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Biostatistician Position at UD

Biostatistician Position at UD

Presentation for The College of Health Sciences at University of Delaware for the Biostatistician position.
Given July, 9, 2013

Dr.Pohlig

July 10, 2013
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  1. RYAN T. POHLIG
    JULY 9, 2013
    PRESENTATION FOR BIOSTATISTICIAN
    POSITION
    THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
    COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

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  2. Outline
    n  Background
    ¡  Education
    ¡  Previous Research
    n  Philosophy & Approach
    ¡  As a statistician
    ¡  In life
    n  Role as a Biostatistician
    ¡  Services
    ¡  Policies

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  3. Background

    Graduated December 2012 with my Ph.D. in Research Methodology



    This past spring taught the Business Statistics Sequence at West Chester
    University- Quantitative Business Analysis I & II (Eco251 & Eco252)

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  4. Educational Background
    n  Undergrad University of Scranton
    ¡  Psychology Major
    n  University of Pittsburgh
    ¡  Graduate School of Education
    ¡  Psychology in Education Department
    ¡  Research Methodology Program

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  5. Graduate School
    n  Three areas of focus
    ¡  Research Design
    ¡  Statistics
    ¡  Psychometrics
    n  Majored in Statistics
    ¡  Dissertation used
    Structural Equation
    Modeling (SEM)
    n  Minored in
    Psychometrics

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  6. Applied Statistics
    n  Interest is in applying the quantitative
    methods and statistical models
    ¡  My dissertation examined the performance of
    two methods across a number of conditions for
    estimating latent interaction effects
    ¡  Compared Power & Type I error to see how
    violation of assumptions affected performance
    n  Fortunate enough to work on a number of
    different research projects in a variety of
    fields requiring an array of analyses

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  7. Social Work & Mental Health
    n  A series of grants from Allegheny County Department of
    Human Services Office of Children, Youth, and Families
    n  Evaluated the impact of the various health services the
    county provides and the impact on youth involved in the
    Justice System
    n  A number of different papers and presentations
    ¡  Cluster Analysis
    ¡  Exploratory Factor Analysis
    ¡  SEM (Path Analysis testing mediation)
    ¡  General Estimating Equation (repeated measures logistic
    regression)
    ¡  ANOVA & ANCOVA
    ¡  Propensity Scores Analysis [on going]

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  8. Education
    n  Predicting risk for
    dropping out of
    High School
    ¡  Collected validity
    evidence showing
    Adolescent
    Development
    Screening Inventory
    (ADSI-E) is effective
    in predicting drop outs

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  9. Nursing
    n  Examined relationship between Cytokine
    levels in Pancreatic Cancer patients & their
    quality of life
    ¡  Sequential Regression
    n  IL-6, TNF-alpha significantly positively related to
    quality of life
    n  IL-8, significantly negatively related to quality of life
    n  IL-10, not significantly related to quality of life

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  10. Bioengineering
    n  Examined performance of three manual
    wheelchair propulsion training programs
    ¡  General Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) with a
    Time-Varying Covariate
    ¡  Complex Contrasts
    n  Found the two experimental methods (Multi-
    Media Presentation, and Real-Time feedback)
    were significantly better than the standard training
    (informational materials)

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  11. Equivalence-Clinical Trials
    n  Ran analysis for a Clinical Trial testing a
    joint supplement for rheumatoid arthritis
    ¡  GLMM
    n  No significant difference between Placebo,
    Experimental Supplement, Loading Dose
    Supplement, Glucosamine-Chondroitin

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  12. Epidemiology
    n  Estimated prevalence of
    Diabetes and Metabolic
    Syndrome in young adults
    & in the lean
    ¡  Secondary analyses of a
    national database using
    Complex Survey Design
    (NHANES data)
    ¡  IFG found in 28.2%
    ¡  16% had MetS, not with
    IFG
    ¡  12% of lean had pre-
    diabetes

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  13. Non-credited Research
    n  Advised and consulted
    ¡  Physical Therapy
    n  Created a test for treatment of Lower Back Pain
    ¡  Rehabilitation Science
    n  Assess efficacy of tele-rehabilitation for wheelchair
    seating
    n  Evaluated the psychometric properties of the wheelchair
    seating tool
    ¡  Bioengineering
    n  Evaluated a model that simulates car-crashes while
    factoring in BMI
    ¡  Higher Education
    n  Examining the impact of federal standards in online
    degree programs’ organizational culture

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  14. Non-credited Research Cont.
    n  Currently, on a dissertation committee for a
    Kinesiology and Sport Sciences student at
    The University of Miami
    n  “Bicycle shoe insoles and their effect on
    EMG-indicated leg muscle activation balance
    in cyclists”
    ¡  Examining the impact of the shoes/cleats on
    bikers’ (pedal-cleat-foot) joints and their pedaling
    motion for injuries
    ¡  Design and analysis are not finalized

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  15. Previously Helped Researchers
    n  Research Design and formulating Research Questions
    ¡  Mediation vs Moderation
    ¡  Alternative quasi-experimental designs for causality
    n  Propensity scores
    n  Regression discontinuity
    n  Measurement and Psychometrics
    ¡  Creating a survey
    ¡  Finding appropriate survey
    ¡  Evaluating psychometric properties
    n  Statistical Analysis
    ¡  Appropriate methods given variables in play
    ¡  Alternative Strategies for addressing issues

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  16. Software
    n  Working knowledge
    of
    ¡  SPSS
    ¡  SAS
    ¡  R
    ¡  Mplus
    ¡  EQS
    ¡  MS office (Excel)
    n  Learn new ones for
    convenience of the
    researcher
    ¡  Currently learning
    Stata for the
    propensity score
    analysis

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  17. Approach & Philosophy

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  18. Goal for each project
    n  Establish a study design that will answer
    the Research Question
    n  Find and use the most appropriate analysis
    n  Researcher should be able to explain their
    research and communicate their results
    ¡  Conceptually understand what the method
    and model do
    ¡  Interpret the results

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  19. Ethical Research
    n  Ethics
    ¡  In design
    ¡  During implementation and while carrying out
    the research project
    n  Ethical treatment of data
    ¡  Check assumptions
    ¡  Document and disclose all manipulations
    ¡  Proper adjustment (Post-hoc, use of covariates)
    and interpretation of statistics
    ¡  Changing of Research Questions

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  20. Flexibility
    n  Adaptability
    ¡  Constraints may be applied: financial, review boards, time
    ¡  Accommodate reviewers’ opinions
    n  Opportunities for learning experiences
    ¡  Learn to work with individuals
    ¡  Iterative: learn from experiences and apply that going
    forward
    n  Novel Research
    ¡  Unique research might call for unique solutions
    ¡  Might have to learn a new method
    ¡  Or might have to instruct the researcher on a method new to
    them

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  21. Personal Philosophy
    n  Attitude
    ¡  Positive “can do” attitude
    ¡  Integrity
    ¡  Respect for others
    ¡  Focus on the long term
    n  Balance immediate needs with long term
    n  Solicit ideas from experts and have multi-
    discipline interaction
    ¡  Often times perspectives from a related or a foreign
    field can bring insight

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  22. Work Philosophy
    n  Team oriented
    ¡  Balance individual strengths and weaknesses
    n  Methodical
    ¡  Prefer to think about and research answers before
    asserting ideas
    n  Work-Flow
    ¡  Actively manage time on the various projects
    ¡  Immediacy: prioritize based on need
    ¡  Forecasting upcoming and potential projects

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  23. Authorship
    n  Authorship policy
    ¡  APA guidelines: "formulating the problem or
    hypothesis, structuring the experimental design,
    organizing and conducting the statistical
    analysis, interpreting the results, or writing a
    major portion of the paper"
    ¡  Authorship earned in a project by contributing
    directly to the work or in the writing process
    ¡  I do not require authorship to help with your
    research

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  24. BIOSTATISTICS

    Long term vision

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  25. Research
    n  When thinking about this position I asked a
    number of people who I had previously worked
    with and in the Health Sciences, what they
    would want in a Biostatistician (n = 11)
    n  Results were fairly consistent centering around
    four areas

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  26. Results
    n  Willingness to bring expertise
    ¡  “[T]here are advanced methods that I don't
    use/consider because I'm not familiar with
    them.”
    ¡  “Important knowing how to ‘frame’ the
    methods in a way that is appropriate for the
    research subject matter.”

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  27. Results cont.
    n  Consistency
    ¡  “Be consistent, the biostatistician changes the
    analysis every time you meet with her and is
    very frustrating.”
    ¡  “I met with a person, and then 2 hours later
    they emailed me telling that the analyses were
    all wrong.”

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  28. Results cont.
    n  Get in early and stay engaged
    ¡  “[W]ork with the same statistician throughout so
    they become familiar with the plans we are trying
    to propose.”
    ¡  “Helpful to have a statistician's help in the
    proposal writing phase... Being able to see the big
    picture and forecast any issues”
    ¡  “It would be really helpful for grant submissions
    since we rarely have access to a statistician for
    proposals and then we get hammered with that
    methodology or propose things we can't actually
    do.”

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  29. Results Cont.
    n  Accessibility
    ¡  Use of technology- Skype, Online chat,
    Conference calls
    ¡  Availability during non-traditional hours
    including weekends and nights
    n  Either in person on the phone, or via email
    n  “It's amazing that you're nearly instantly
    reachable. I can't say the same of many
    professors.”

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  30. At University of Delaware
    n  Would like to contact those who I would be
    working with, and find out what they envision
    the position’s function would be
    n  Going to adapt to working with different
    researchers and keep their expectations in mind
    n  Evaluation and Feedback

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  31. Biostatistician Role
    n  Providing support for researchers
    ¡  Study design and methodology
    ¡  Write analysis plans for grants
    ¡  Review documents for publications
    ¡  Power and sample size calculations
    ¡  Selecting and evaluating instruments and surveys
    ¡  Data management and cleaning
    ¡  Statistical analysis
    ¡  Result reporting
    ¡  Tables and figure creation

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  32. Accessibility
    n  Open Door policy
    ¡  Researchers can seek help when needed
    n  Hold open “office hours” on a day
    ¡  Allow faculty and students to come by
    n  Discuss methodology
    n  Ask statistical advice
    n  Aid data management
    n  Help with analysis or results interpretation

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  33. Educational Training
    n  Presentations and Workshops
    ¡  New or “Hot” methods
    ¡  Find commonalities in the research and present on
    those methods and analyses
    ¡  Software usage
    n  Lectures and seminars in Biostatistics,
    Psychometrics, Research Methodology and
    Ethics
    ¡  Reach out to other departments that offer similar
    courses or training

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  34. Community
    n  Establish relationships within and outside the
    University
    ¡  Help facilitate research and funding
    n  Institutional Review Board
    n  Research Advisory Boards and Councils
    ¡  Broaden the base of co-researchers
    n  Promote Multidiscipline research
    n  Businesses
    n  Active in Scholarly Committees
    ¡  Dissertation and Thesis Committees

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  35. Resources
    n  Continue to build my
    network of specialists
    n  Outside resources
    ¡  I have no problem getting
    help from others
    ¡  Tapping resources for
    ideas and their knowledge
    n  I am willing to help find
    answers for people
    n  Even if it is not for the
    statistics
    n  Can call on experts in
    ¡  Statistics
    ¡  Measurement
    (Psychometrics)
    ¡  Econometrics
    ¡  Biomechanics
    ¡  Sports Medicine
    ¡  Rehabilitation Science &
    Technology
    ¡  Education
    ¡  Social Work & Mental Health
    ¡  Online assessments/Surveys

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