New Framework for Health Policy Evaluation: Target Trial Emulation Enhances Accuracy in Nonexperimental Studies
In Annals of Internal Medicine, Nicholas Seewald, PhD, introduces a framework for target trial emulation, enabling researchers to evaluate health policies with the rigor of clinical trials in nonexperimental studies.
Community Spotlight: Alisa Stephens Shields, PhD
Alisa Stephens Shields, PhD serves as an Associate Professor in the Biostatistics division of the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, and is recognized for her collaboration and impactful leadership in the realms of health, statistical education, and inclusion in the field.
Dr. Stephens Shields Honored with 2024 Myrto Lefkopoulou Distinguished Lectureship
Alisa Stephens Shields, PhD, Associate Professor of Biostatistics, was selected by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to receive the 2024 Myrto Lefkopoulou Distinguished Lectureship.
Dr. Michael Harhay Highlights the Growing Impact of Bayesian Statistics on Clinical Research
Michael Harhay, PhD, MPH, co-authors "Bayesian Statistics for Clinical Research" in The Lancet, comparing Bayesian and frequentist methods and highlighting the growing accessibility and impact of Bayesian analysis in medical research.
Sharon Xiangwen Xie, PhD
Dr. Xie’s current research goals are twofold. First, she continues to develop new statistical methods for survival analysis, missing data, measurement error problems, high dimensional data, biomarker evaluations, and longitudinal […]
Wei (Peter) Yang, PhD
Dr. Yang’s methodological research includes causal inference, functional data analysis and dynamic risk prediction. He is also interested in collaborative research in chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease and pharmacoepidemiology.
Jiayin Zheng, PhD
Dr. Zheng is an assistant professor of Biostatistics. His research focuses on the development of novel statistical methods to address important scientific problems, and the application of sound statistical approaches […]
Justine Shults, PhD
Dr. Shults is currently the principal investigator of the NIH-funded project “Longitudinal Analysis for Diverse Populations” (R01CA096885). Her work on this project involves quasi-least squares (QLS) and is based on […]
Alisa J. Stephens Shields, PhD›
Dr. Stephens Shields is an Associate Professor of Biostatistics. Her research is focused on extensions and innovative applications of causal inference approaches to enhance the design and analysis of clinical […]
Mary E. Putt, PhD, ScD
Dr. Putt is a translational scientist, whose goal is to both bring state-of-the-art statistical methodologies to the design and analysis of biomedical research studies, and to adapt/develop methodologies to meet […]
Douglas E. Schaubel, PhD
Dr. Schaubel’s methodologic research interests mostly involve survival analysis and the analysis of recurrent event data. His more recent methodology has been at the intersection of causal inference and survival […]
Nicholas J. Seewald, PhD
Nicholas J. Seewald, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, Dr. Seewald […]
Sunni Mumford, PhD
Dr. Mumford is renowned for her research on modifiable dietary and lifestyle factors affecting reproductive health, which has informed guidelines for women, men, and couples. Her work uses couples-based approaches […]
Alexis Ogdie, MD, MSCE
Dr. Ogdie’s research is focused on inflammatory arthritis (IA) including psoriatic arthritis (PsA), axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The mission of her research program is to improve outcomes […]
Yimei Li, PhD
Dr. Li’s methodology research interests include clinical trial design, survival analysis, longitudinal data analysis, and statistical methods for health services research. Her earlier research focused on survival analysis, specifically statistical […]
Yun Li, PhD
Yun Li, PhD is Associate Professor of Biostatistics in the Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics (DBEI), and a faculty member at […]
Kristin A. Linn, PhD
Dr. Linn’s methodological research addresses barriers to incorporating complex, high-dimensional data into models for personalized medicine and biomarker development using neuroimaging data. As a co-investigator, she provides biostatistical leadership on […]
Qi Long, PhD
Dr. Long’s research purposefully includes novel statistical and machine learning research and impactful biomedical research, each of which reinforces the other. Its thrust is to develop statistical and machine learning […]
Peter A. Merkel, MD, MPH
Dr. Merkel is the Chief of Rheumatology and a Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Merkel is an internationally recognized research and clinical expert in vasculitis, […]
Todd A. Miano, PharmD, PhD
Dr. Miano is a critical care pharmacist and epidemiologist whose work aims to reduce harm from adverse drug events in acutely ill patients. His research focuses on understanding the determinants […]
Knashawn H. Morales, ScD
Knashawn H. Morales received her Bachelor’s in Mathematics in 1995 from Hampton University and received a doctorate in Biostatistics in 2001 from Harvard School of Public Health. After two years […]
Jesse Yenchih Hsu, PhD
Dr. Hsu’s statistical research focuses on methods for observational studies and causal inference. He has specific interests in survival analysis, longitudinal data analysis, inverse probability treatment weighting, and the potential […]
Wei-Ting Hwang, PhD
Dr. Hwang’s research is focused on statistical methods for early-phase oncology trials; analysis of survival, longitudinal and spatial data; and the discovery and evaluation of cancer biomarkers. She has extensive […]
Steven M. Kawut, MD, MS
The focus of Dr. Kawut’s research group is the role of the pulmonary vasculature and right-ventricular function in health and disease. His group leads or contributes to epidemiologic studies and […]
Brendan J. Kelly, MD, MSCE
Brendan J. Kelly, MD, MS, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology & Microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania, where he works as an infectious diseases physician and molecular epidemiologist. […]
Jeffrey Stephen Gerber, MD, PhD, MSCE
Jeffrey S. Gerber, MD, PhD, is Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Epidemiology, Attending Physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Associate Chief Clinical Research officer […]
James Guevara, MD, MPH
James Guevara, MD, MPH, is a Professor of Pediatrics & Epidemiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and an attending physician at the Children’s Hospital […]
Michael Harhay, PhD, MPH
Dr. Michael Harhay specializes in the statistical design, analysis, and interpretation of large randomized trials and cohort studies. At Penn, he oversees a broad research portfolio, including serving as the […]
Joel M Gelfand, MD, MSCE
Joel M. Gelfand MD MSCE is the James J. Leyden Professor of Clinical Investigation, and Professor (with tenure) of Dermatology and Epidemiology, Director (co-founding) of the Center for Clinical Sciences […]
Jordana Cohen, MD, MSCE
Dr. Cohen’s primary research interest is in the area of hypertension. Her research program focuses on better understanding physiology-driven pharmacologic effects of antihypertensive medications in complex and high-risk disease states […]
Susan S. Ellenberg, PhD
Dr. Ellenberg’s research interests have focused on issues in the design and analysis of clinical trials, and on assessment of medical product safety. Particular areas of interest include efficient trial […]
Rui Feng, PhD
Ongoing Methodological Research: Dr. Feng’s current research focuses on exploring and improving the potential of deep learning methodologies, for structured input variables in biomedical research. Her recent development of the […]
Richard Aplenc, MD, PhD, MSCE
Dr. Aplenc is a Professor of Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics with a secondary appointment in the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics. His research focus is in pediatric […]
Meenakshi Bewtra, MD, PhD, MPH
Dr. Bewtra is a clinical epidemiologist whose research has focused on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) for more than a decade. She has investigated IBD’s natural history, outcomes and related medication […]
Warren B. Bilker, PhD
Dr. Bilker’s methodological research focuses on pharmacoepidemiology, survival analysis, psychiatric methods and correlated data. His primary applied research interests are in schizophrenia and in the analysis of pharmacoepidemiology data using […]
Gregory P. Bisson, MD, MSCE
Dr. Bisson is committed to using clinical and translational research to answer important questions in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and tuberculosis (TB); he focuses primarily on the application of […]
The Pre-medical Cancer Immunotherapy Network for Canine Trials (PRECINCT) renewed for another five years
Qi Long, PhD and Nicola Mason, B.Vet.Med, PhD received a new five year U24 grant from NIH/NCI to continue leading the Coordinating Center for the Pre-medical Cancer Immunotherapy Network for […]
Stroke, Clot Risk Halved in Patients with Heart Disease and Arrhythmia Who Took Blood Thinners Apixaban Versus Rivaroxaban
A difference in the effectiveness against strokes and other blood clots was easily visible in the first year among patients who’d taken the anticoagulant apixaban rather than rival rivaroxaban, according […]
Penn Research Finds Psoriasis Medication Leads to Fat Loss
First study author, Joel M. Gelfand, MD, MSCE, and the investigators discovered that apremilast (brand name Otezla), which has helped psoriasis patients achieve clearer skin and ease the symptoms of their psoriatic arthritis, could […]
False Alarm? Critical Antibiotic Combination Used for Millions of Patients May Not Carry a Previously Reported Risk
Patients come to a hospital nearly 36 million times each year in the US, and antibiotics are often part of the picture: One large study showed that clinicians prescribed them […]
The Latest on Paxlovid
In a review of current facts about the antiviral drug Paxlovid, Susan Ellenberg, PhD, comments on Pfizer’s unusual release of interim results during an ongoing clinical trial. Read the article […]
Can Pandemic Pressure Change Clinical Trials From Now On?
“We may have underestimated our ability to pivot and change rapidly,” Peter Merkel, M D, MPH, comments about the many ways Covid-19 has reshaped the way we conduct clinical trials ” […]
The Delicate Balance of Pregnancy Research
“Pregnant women CAN drink coffee – it could even slash risk of disease for mum and baby,” proclaimed a headline in the English paper The Sun about a recent study […]
New in JAMA: Some Cancer Patients More Likely to Receive Immunotherapy, Despite Lack of Benefits
Rebecca Hubbard, PhD, and Qi Long, PhD, are co-authors on this new JAMA Oncology paper that finds solid-tumor cancer patients ineligible for clinical trials receive immunotherapy at greater rates — […]
Breast Cancer Diagnosis in the ‘Between’ Year: Body Mass Index Matters
Although mammography reduces breast cancer mortality by 15 to 20 percent, the diagnosis in many cases — approximately 15 percent of all breast cancers — occurs after a patient has […]
Patients with Chronic Non-Cancer Pain: Adding to the Options for Relief
While many studies have looked at how to limit patients to a short course of opioids, few have examined the other side of the issue: Are there some patients for […]
Unpacking the Facts About Vaccine Effectiveness
Susan Ellenberg, PhD, said that by the time most participants were vaccinated, there was less COVID-19 going around ” possibly making the vaccines seem a bit more effective than they […]
Vaccine Safety and Risk
Susan Ellenberg, PhD, sorted out recent news about COVID-19 vaccines, and how the public can evaluate various facts. Listen to the Stats + Stories podcast
Not a Catch-All
Susan Ellenberg, PhD, said some reports of post-vaccination symptoms may actually be unrelated to the COVID-19 vaccine. “Vaccines protect against one thing: the infection or the infection plus disease,” she […]
On the Ground Strategies
“When you have the whole world working on something at the same time “the evidence evolves fast,” Meghan Brooks Lane-Fall, MD, MSHP, FCCM, commented about COVID-19 care. “Every time I […]
New paper on eliminating survivor bias in IV
Eliminating survivor bias in two-stage instrumental variable estimators. Vansteelandt S, Walter S, Tchetgen Tchetgen E. Link Mendelian randomization studies commonly focus on elderly populations. This makes the instrumental variables analysis […]