The national shortage of biostatisticians continues to grow and new applications for biostatistics continue to increase. In 2010 the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that employment of statisticians would increase by 14% from 2010 to 2020, as fast as the average for all occupations. Some examples include (a) increased access to Big Data from health records to human genomics requiring biostatisticians to play a critical role in developing new analytical methods; (b) increased emphasis on clinical and translational research with an accompanying need for designing studies and testing the newly developed interventions; (c) the advent of precision medicine (patient tailored interventions) and associated small data design and analytic challenges; and (d) Patient Centered Outcomes Research requiring analytic support for comparative effectiveness research and causal analyses. To help address the shortage of biostatisticians, University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health (UTHSC-SPH) Department of Biostatistics seeks renewal of its successful NIGMS predoctoral T32 training grant in Biostatistics. The mission of the training program is to recruit, retain, and graduate well trained PhD Biostatisticians with an emphasis on training and mentoring underrepresented minorities from diverse scientific backgrounds. We plan to recruit three new pre-doctoral trainees per year to the program and provide each trainee with up to three years of support. Trainees will be early in their doctoral training with a mix of previous training in statistical or mathematical disciplines or biological sciences with some mathematical training. Trainees will be allowed up to three years of support. Since the training grant's inception in July 2006, 15 students have participated in the program, including 5 underrepresented minorities. Five students completed their PhDs, and an additional seven have passed their qualifying examinations and have started their dissertations. Trainees receive in-depth training in statistical theory and application to public health. Students choose additional electives from methods in high-dimensional data analysis i.e.,aspects of Big Data analytics, statistical genetics, and/or clinical trials methodology. Trainees must also take courses in a minor and breadth outside of Biostatistics. Within the UTHSC-SPH trainees have access to courses in genetics, epidemiology, behavioral sciences and/or health policy. Across the Health Science Center trainees can take courses in basic and clinical studies and in computing methods in bioinformatics. Trainees can obtain additional mathematical training at Rice University. Trainees obtain research experience within the Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials, the Human Genetics Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the UTHSC medical center, other medical centers within the general Health Science Center, and can participate in summer interships with the National Aeronautics and Space Association (NASA), and pharmaceutical companies.
This training program addresses the national shortage of biostatisticians, particularly underrepresented minorities, to work in medicine and public health. Biostatisticians develop new statistical tools to use the large amount of information available from such sources as medical imaging, human genetics, and electronic medical records. Biostatisticians design and conduct clinical trials to bring effective new treatments to patients.
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