Biostatistics

Staff of the Biostatistics Unit conduct methodological research investigating statistical issues arising from practical problems in health research, are involved in numerous collaborative epidemiological and clinical research projects within and external to SPHPM, and are actively involved in the School's teaching programs in biostatistics, clinical research and public health.

Contained within the Biostatistics Unit is the Biostatistical Consulting Platform, subsidised by the Monash Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences and The Alfred Hospital. The Platform provides a consultation and advice service for Monash researchers located across FMNHS Schools and Departments, to Alfred Hospital researchers, and to other hospitals, institutes and health service groups.

Staff

Head of Unit: Professor Andrew Forbes PhD
Professor Rory Wolfe PhD
Professor Michael Bailey PhD
Associate Professor Arul Earnest PhD
Associate Professor Stephane Heritier PhD
Associate Professor John Reynolds PhD
Dr Baki Billah PhD
Dr Jessica Kasza PhD
Dr Sam Brilleman PhD
Dr Cathy Martin PhD
Dr Eldho Paul PhD
Ms Catherine Smith MSc
Ms Pam Simpson BSc (Hons)

Biostatistical Research Areas

The research interests of Biostatistics Unit staff include:

  • Cluster randomised trial design and analysis
  • Risk prediction modelling
  • Methods for missing data
  • Causal inference methods
  • Methods for longitudinal studies with time-varying exposures
  • Exposure measurement error
  • Interrupted time series methods
  • Adaptive clinical trial designs
  • Robust statistics
  • Spatio-temporal modelling
  • Classification trees and random forests
  • Forecasting
  • Design and analysis of clinical trials in oncology
  • Joint modelling of longitudinal and time-to-event data
  • Methods for comparisons of healthcare provider performance

Teaching/Education

The teaching activities of the Biostatistics Unit include undergraduate teaching in the Bachelor of Health Sciences and Biomedical Science courses, and postgraduate teaching in the Master of Public Health and Master of Clinical Research. Staff of the Unit also coordinate three units in the Master of Biostatistics offered through Monash University in conjunction with the Biostatistics Collaboration of Australia. In addition, the Unit runs a number of short courses in biostatistics for public health and clinical researchers and in the Victorian Centre for Biostatistics (ViCBiostat) Summer School.