interest include behavioral health, patient education, and resource utilization.