Interdisciplinary Training for Biostatisticans

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Biostatistics plays a fundamental role in medical, biomedical and public health research. Advances in medical technology alone have substantially increased the demand for trained biostatisticians to demonstrate basic scientific knowledge, effectiveness and feasibility. There is a growing need for biostatisticians to be trained in a broad range of fields, including the biological sciences, quantitative sciences and clinical applications. Researchers in the medical and life sciences are expressing a growing need for applied biostatisticians who are trained with a background in biology and strong communication skills as well as quantitative skills. Most applied biostatisticians function in collaborative environments that require interdisciplinary knowledge and strong communication skills, but most do not receive training in biology and bioinformatics. Not only do biostatisticians need to be trained how to apply the wide range of quantitative methods that are needed in biomedical research, but they also need an understanding of the biological basis for disease and the biological measures that are collected in biomedical research. The goal of this training grant proposal is to develop and implement a training program for post-bachelors, pre-doctoral students in biostatistics that will provide a strong background in quantitative skills, biology, applied research and exposure to the proper conduct of ethical research. We propose a three year program that will include course work primarily in the first two years along with rotations in bioinformatics, genetics laboratories, Institutional Review Board, and clinical trials. In the third year the students will work as a research assistant in on an applied research project gaining important experience in an environment that will provide excellent experience in interdisciplinary research and a basis for the development of their thesis topics. This program will produce students not only with classroom exposure to quantitative skills, but also practical experience as a functioning biostatistician.