Founded in 2002, the Graduate Group in Biostatistics is an interdisciplinary program that brings together 39 faculty and researchers from across UC Davis campus. Our faculty work with scientists in the medical, veterinary medical, agricultural, environmental and biological sciences, creating an ideal climate in which to introduce Biostatistics students to a high level of interdisciplinary research.
Learn about our M.S. and Ph.D. programs
- What is Biostatistics?
- Biostatistics is a field of science that uses math and data to solve problems in the life sciences. Biostatisticians create methodology and models for understanding data at many levels, from genes and cells to entire populations.
Core problems and methodologies in Biostatistics include:
• Survival Analysis
• Clinical Trials
• Longitudinal Studies
• Generalized Linear Models
• Dose-Response and Estimating Equations
• Mixed and Random Effects Modeling
• Analysis of Molecular Sequence Data
• Statistical methodology of Bioinformatics. - What research areas are represented in our Graduate Group?
- Our Graduate Group brings together 39 faculty researchers from widely varying backgrounds and departments across UC Davis campus, including:
• Animal Science
• Computer Science
• Evolution and Ecology
• Molecular and Cell Biology
• Pediatrics
• Plant Sciences
• Population Health and Reproduction
• Psychology
• Public Health Sciences
• Statistics
• Veterinary Medicine
In addition, our faculty pursue a diverse range of research areas:
• Bioinformatics
• Cancer biomarkers and screening
• Community-based health policy
• Computational biology
• Environmental health
• Genetics/Genomics
• Health informatics
• Livestock health
• Personalized medicine
• Quantitative epidemiology
• And many others!
Notable current methodological interests and strengths of the UC Davis Biostatistics faculty include:
• Survival Analysis (especially Nonparametric and Multivariate Approaches and Applications in Aging and Medicine)
• Statistical Methods for Epidemiology (including Observational Studies, Meta-Analysis and Screening Tests)
• Longitudinal Data Analysis (including Time Series models, hierarchical models, GEE, public health and medical applications)
• Statistical Methods for Environmental Research
• Analysis of Biological Shapes, Trajectories and Directions
• Sampling in Biological and Medical Designs
• Generalized Linear Models, Bioassay and Kinetic Modeling
• Categorical Data Analysis and Model Selection in the Life Sciences
• Statistical Methods for Genetics, Genetic Epidemiology and Bioinformatics - Our Graduate Program
We offer both a Master's and Ph.D. in Biostatistics. The UC Davis campus, with its top-rated programs and emphasis in the biological, environmental, agricultural and medical sciences, provides an unmatched opportunity for training and research in biostatistics. In addition to solid training in the mathematical and statistical foundations of Biostatistics, students also obtain basic training in biology and practical experience to work with researchers in the life sciences and medicine, preparing them for careers in a wide range of fields.
Students in the program receive:
• Strong training in biostatistical theory and methods
• Hands-on experience analyzing real-world data
• Exposure to life sciences such as biology and epidemiology
• Skills in modeling and computing
In addition, the wide range of faculty specialties and research areas give students access to many types of research and learning opportunities.- Prospects for Graduates
Currently opportunities for both Ph.D. and Master's in Biostatistics are excellent. There is a nationwide shortage of Biostatisticians at the M.S. and Ph.D. levels. Positions are available in academia (Biostatistics, Statistics, Public Health, Epidemiology, and in the Biological, Medical, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences), in industry (pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food science, nutrition, genome data banks, agribusiness, biochemical, software, statistical consulting, biostatistical and environmental consulting, medical diagnostic and therapeutic technology, medical informatics, medical clinical trials, life insurance, health insurance, health care and HMOs, think tanks, health policy, etc.) and in government (federal agencies such as FDA, Census Bureau, National Biological Survey, National Forest Service, EPA, NIH, CDC and State agencies such as State health offices, State environmental agencies, etc., as well as international agencies such as UNESCO or WHO).
In regard to academic employment, a number of Statistics departments have begun to hire faculty with an orientation towards Biostatistics in recognition of the significance of the research and employability of graduates in this area, and a number of medical and public health schools are in the process of establishing or significantly expanding Biostatistics units. These developments indicate that demand for well trained biostatisticians will stay at the current high level in the foreseeable future.
- Biostatistics and Society
- Biostatistics is a discipline which indirectly affects the life of everybody. Recently, with the creation of huge data bases of genetic and protein sequences, and genetic micro-arrays, a largely unmet need has arisen for sophisticated tools suited to the quantitative analysis of such data. Current medical treatments are selected based on results of clinical trials that are conducted according to biostatistical principles. Risk factors related to behaviors, food, etc., are determined by biostatistical analysis of observational data. Longevity and survival of the oldest-old are studied with biostatistical methods, with consequences for the future of social security and pension systems. Environmental risks are investigated using Biostatistics. Biostatistical methods are used to determine optimal and cost-effective methods of keeping the blood supply free from infectious agents such as HIV, and to determine which cancer treatments are effective and which are not. Our program is broadly based and provides opportunities for research and training in these areas through the assembled faculty.
- Historical Development of Biostatistics
The field of Biostatistics originated in the 1920's in England, emphasizing agricultural and genetic aspects. Early topics and successes were centered on basic statistical tests, regression analysis, the analysis of variance and experimental design. After WWII, the emphasis in Biostatistics shifted to medical applications, with the methodology of clinical trials at the forefront. The epochal introduction of clinical trials as a research tool has altered the course of clinical research dramatically.
Research on clinical trials methodology triggered the development of randomization tests and sequential testing schemes in the 1970s, culminating in the movement towards evidence-based medicine in the 1990s. These impressive breakthroughs were paralleled by the development of biostatistical methods for observational data, including statistical methods for the odds ratio and the Mantel-Haenszel test. Since the 1980's, the sub-field of Survival Analysis, relevant for cancer clinical trials and a host of other medical and biological applications, has become a major discipline within Biostatistics. This development was paralleled by the emergence of Logistic Regression, Generalized Linear Models and the general theory of Estimating Equations. These models and methods have found wide-spread applications in the analysis of observational data, longitudinal data and dose-response analysis.
Currently very active areas of research are bioequivalence, analysis of longitudinal data, curve data analysis and, increasingly, statistical methods for genetics, molecular biology and bioinformatics. Moreover, statistical mainstream techniques are being adapted to address specific problems of the life sciences such as very large and complex data with missing values. Methods for the analysis of spatio-temporal data are being developed for the spread of diseases and for ecological data analysis.
- By-Laws & Operating Procedures
- By-Laws (pdf) - approved 5/17/07
Operating Procedures (pdf) - approved 5/13/07