The University of Texas - Houston

Health Science Center

School of Public Health

Robert J. Hardy, PhDUT-Houston

Careers in Biostatistics

Robert J. Hardy, PhDUniversity of Texas-Houston

School of PublicDivision of Biostatistics

Graduate Programs in Biostatistics

WHAT IS BIOSTATISTICS?

• Applies mathematics, statistics, computational biology, and computer science to biological, biomedical and public health research.

• Plays a key role in the design, implementation and data analysis of research studies.

• Develops new statistical methods to address emerging problems.

Historical Example of Applications of Mathematics to Study Health Problem

• Bernoulli (Daniel)• D’Alembert• Laplace• Others

What would be the impact eliminating smallpox as a cause of death would have on the population structure?

Impact eliminating smallpox as a cause of death

• Mortality in a population can only be observed in the presence of all competing causes of death

• Mathematics was required to extract information about what cannot be observedSince smallpox epidemics were rampant, mathematical models were needed to address the problem.

Today this Topic is Referred to as the Analysis of Competing Risks of

Death

or

Simply “Competing Risks”

For r Competing Risks of Death:h(t) = h(t;1) + h(t;2) + … +

h(t;r)

Instantaneous force of mortality or hazard rate Additive cause-specific forces of mortality

Competing risks of death applied to other problems

• Death due to motor vehicle accidents

• Deaths due to AIDS

• Multiple causes of product failure

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON

• UT School of Public Health is one of six schools within The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

• Housed in the Texas Medical Center --- the largest medical complex in the world

• 18 health care institutions and six supporting organizations, including The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine

• Five regional School of Public Health campuses:• Austin, Brownsville, Dallas, El Paso, and San Antonio

BIOSTATISTICS DIVISION DEGREES• Master of Science (MS)

• 2 years to complete (includes a sequence of courses in basic statistical theory and methods, research design, and data analysis)

• Minor in a field other than biostatistics

• Master of Public Health (MPH) • Basic professional degree in public health with concentration in

biostatistics

• Doctors of Philosophy (PhD) - post MS or direct admit from BS• Requires at least two additional years beyond the master level

program• Emphasizes advanced statistical theory and application,

statistical consulting, and independent research• Two minors in fields other than biostatistics• Dissertation

BIOSTATISTICS RESEARCH (EXAMPLES)

• Bioinformatics and statistical genetics.• Occupational and environmental exposures in the

etiology of adult leukemia.• Inter-uterine growth through ultrasound measurement.• Analysis of infant mortality in developing countries.• Queuing models for emergency medical services.• Stochastic modeling of movement through the health

care system.• Health effects of air pollution.• Analysis of health services utilization and health care

technology assessment.

THE COORDINATING CENTER FOR

CLINICAL TRIALSThe Coordinating Center conducts large-scalemulticenter clinical trials in:

• Cardiovascular cell therapy research• Parkinson’s disease• Early treatment of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)• Antihypertensive and lipid lowering treatment to

prevent heart attack• High dose barbiturate therapy• … and many others

BIOSTATISTICS FACULTY• 22 Full-time UTSPH faculty members • Biostatistics Division Faculty members from

other UTSPH divisions• Faculty members from outside institutions with

joint appointments

• Faculty research interests and curriculum vitae are available on the division website

http://www.sph.uth.tmc.edu/bios/faculty.aspx

Dr. Barbara C. Tilley, Ph.D.

Lorne Bain Professor & Director, Division of

Biostatistics

Research: Clinical trials, Parkinson's Disease, health

disparities research, minority health, and movement disorders

CAREERS IN BIOSTATISTICS• Statisticians were recently ranked number 3 among the

best occupations in the U.S, conducted by JobsRated.com

• Career opportunities • Academia, Industry, and Government

• Examples • Pharmaceutical industry• Management consulting firms • Computer software companies • Chemical industry• Medical research centers• Schools of Public Health • Government agencies such as the National Institutes of Health,

Center for Disease Control, state and local health agencies, and the World Health Organization

COMPUTING RESOURCES• The school operates its own computer facility,

including high-performance computing resources.

• Numerous desktop computers for student use are located throughout the building and in the computer laboratory.

• A Computer Services staff is available to aid students in using the equipment, the various analytical and data management software packages, and the large library of health information research databases.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES

• MS Program• Undergraduate degree in statistics, mathematics, computer

science, or one of the physical, biological, or social sciences• At least an overall B average (on a 4.0 system) in prior

academic work

• MPH Program• Should have strong interest in public health

applications and in quantitative methods

• PhD Program• M.S. degree in the theory and applications of

biostatistics or its equivalent is required• Minimum prerequisites: calculus and linear algebra

FALL -FEBRUARY 1 SPRING -AUGUST 1

How to applyVisit SOPHAS.org to complete the online application for the Schools of Public Health Application Service.

• Make sure all supporting documents for the SOPHAS online application are submitted to SOPHAS. 

• Two letters of recommendation.

• All post-secondary and professional school transcripts (Transcripts from non-US institutions will need to be verified by the World Education Services (WES) or Education Credential Evaluators (ECE) and submitted directly to SOPHAS. A course-by-course transcript evaluation is required.)

• GRE Scores. (GRE scores may be waived for applicants holding doctoral letter degrees or ECFMG certification).

Please visit http://www.sph.uth.tmc.edu/admissions/how-to-apply/

FINANCIAL SUPPORTFollowing financial support available on a

competitive basis.

• Training Grant Program*• $20,969 per year stipend plus tuition

• Dean’s Scholarship Program*• $5,000 per year stipend+

• Teaching Assistantships**• $20,000 per year stipend+

• Research Assistantships**• $15,000 per year stipend+

*US citizens or permanent residents only**No citizenship required+Provides eligibility for in-state tuition {paid by student}

Tuition and Fees

• In-state tuition and fees• 12 months (9 hours in the fall and spring

semesters and 6 hours in the summer semester) • basic fees: less than $6,300 (does not include

mandatory health insurance).

• Out-of-state tuition and fees • 12 months: $17,000• Competitive scholarships greater than $1,000 and

traineeships allow non-resident students to qualify for in-state tuition.

University of TexasSchool of Public Health

Office of Student AffairsThe University of Texas School of Public Health

1200 Herman Pressler, RAS E-201Houston, TX 77030

Phone: (713) 500-9032Fax: (713) 500-9068

email: saffairs@uth.tmc.edu