Sakshi Sharma: Shaping Healthcare with Data
“My own path from analytics to healthcare and neuroscience research has reinforced one lesson; the best data scientists don’t just find patterns. They create evidence that moves decisions forward.”
By Amari Andrews
Sakshi Sharma (MS ‘17) wanted to be a part of an academic culture where strong quantitative training and real-world problem solving came together to make her question beyond what happened and why. So when it came down to picking a university to pursue her master’s degree, she knew UNC Charlotte was the place to go.
When asked about her experience as a Niner, Sakshi described her time as analytical, transformational and impactful.
“UNC Charlotte taught me to go beyond analyzing data. I learned to translate it into evidence that can solve real-world problems, inform healthcare decisions, and ultimately improve patient care. That foundation ultimately helped me build a career at the intersection of data science, healthcare, and research.”
Sakshi began attending UNC Charlotte during spring 2016, and graduated in May 2017 with a MS in Data Science and Business Analytics. She is currently working towards a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) from Tulane University, with an expected graduation date in 2027. All while maintaining a Senior Health Informatics Researcher position at Ochsner Health.
“I was drawn to Data Science because it allows us to move beyond asking ‘What happened’ to asking ‘Why did it happen’, ‘what is likely to happen next’ and ‘what should we do about it.” said Sakshi. She is especially interested in the healthcare industry.
“I became especially passionate about data science when I saw its potential in healthcare. Healthcare generates enormous amounts of data, but data alone doesn’t improve care. The opportunity is in transforming that data into evidence that clinicians, researchers, and healthcare leaders can act on. That idea has guided my career ever since.”
At Ochsner Health, Sakshi serves as a Senior Health Informatics Researcher within Neurosciences, where she partners with clinicians and investigators on research stretching from cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), advanced 3D modeling, neurological outcomes, dementia and value-based care.
“My work focuses on turning complex clinical and real-world data into evidence that advances research, informs healthcare decisions and improves patient care,” says Sakshi. “One of my published dementia studies demonstrated approximately $475.80 lower healthcare costs per-member, per-month, and a 5.85 return on investment. My research has also been published in outlets such as “The American Journal of Managed Care,” “NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery” and “Ochsner Journal.”
To current data science students, Sakshi says “learn the tools, but become known for the problems you can solve. Technology will keep changing. What will differentiate you is your ability to ask the right question, understand the context behind the data and turn analysis into action.