Biomedical research is becoming more complex with an ever-increasing volume of data (for example clinical
data repositories, genomic or tissue data banks), the need to link data from disparate sources, and the
increasing complexity of research design. Biostatistics and biostatisticians play a key role within biomedical
research as a field of academic study concerned with development of the theory and methodology of data
analysis and data science, and their sound application in medicine and health. This was recognized by the
journal Science, which recently established a Statistics Board of Reviewing Editors in recognition of the basic
role statistics and biostatistics play in scientific research, especially in medicine and health, and to ensure that
published manuscripts meet rigorous statistical standards. A number of human and animal health journals,
including the British Medical Journal, Epidemiology, and the Journal of Addiction Medicine, among many
others, also count statistics editors among their editorial board members to help them “do a better job of
demonstrating ‘how useful information can be extracted from difficult data’.” Most high-impact health and
human research journals require authors to obtain the input of biostatisticians as part of the submission
process. Accordingly, biostatisticians must have a comprehensive understanding of the clinical/scientific context
of the research in addition to their mastery of statistical methods and sound data science. A recent US study
reported that the number of biostatistics faculty of a university is positively associated with the amount of NIH
awards. As a result, universities with strong biostatistics departments/groups such as the University of
Washington and the Harvard School of Public Health account for larger and larger portions of NIH
funds/grants. Indeed, many granting agencies require a biostatistician as a co-applicant, or at least to have
collaborated, in the submission of a proposal. This training network will play a key role here and will
facilitate statistical leadership in health science collaborations.
Benefits to Partners
This training network aims to bring benefit community partners. For example, Alberta Health Services (AHS)
requires biostatisticians with advanced skillsets in the design of medical and health studies and the analysis of
the resulting data. The establishment of a centre for biostatistics will allow data scientists at the University of
Calgary and AHS to work together in advancing data science across the province. AHS also provides an ideal
venue for internships and job opportunities for graduates in biostatistics, given our mutual interest in highly
qualified biostatisticians. Further, Alberta’s Health Research and Innovation Strategy includes the training of
highly skilled people in disciplines who will contribute to platforms such as clinical trials programs, biobanks,
an “Alberta Genomics for Health” plan, among others, and will build Alberta’s health informatics capability.
These government initiatives, adopted by funding agencies such as Alberta Innovates: Health Solutions, will
require investment in and development of biostatistical support to ensure that the University of Calgary has
world-class research-intensive capability in biomedical research.
The collaboration with University of British Columbia – Okanagan (UBC)
extends these benefits to additional community partners in British Columbia (B.C.) as well as strengthens our ties.
The BC Cancer Agency is establishing closer research ties with UBC-O, and biostatistics is a key area that has
been identified as the agency attempts to improve health outcomes using the large amounts of data it is
confronted with. Leveraging statistical resources on the UBC-O and Calgary campuses leads to
improvements in how these data are analyzed. Furthermore, because of the nature of the UBC-O statistics
group and its close connections with medical physics, new areas for joint research along the interface of
biostatistics and medical physics are envisioned. A number of projects involving quality assurance related to
imaging have been initiated. Training programs in R, quality assurance, clinical trials, longitudinal modelling
and other areas of biostatistics will be important as this research progresses.
Career Prospects
Biostatisticians, with their expertise in the development and application of sophisticated statistical methods,
play critical roles in the design of health and medical studies and the analysis of complex data arising from
such studies. Additionally, the human and animal health industries employ a large number of biostatisticians.
The demand for biostatistical expertise is so great that Fortune magazine declared a PhD in Statistics and an
MSc in Biostatistics as the best two graduate degrees for jobs in 2015.
The Training Network
In recognition of the clear need and opportunity, we have established the Rocky Mountain Data Science
Training Network (RMDSTN). The RMDSTN brings together researchers, clinicians, health scientists and members from a
number of health organizations that will stimulate innovation through collaboration and the cross-pollination of
ideas. These interdisciplinary collaborations will advance health research through the application of the most
appropriate analytical methods as well as advance the development of methodological methods to meet the
research needs of the health community.
Biostatistics graduate students who participate in the RMDSTN internship training program will gain hands-on
experience in the application of statistical methods and study designs that build on and complement their
formal training. They will learn both the art and science of biostatistics and develop important communication,
project and time management skills. Doctoral students will also learn how to identify methodological problems
suitable for their own research program; solutions that will impact health research by addressing limitations in
existing approaches.
The RMDSTN is a natural progression of the collective activities of all biostatisticians at the University of
Calgary – the University of Calgary Biostatistics Centre ( UCBC ) as well as the statistical and medical physics
activities at UBC-O. Since the summer of 2014, this UCBC group of over
25 biostatisticians has been successful in achieving a number of important research and educational goals: (1)
cross-listing of graduate courses in applied biostatistics in the faculties of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing,
Kinesiology, Science and Cumming School of Medicine; (2) creation of thesis-based degree programs in
Biostatistics (Master’s, Doctoral) to be offered in the Departments of Community Health Sciences and
Mathematics and Statistics in the Fall of 2017; and (3) organization of three one-day biostatistics workshops
on the topics of missing and incomplete data, causal inference and longitudinal data analysis. Current
activities of this group are: (1) creation of a non-thesis Master’s program in Biostatistics (new graduate
program); (2) summer school in Biostatistics; and (3) networking group for consulting and collaborating UCBC
members. On the other side of the Rockies, statisticians have been collaborating actively with medical
physicists and computer scientists and are pursuing an increasing number of projects at the BC Cancer
Agency.
The RMDSTN is a critical component in our commitment to provide educational programs of excellence in
Biostatistics and to substantially expand our collaborations in health research. These integrated goals will
result in methodological innovations, improvements and even transformations in health care and development
of the next generation of biostatisticians who are research-ready.
