KU School of Medicine-Wichita

13 In just a few months, Hayrettin Okut, Ph.D., will experience one of the most significant highlights of his personal and professional life. He anticipates that a new book exploring the complex relationships between genetics and health will reach publication by the end of 2024. He is the book's academic editor. "Agreeing to be the editor of this book embodies my lifelong passion for biostatistics and my commitment to understanding the intricate ways in which genetic variations impact health outcomes," Okut says of the work, titled "Genetic Variations — Unraveling Causalities." A professor in Population Health for the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, Okut has also co-written one of the book's chapters with a colleague in the Oce of Research, Rosey Zackula, M.A., statistician. Additionally, Okut will write a two-page introduction for the book. "The book is important for the study and advancement of population health as it bridges the gap between genetic research and practical health applications," says Okut. "It highlights how understanding genetic variations can lead to more eective prevention strategies, personalized treatments, and ultimately, a reduction in health disparities." This milestone in Okut's career is unfolding as he continues his work as the co-author of the upcoming fourth edition of "Epidemiology: Study Design and Data Analysis." The new edition will serve as an invaluable textbook for students studying statistics and epidemiology, as well as a standard reference for practicing epidemiologists. Okut earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in biometry-biostatistics in 1992 from the University of Ege-Izmir, Turkey, and completed courses for his degree at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Since then, he has worked as a researcher in genetics, biometry and biostatistical methodology at various universities and centers, including Yuzuncu Yil University-Van-Turkey, the University of Wisconsin, Oregon Research Institute, University of Nebraska, University of Palermo-Italy and Wake Forest School of Medicine. He has served at KUSM-Wichita since 2018. His work in the Department of Population Health relies heavily on big data to better understand and predict health outcomes. "In essence," he says, "by developing better predictive models and understanding complex health data, we can make significant strides in preventing diseases and personalizing treatment, ultimately enhancing the overall health of populations." Upcoming publications mark milestones in Hayrettin Okut's career Brown's) and population health program manager Allison Honn, MBA, — that developed recommendations for making water from private wells safer for drinking, cooking and other household uses. While the recommendations were created to address the lack of standards in Kansas, the researchers said the recommendations could be useful for other communities and states according to an article published in Environmental Health Perspectives in 2020. The research was funded with a grant from the Kansas Health Foundation.

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