Biostatistics

Welcome to the Department of Biostatistics!

 What is Biostatistics?

Biostatistics is the science of applying statistical discipline to the complex problems presented in all areas of biology and medicine.

Mission and Vision

The mission of the Biostatistics Department is to:

• Provide leadership in the application of biostatistical sciences in collaboration with investigators in the planning, conduct, analysis, and interpretation of research studies.
• Educate students and professionals in the theory, methods and applications of biostatistics.
• Advance the knowledge of public health by developing innovative biostatistical methods.

The vision of the Department of Biostatistics is to become a leader in biostatistics applications, education and research that: 

• Provides the biostatistical expertise necessary and values productive collaboration to enhance the planning, quality and productivity of research of the University of Nebraska Medical Center and its partners.
• Ensures high quality education in Biostatistics for students, faculty and public health professionals.
• Engages in innovative research related to the development and application of biostatistical methods. Respects and rewards pedagogical, expository, collaborative, and original research and scholarship.

Degrees offered

• PhD in Biostatistics
• Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) Concentration in Biostatistics

Career Opportunities in Biostatistics

Career opportunities are available in pharmaceutical and clinical trials, academia, and government agencies at the federal, state, and local levels, and everywhere where experts on data management & statistical analysis are needed.

In a biostatistics related career, your research may include analyzing the effectiveness of new drugs, risk factors for different illnesses, planning health care interventions, explaining biological phenomena, estimating the number of deaths from gun violence, determining trends in drunk driving injuries  and much, much more.
If you like analyzing and processing information, forecasting scenarios, and drawing conclusions using powerful analytic methods and software, this may be the perfect educational and career path for you.

Research and Service

The UNMC College of Public Health Biostatistics Department collaborates with scientists, physicians, clinical investigators and other researchers, provides statistical consulting, teaches courses in biostatistics, and conducts methodological research.

The Department's main areas of research expertise includes clinical trials, study design, survival analysis, generalized linear models, longitudinal analysis, survey methodology, and analysis of microarray gene-expression data and other high-dimensional data. Department members assist investigators in planning and designing scientific studies, developing efficient and effective means of collecting and managing data, and identifying, strengthening, and communicating findings.  Specific projects include:

• A Statistical Center for the Children’s Oncology group, responsible for data management, data processing and statistical activities for several of the research activities of the Children’s Oncology Group.
• Biostatistics Shared Resource of the (NCI-designated) UNMC Eppley Cancer Center, providing the expertise and experience to Cancer Center members for planning, conducting and reporting of basic, translational, clinical, and population-based research projects.
• Enhancement of the pancreatic cancer biomedical computing infrastructure at UNMC to make it a platform for developing novel hypotheses and studies aimed at better understanding of one of the deadliest cancers.
• Bayesian multilevel modeling approaches to high-throughput gene and protein expression experiments.
• Weighted bi-dimensional regression with a face matching application.

Jane Meza, PhD
Chair and Professor