Medical Statistics and Epidemiology
Our research in Medical Statistics and Epidemiology focusses on the development of novel statistical methodology and the application of this for the assessment and evaluation of healthcare interventions and risk factors at a population level in both randomised and observational studies.
Focussed within Statistics and Epidemiology, the research also includes those in the Clinical Trials Unit, Warwick Evidence and the Department of Statistics.
The main focus of our methodological work is on the design and analysis of randomised clinical trials. We particularly focus on those with adaptive or sequential designs, where the use of interim data to modify the trial leads to a number of challenging statistical problems. We also have interests in causal inference of epidemiological study data, health technology assessment and systematic review methodology and the study of geographical spread of disease.
Areas of application include large multi-centre clinical trials in a range of disease areas and chronic disease epidemiology in developed and developing world settings. A major focus is public health interventions in prevention of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and childhood obesity.
Warwick Medical School has a team of over 30 statisticians and epidemiologists, ranging from junior researchers to senior professors who collaborate widely, ensuring high-quality statistical input across the school. We also provide research support to local NHS researchers through the Warwick hub of the Research Design Service for the West Midlands hosted by WMS. We also have a total of ten Research Degree students with a range of funding including MRC Capacity-building studentships in Mathematics and Statistics.
Current research:
- Work on the design of randomised controlled trials in small populations defined either by a rare disease or a particular characteristic such as a rare genetic biomarker
- Work on the design of sequential multi-arm clinical trials with surrogate endpoints
- Secondary data analysis and systematic reviews risk factors and interventions for cardiovascular disease
- Parameter estimation following use of a sequential or adaptive design for a clinical trial
- Development of methodology for causal inference
Funding:
- NIHR
- MHRA
- €2.3m EU FP7 grant to develop methodology for clinical trials in small populations to start Feb 2014
- MRC Methodology Research Panel grant on surrogate endpoints in adaptive seamless designs
- Joint Cochrane Programme grant for reviews of primary prevention of coronary heart disease Also see note above about funding for trials
Associated academic staff:
- Francesco Cappuccio
- Matthew Costa
- Gill Grimshaw
- Frances Griffiths
- Wolfgang Markham
- Tom Palmer
- Nigel Stallard
- Saverio Stranges
- Andrew Thompson
- Scott Weich
- Wendy Robertson