Statistical epidemiology
Encyclopedia
Statistical epidemiology is an emerging branch of the disciplines of epidemiology
and biostatistics
that aims to:
has had enormous growth, particularly with charity and government funding. Many researchers have been trained to conduct studies, requiring multiple skills ranging from liaising with clinical staff to the statistical analysis of complex data, such as using Bayesian methods. The role of a Statistical Epidemiologist is to bring the most appropriate methods available to bear on observational study
from medical research, requiring a broad appreciation of the underpinning methods and their context of applicability and interpretation.
The earliest mention of this phrase was in an article by Wilson EB (Cancer 1963;16:510-5 http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/112661763/ABSTRACT?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0), taking a critical look at the way in which statistical methods were developing and being applied in the science of epidemiology.
, operations research
, computer science
, economics
, biology
, and mathematics
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
and biostatistics
Biostatistics
Biostatistics is the application of statistics to a wide range of topics in biology...
that aims to:
- Bring more statistical rigour to bear in the field of epidemiologyEpidemiologyEpidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
- Recognise the importance of applied statisticsStatisticsStatistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
, especially with respect to the context in which statistical methods are appropriate and inappropriate - Aid and improve our interpretation of observations
Introduction
The science of epidemiologyEpidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
has had enormous growth, particularly with charity and government funding. Many researchers have been trained to conduct studies, requiring multiple skills ranging from liaising with clinical staff to the statistical analysis of complex data, such as using Bayesian methods. The role of a Statistical Epidemiologist is to bring the most appropriate methods available to bear on observational study
Observational study
In epidemiology and statistics, an observational study draws inferences about the possible effect of a treatment on subjects, where the assignment of subjects into a treated group versus a control group is outside the control of the investigator...
from medical research, requiring a broad appreciation of the underpinning methods and their context of applicability and interpretation.
The earliest mention of this phrase was in an article by Wilson EB (Cancer 1963;16:510-5 http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/112661763/ABSTRACT?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0), taking a critical look at the way in which statistical methods were developing and being applied in the science of epidemiology.
Academic recognition
There are two Professors of Statistical Epidemiology in the United Kingdom (University of Leeds and Imperial College, London) and a Statistical Epidemiology group (Oxford University).Related fields
Statistical epidemiology draws upon quantitative methods from fields such as: statisticsStatistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
, operations research
Operations research
Operations research is an interdisciplinary mathematical science that focuses on the effective use of technology by organizations...
, computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
, economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, and mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
External links
- The International Biometric Society
- The American Statistical Association
- The Royal Statistical Society
- The Biostatistics Collaboration of Australia