Working as Medical Statistician in the
Public Sector
Chris Roberts
Centre for Biostatistics
University of Manchester
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Medical Research in the Public Sector
 A major employer for statisticians in the UK is medical research.
 In the UK almost all medical research take place in the NHS.
 Much of this research linked to Universities.
 University of Manchester employs at least 50+ statisticians working
in health related research.
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Examples of medical research in which
statistical methods are applied
 Testing treatment - Clinical Trials and Clinical Databases
 Determining the cause of disease and ill health - Epidemiological
Studies.
 Pre-clinical and laboratory studies - Experimental Design
 Diagnostic and Prognostic Studies
 Measurement Studies.
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What does a medical statistician do?
Collaborative research
 Study design and conduct.
 Determining sample size.
 Data analysis.
Advise medical researchers.
 Design
 Appropriate statistical analysis
Statistical methodology.
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Boots Trial of Anti-Ageing Skin Cream
 Heralded as the first randomised controlled trial of an antiageing cream.
 Results published in a media blaze of publicity.
 Shelves emptied within days.
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Boots Anti-Ageing Skin Cream
Media Publicity of The Clinical Trial
 The £19 anti-wrinkle cream set to cause a stampede at Boots after scientists claim it
DOES actually work. Daily Mail, April 29 2009
 Wonder cream does banish wrinkles, say scientists. Daily Express, April 29 2009
 £20 Boots gel beats wrinkles. The Sun, April 29 2009
 Cream does cut wrinkles say experts. Daily Mirror, April 29 2009
 High St skin cream really does reduce the signs of ageing. The Times, April 29 2009
 'Proof' face creams beat wrinkles. BBC News, April 29 2009
 Protect and Perfect: anti-ageing face cream 'first proven to reduce wrinkles'. The Daily
Telegraph, April 29 2009
 Is a scientist's face proof that a £20 skin cream really gets rid of wrinkles? The
Independent, April 29 2009
 Boots anti-wrinkle cream actually works, say researchers. The Guardian, April 29 2009
An Example of the Misuse of Statistical
Methods.
Statistical analysis technically correct but misleading and inappropriate.
Critique in the Royal Statistical Society Magazine Significance
Keep young and beautiful: evidence for an “anti-aging” product?
Martin Bland Significance Vol 6 No 4 2009
Original published paper
A cosmetic 'anti-ageing' product improves photoaged skin: a doubleblind, randomized controlled trial. Watson REB Ogden S Cotterell LF, et
al. British Journal of Dermatology 2009
Revised title
Effects of a cosmetic ‘anti-ageing’ product on photoaged skin
How do I become a medical statistician?
 MSc in Medical Statistics or Biostatistics
Well established courses with funded places include Lancaster,
Leicester, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
 MSc in Statistics
 PhD Fellowships
• Methodological – developing new statistical methods
• Application of statistical methods
 Direct entry from a BSc in Maths & Statistics
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National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
Methods Fellowship Scheme
NIHR Methods Fellowships
 Funding to complete an MSc in Statistics followed by 12 months of
vocational training as a medical statistician.
 Linked NIHR Methods Internship for students in the penultimate year
of their UG course.
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