MaryLena Bleile, Ph.D
Statistician
Welcome to my website! I am a Canadian statistician based in New York City. I am interested in the design of Bayesian and mixed models, as well as [Causal] Reinforcement Learning; I am currently on sabbatical writing a technical book under contract with CRC press. Previously I served as a biomarker study statistician at Sanofi, and have also had the pleasure of working in the Epi/Bio department at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center as well as the AI and Automation lab at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Most of my work involves the application and development of Bayesian models and Reinforcement Learning.
Animation by Grant Sanderson
Feel free to add me on LinkedIn, or to send an inquiry through the fillable seminar request form on this page. I am also accepting selected part-time contract roles through my partner, TechData Service LLC.
My forthcoming book on Optimal Control Using Causal Agents outlines the deep mathematical synergy between Causal Inference and Reinforcement Learning, which have largely remained in their respective silos with few cross-citations between them. The book is estimated to be in press around May 2027, and will be presented at various conferences throughout 2026. See the "Book" tab for more info.
When I'm not doing statistics, you can usually find me on the mat doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or Judo, or lifting weights at the gym.
Photography by Anthony Batista