Anthony Segreti (MS, BIOST ‘75) grew up in Larimer, a tight-knit Pittsburgh neighborhood where families knew struggle but also perseverance, during the height of industrialization in the United States. His father worked long hours as a steelworker at the Christy Parks Works of United States Steel, while his mother managed the household and cared for the family. Money was tight, but discipline, education, and hard work were non-negotiable in their household and those values shaped Segreti’s nearly four-decade-long career in the biopharmaceutical industry.
After graduating from Penn Hills High School, Segreti initially enrolled at Michigan State University but transferred to Pitt after his freshman year. While the switch was due in part to his father’s health problems, moving back home to Pitt wasn’t a downgrade, since he was already familiar with Pitt’s “world-class departments in mathematics and philosophy." He didn’t know at the time where mathematics would lead—but it would eventually take him to the forefront of clinical statistics in cancer therapy, pharmaceutical trials, and academic mentorship.
Drawing on his own experiences growing up without financial privilege, Segreti has championed a scholarship program that opens doors to students facing similar challenges, helping ensure the next generation of biostatisticians can thrive.
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Segreti was first introduced to biostatistics at a career fair on campus during his senior year where he met then faculty member Carol Redmond and future faculty member then student Gary Marsh. After earning his bachelor’s degree in mathematics, Segreti stayed at Pitt for his master’s degree in hygiene with a concentration in biostatistics in large part due to his introduction to the field and the department through that first meeting.
While pursuing his master’s degree, Segreti found excellent teachers and mentors at Pitt Public Health. He learned from people that made complex concepts easy to grasp and brought a hands-on, applied approach to statistical methods, he recalls.
After earning his MS, Segreti continued to Virginia Commonwealth University for a PhD in biostatistics. His dissertation focused on response surface methodology in chemotherapy research, an application that marked the beginning of his long engagement with cancer therapeutics and biostatistical modeling in the pharmaceutical sector.
In 1979, Segreti joined Burroughs Wellcome Co., where he served as director of clinical statistics through 1995. The company’s culture aligned closely with Segreti’s own values. “Research is our only stockholder,” was a refrain he remembered from his time there—an ethos that underscored the role of biostatistics in driving innovation and improving human health.
His career in biopharmaceutical statistics continued through senior leadership roles at GlaxoSmithKline, RTI Health Solutions, Targacept, and ASG, Inc., where he led teams focused on biometrics and statistical programming. He spent the final years of his career in Winston-Salem, NC—fulfilling a promise to his wife not to work further north than Richmond, Virginia. “We are not fond of cold weather,” he noted with a laugh.
Segreti retired in 2014, but “retirement” is something of a misnomer. He was recently named president of the Biopharmaceutical Applied Statistics Symposium (BASS), a 501(c) (3) organization which sponsors an annual symposium and uses the revenue to support graduate students in biostatistics.
Segreti has more than proven that he belongs to the discipline’s top tier. His contributions have left a lasting mark on the field of biostatistics. When asked about the most fulfilling parts of his career, he doesn’t cite titles or accolades, but impact: helping medicines reach the market and making a difference for patients, and staying engaged with a field that has made such a difference in his own life.
“Learning statistical methods is essential,” he advises new statisticians. “But being able to communicate your findings clearly and effectively will maximize your value and enhance your career.”
-Calvin Dziewulski