Biostatistics

Biostatistics involves the development and application of statistical methodology to further our understanding of data arising in public health, the health sciences and biology.  Students trained in the theory and practice of biostatistics are highly sought in universities, research hospitals, various governmental organizations and in the private sector such as the pharmaceutical industry.

In the Division of Biostatistics at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, the student receives a deep and broad experience in all aspects of data analysis, mathematical statistics, classical and modern methods in linear and non-linear models, survival analysis, and may choose from a collection of more specialized topics such as Bayesian methods, statistical methods applied to genetics, and computer intensive techniques.

The faculty of the Division currently consists of over 40 members, including many who are based in the local, internationally renowned research institutions and teaching hospitals.  Students in the Division thus benefit from a very diverse range of faculty research areas/interests, including Bayesian methods, bioinformatics, computational biology, clinical trials methodology, cost-effectiveness analysis, health system monitoring and evaluation, hierarchical modeling, longitudinal data analysis, meta-analysis, microarray analysis, optimal experimental design, statistical methods for observational studies, statistical genetics, spatial and temporal models, statistics for neuroimaging data, and survival analysis.

The Division offers MSc and PhD degrees.  All students enjoy, as part of a required two term course, practical training working with practitioners under faculty supervision, typically at surrounding hospitals or research institutes that also provide ample opportunities for research assistantships.

Division Head: Wendy Lou