About the Division of Biostatistics
What is Biostatistics?
Biostatistics is the application of statistical techniques to scientific research in health-related fields, including medicine, biology, and public health, and the development of new tools to study these areas. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the field of biostatistics has become an indispensable tool in improving health and reducing illness.
Biostatisticians play essential roles in designing studies, analyzing data and creating methods to attack research problems as diverse as:
- Tthe determination of major risk factors for heart disease, lung disease and cancer
- The testing of new drugs to combat AIDS
- The evaluation of potential environmental factors harmful to human health, such as tobacco smoke, asbestos or pollutants
Our Faculty and Our Research
The Division of Biostatistics at the University of Minnesota is one of the premier biostatistics units in the world, focusing on the critical statistical methods employed in biomedical research.
The division includes 36 faculty members, about 75 graduate students, and 65 staff members.
Current research in statistical methodology includes survival analysis, longitudinal models, generalized linear models, statistical genetics, genomics and proteomics, analysis of spatial and longitudinal data, Bayes and empirical Bayes methods, causal modeling, computer intensive methods such as Markov chain Monte Carlo, and statistical data mining.
Our Collaborations
University of Minnesota biostatisticians collaborate actively on research in HIV/AIDS, lung and cardiovascular disease, cancer prevention and treatment, dentistry and periodontology, environmental and occupational health, health policy, chronic disease care and smoking prevention. Division faculty, students, and staff are involved in more than 120 grants and contracts totaling over $150 million.
Our Degree Programs
The Division of Biostatistics offers MPH, MS, and PhD degrees.