Why Statisticians are in High Demand…. Statistics Career Day March 12, 2011

Boston University School of Public Health

Why Statisticians are in High Demand….Statistics Career DayMarch 12, 2011

Lisa M. SullivanAssociate Dean for EducationProfessor and Chair, Department of BiostatisticsBoston University School of Public Health

Boston University Slideshow Title Goes Here


Opportunities in Biostatistics

Demand for qualified biostatisticians currently exceeds supply and this is expected to grow

Career options offer flexibility, exciting and rewarding work, opportunities to work with professionals in other disciplines, high job satisfaction, competitive salaries



For Today’s Graduate, Just One Word: Statistics By Steve Lohr, Published: NY Times, August 5, 2009

At Harvard, Carrie Grimes majored in anthropology and archaeology and ventured to places like Honduras, where she studied Mayan settlement patterns by mapping where artifacts were found. But she was drawn to what she calls “all the computer and math stuff” that was part of the job.

Carrie Grimes, senior staff engineer at Google, uses statistical analysis of data to help improve the company's search engine. “People think of field archaeology as Indiana Jones, but much of what you really do is data analysis,” she said. She uses statistical analysis of mounds of data to come up with ways to improve its search engine.



For Today’s Graduate, Just One Word: Statistics

Ms. Grimes is an Internet-age statistician, one of many who are changing the image of the profession as a place for dronish number nerds. They are finding themselves increasingly in demand — and even cool.

“I keep saying that the sexy job in the next 10 years will be statisticians,” said Hal Varian, chief economist at Google. “And I’m not kidding.”

The rising stature of statisticians, who can earn $125,000 at top companies in their first year after getting a doctorate, is a byproduct of the recent explosion of digital data



For Today’s Graduate, Just One Word: Statistics

In field after field, computing and the Web are creating new realms of data to explore — sensor signals, surveillance tapes, social network chatter, public records and more. And the digital data surge only promises to accelerate, rising fivefold by 2012, according to a projection by IDC, a research firm.

The new breed of statisticians tackle these problem. They use powerful computers and sophisticated mathematical models to hunt for meaningful patterns and insights in vast troves of data. The applications are as diverse as improving Internet search and online advertising, culling gene sequencing information for cancer research and analyzing sensor and location data to optimize the handling of food shipments.



What is Biostatistics?

Application of statistical principles to medical, public health and biological applications

Collecting, summarizing, interpreting information and making inferences that appropriately account for uncertainty



Important Questions

What are the causes, prevention and treatment of autism, childhood obesity,

asthma, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease?

Is disease preventable with behavior change and modification of risk factors?

Are new drugs safe and effective? How do genes affect health and longevity?



Biostatisticians are Critical

Design studies Consider ethical implications Work effectively in interdisciplinary teams

Analyze data Interpret results



Understanding Data



Issues for Biostatisticians

Children - Obesity, Immunizations, Asthma, Autism…..

Adolescents – Alcohol & Tobacco Use, Depression, STDs, Traffic Accidents….

Adults – Cancer, CVD, Substance Abuse, HIV/AIDS, Mental Health…

What is #1 killer of men and women in US? What are the risk factors?



The Framingham Heart Study

5000+ men and women enrolled in 1948 Longitudinal cohort study Exams every 2 years for cardiovascular risk

factors - surveillance Ancillary studies – hearing, exercise, nutrition,

neurological studies 5000+ offspring & spouses enrolled in 1976 Third generation enrolled in 2002



Framingham Heart Study



Framingham Study Risk Functions

Risk prediction models Predict likelihood that a person will have coronary heart

disease in the next 10 years Models designed to include risk factors that are

readily available Age, blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, diabetes,

treatment for hypertension & high cholesterol, obesity

Risk Calculator



Boston University Biostatistics



Clinical Trial in Children with Autism

Autism-brain disorder usually diagnosed before age 3 that affects communication, social interaction, and creative play.

Trial to assess the efficacy of drug treatment in reducing repetitive behaviors

Children randomized to receive study drug or placebo



Clinical Trial in Children with Autism

144 children with autism aged 5-17 years followed every 2 weeks for 12 weeks for improvements in repetitive behaviors

Issues Medication compliance Measurement of outcome (child, parent, teacher) Ethical issues



Effect of Alcohol Exposure in Pregnancy on SIDS

Assess relationship between alcohol and SIDS Issues

Measuring alcohol exposure Measuring other environmental risk factors Ethical Issues – e.g., Autopsies

Study of 12,000 pregnant women in Northern Plains and Cape Town



SIDS – Unexplained infant death before 1 year of life

SIDS – 0.57/1000 in US 3.4/1000 in Northern Plains

3.5/1000 in Cape Town

In US – 13% of women report drinking alcohol in pregnancy

58% in Northern Plains 41% in Cape Town



Study Team

Obstetricians Dysmorphologists Psychologists Biostatisticians Physiologists Pathologists



Difficult Issues

Recruiting participants Getting reliable information Managing data Understanding the link between alcohol and SIDS



Biostatisticians at Work

Work with environmental health specialists to identify the health effects of exposure to pollutants and hazardous waste




Work with physicians and epidemiologists to find disease “clusters” and to determine causes of disease

Women with breast cancer, Women free of breast cancer




Work with pharmaceutical companies to determine whether drugs are safe and effective




Work with obstetricians to determine risk factors for poor perinatal outcomes Preterm delivery Low birth weight



South Africa: Cape Point



Safari



Careers

Pharmaceutical Industry – Clinical Trials Medical Research Studies Biotechnology Government Academia Health Insurance



Training/Skills

Mathematics-Statistics-Biostatistics Public Health/Biology Computer Skills Communication Skills Analytic Skills Organizational Skills Attention to Detail Desire to Work on Important Health Problems



Academic Programs at BU (www.bu.edu)

BA in Mathematics/Statistics Minor in Applied Statistics

Summer Institute for Training in Biostatistics (http://sph.bu.edu/sibs)

MA in Biostatistics PhD in Biostatistics

http://sph.bu.edu/sibs

Why Statisticians are in High Demand…. Statistics Career Day March 12, 2011

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