CV

Work experience

Data Scientist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — Atlanta, GA
Feb 2024 – Present

• Leads development of advanced R-based analytic pipelines and functions to summarize and visualize global polio surveillance data.
• Leads working groups with WHO/CDC epidemiologists to manage and execute global surveillance projects.
• Optimizes key performance indicator code and streamlines data review processes through standardized analytic functions and version control.
• Migrates local analysis workflows to the cloud, automating ETL processes and leveraging Apache Spark and Databricks for big data analytics.
• Serves as lead developer in the Democratic Republic of Congo, automating immunization campaign setup and data management for the Ministry of Health.
• Conducts systematic reviews of polio eradication performance across multiple countries and provides technical support for analytic code.
• Performs software quality assurance testing, implements enhancements via GitHub, and conducts code reviews.
• Ensures data accuracy through extensive QA on case counts, GIS files, and vaccine coverage data.
• Develops documentation, R packages, and training materials, and presents new tools to CDC teams.
• Applies Agile methodology using Jira and GitHub Projects.

Epidemiologist, New Jersey Department of Health — Trenton, NJ
Jun 2021 – Sep 2023

• Led a cross-functional team in automating data workflows using Python, SQL, and Tableau, creating real-time disease dashboards.
• Designed and launched New Jersey’s tick surveillance program, establishing statewide data collection protocols in alignment with CDC standards.
• Coordinated activities among county partners, managed budgets, and trained field and laboratory staff.
• Conducted analyses of large vector-borne disease datasets using R to generate actionable public health insights.
• Developed QA processes and automated weekly vector-borne disease surveillance reports.
• Authored state and national reports, enhancing understanding of disease trends among stakeholders.

Graduate Research Assistant, Cornell University — Ithaca, NY
Aug 2019 – May 2021

• Investigated behavioral risk factors for tick bites using PCA, logistic regression, and other statistical methods.
• Managed survey data collection and analysis, ensuring research alignment with project objectives.
• Applied unsupervised machine learning to assess protective behaviors and risk perception in public health contexts.

Undergraduate Research Assistant, University of Maryland — College Park, MD
Oct 2016 – May 2019

• Conducted independent research on mosquito reproduction and host blood effects.
• Utilized R for statistical analysis and Git for version control to ensure reproducibility.

Education

Cornell University M.S. in Entomology: Vector-Borne Disease Biology

University of Maryland B.S. in Biological Sciences, High Honors in Entomology

Professional development

University of Pennsylvania — Aug 2023–Aug 2025
Took coursework focused in software development and computer science foundations as part of the Masters in Computer and Information Technology curriculum (no degree granted)

CSTE Data Science Team Training Program, Coursera — Jan–Sep 2023
Focused on project management, data science, linear algebra, and ethics

Data Scientist in Python, Dataquest — Aug 2023
Developed proficiency in Python, visualization, machine learning, and SQL

Skills

Programming: R, Python, SQL
Developer Tools: Bash, Git, GitHub, Visual Studio, PyCharm, RStudio
Data Tools: Tableau, QGIS, Apache Spark, Posit Workbench, Azure Data Explorer
Core Competencies: Statistical modeling, automation, data visualization, machine learning, data cleaning, API integration
Management: Project design, Agile methods, Jira, cross-functional collaboration, technical communication

Publications

The first record of an established population of Amblyomma maculatum (Acari: Ixodidae) in New Jersey, USA

Musnoff BL, Cuadera MKQ, Birney MR, Zipper L, Nicholson W, Ayres B, Cervantes K, Woell D, Occi JL. The first record of an established population of Amblyomma maculatum (Acari: Ixodidae) in New Jersey, USA. J Med Entomol. 2024 Jul 12;61(4):1081-1085. doi: 10.1093/jme/tjae056. Erratum in: J Med Entomol. 2024 Jul 12;61(4):1091. doi: 10.1093/jme/tjae076. PMID: 38712431.

Enhancing Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus Surveillance in New Jersey: Optimized Collection of Culiseta melanura

Fagre AC, Soto RA, Magleby R, Cuadera MKQ, Sun A, Cervantes K, Crans SC, Panella NA, Kenney JL, Angelus A, Burkhalter KL, Woell D, Horiuchi K, Biggerstaff BJ, Staples JE, Connelly R, Martin SW, Komar N. Enhancing Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus Surveillance in New Jersey: Optimized Collection of Culiseta melanura. J Am Mosq Control Assoc. 2024 Jun 1;40(2):92-101. doi: 10.2987/23-7148. PMID: 38587266.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices influence tick bite prevention and control practices among residents of Long Island, New York, USA

Cuadera MKQ, Mader EM, Safi AG, Harrington LC. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices for tick bite prevention and tick control among residents of Long Island, New York, USA. Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2023 May;14(3):102124. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102124. Epub 2023 Jan 18. PMID: 36764054.

Epidemiologic and Clinical Features of Children and Adolescents Aged <18 Years with Monkeypox - United States, May 17-September 24, 2022

Hennessee I, Shelus V, McArdle CE, et al. Epidemiologic and Clinical Features of Children and Adolescents Aged <18 Years with Monkeypox — United States, May 17–September 24, 2022. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022;71:1407–1411. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7144a4.

Portfolio

rdcAVS

Shiny app to automate setup and monitor vaccination campaigns in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

sirfunctions

R package for using cleaned global polio data from WHO, create visualizations, and calculate key performance indicators.

tidypolis

R package for cleaning and preparing global polio data from the WHO POLIS system.

Vector-Borne Disease Dashboard

Dashboard showing trends of vector-borne diseases as well as mosquito/tick activity in New Jersey.

RSVP website for wedding

As a brother with tech skills, I suppose making a website for my sister’s wedding was the least I could do.