Kristin Henderson

Hi, I’m Kristin, a data scientist based in Leesburg, VA.

I earned a Master of Science in Data Science from Southern Methodist University, and I have 10+ years of experience working with research data, including 4+ years building ML-based tracking and analysis systems at Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).

My work spans statistical modeling, applied machine learning, and GenAI. Recent projects include a decision analysis framework I built for a global brokerage and distribution firm to score the investment potential of emerging consumer brands, and a Retrieval-Augmented Generation pipeline with a contrastive-trained embedding model and a LoRA fine-tuned language model. At HHMI, I build Python pipelines that process 100+ GB/day of video data, and apply machine learning and statistical methods to find patterns in animal behavior.

I also maintain an open-source statistics reference for data science at kdhenderson.github.io/stats-notes-for-ds, which links statistical theory to applied practice.

I came to data science from a background in biological research, with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the Evergreen State College. That background gave me a strong foundation in experimental design, working with messy real-world data, knowing what questions to ask, and communicating technical work clearly.

Take a look at my projects to see this work in more detail, or email me if you’d like to talk.

Outside of work, I volunteer as a Virginia Master Naturalist and spend time hiking, fishing, and walking my dog.