Leading in a data-driven world
The Department of Biostatistics and Data Science is the academic home for statisticians and data scientists working to help people live better by translating data into public health knowledge.
We believe that the synergy between statistics and data science has the means to revolutionize the way we improve population health and deliver healthcare services. This intersection drives evidence-based decision-making in both research and industry, and already serves an integral role in enhancing the quality of life for people around the world. We equip our students with the knowledge and experiences needed to thrive in this era of Big Data. Our well-established faculty develop and maintain interdisciplinary networks across the Texas Medical Center, and use these relationships to ensure students have the opportunity to tackle real world challenges as part of their education.
“As a biostatistics student at UTHealth School of Public Health, you will develop expertise in the theory and practice of biostatistics, working with faculty who are renowned leaders in statistical theory and its applications to health sciences. Recently we have also developed new education programs in data science, including a Data Science Certificate and an Advanced Data Science Certificate, to develop our students’ ability to analyze and integrate Big Data from biomedical and health sciences.”
Dr. Hulin Wu
Department Chair
Biostatistics
Preparing the next generation of statisticians and data scientists for a data-driven world.
Biostatistics uses statistical tools and methods to make sense of the vast quantities of data generated by health research. Through classroom instruction and hands-on experience, our students learn operate in two roles, both as leaders in their field and as expert translators of data and statistics for their project partners and clients. Each role is equally important. As leaders in statistics, our students are primed and ready to consult on creating the right structure and collection methods for accurate data, exploring new methodology to improve efficiency and veracity of study findings. As project partners, our students learn to articulate findings to stakeholders in a way that is meaningful and actionable—biostatistics is a delicate science, and data must be interpreted and shared with discipline and care to ensure that it is leveraged effectively. While our PhD program in biostatistics is among the top 6 of the largest biostatistics PhD programs in the country, upon completion of their degree, all of our students are prepared to safeguard public health and improve lives in academia, industry, government, and beyond.
Biostatistics and data science research
The Department of Biostatistics & Data Science has a diverse array of statistical and data science research areas available to our faculty and students. A major strength and component of our department is the Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials (CCCT), which has a more-than-40-year history of successfully coordinating large multicenter clinical trials and providing comprehensive services for these endeavors. We also recently established the Center for Big Data in Health Sciences (CBD-HS), which hosts several Big Data research projects, including development of predictive models and heterogeneous data integration methods for Electronic Healthcare Record (EHR) data, insurance claim data, and data from public databases or data repositories. And our new Center for Biostatistics Collaboration and Data Services will provide opportunities for our faculty and students to collaborate and interact with biomedical and health science investigators to address scientific questions using their statistical and data science skills.
You can review more information about our training grants on the Training Grants in Biostatistics page.
Our research interests and efforts include:
- Clinical Trials
- Experimental and Adaptive Designs
- Survival Data Analysis
- Longitudinal Data from Observational and Epidemiological Studies
- Bayesian Methods in Public Health
- Bioinformatics/Computational Biology
- EHR/EMR, Insurance Claim and Healthcare Data Modeling/Analysis
- Imaging Data Analysis
- GIS/Spatio-temporal Data Analysis
- Risk and Disease Progression Modeling
- Unstructured Data Analysis
- Big Data Analytics
- Data Management, Harmonization and Integration
- Data Visualization and Software Tool Development
- Missing Data
- Stochastic Processes
- Nonparametric statistics
- Time Series Data
- Casual Inference
- Statistical Genetics
- Machine Learning Methods
Degree programs
The Department of Biostatistics and Data Science offers the following degrees:
Master of Science (MS)
- Master of Science in Biostatistics
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Biostatistics
Certificates offered
The Department of Biostatistics and Data Science offers the following certificates:
For non-degree seeking students:
- Data Science Certificate
- Advanced Data Science Certificate (beginning spring 2020)
For degree-seeking students:
- Data Science Certificate
- Advanced Data Science Certificate
Contact us
Dejian Lai, PhD
Professor of Biostatistics
Faculty Admissions Representative
(713) 500-9270
Dejian.Lai@uth.tmc.edu
Emmanuel Moon
Academic and Admissions Advisor
(713) 500-9564
Emmanuel.J.Moon@uth.tmc.edu
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Leading data collection effort aimed at reducing teen pregnancy
The data collection effort, expected to take six months, is the second part of a yearlong planning phase to address the issue of pregnancy prevention among children in foster care. Melissa Peskin, PhD, associate professor with UTHealth School of Public Health, will lead the effort.
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Mapping the spread of COVID-19 in Texas
A working team of faculty, staff and students recently launched a visualization dashboard which provides real-time data analytics to monitor COVID-19 spread in the state of Texas.
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Fighting back against the vaping epidemic among youth
As e-cigarette use by young people reaches epidemic proportions, researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have received a $3.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to conduct the first-ever assessment on the long-term results of a nationwide nicotine vaping prevention program for youth called CATCH My Breath.
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Meeting the public health education needs of the Permian Basin community
UTHealth School of Public Health and the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) College of Business have partnered to provide graduate students with the opportunity to earn a Graduate Certificate in Public Health while simultaneously earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) beginning Spring 2020.
READ MOREUTPB Partnership CertificateSPH - Our Imact - UTPB Partnership Certificate
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Preventing and caring for HIV in homeless youth
Alexis Sims, a doctoral student in health promotion and behavioral sciences at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, has been awarded a $100,000 supplemental research grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate HIV prevention and care in homeless youth.
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Carol Huber appointed to the Value Based Payment and Quality Improvement Advisory Committee for Texas
Huber will serve as a member representing regional healthcare partnerships.
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Understanding how one dose of the HPV vaccine may prevent infection
A new study revealed that one dose of the HPV vaccine may prevent infection from the potential cancer-causing virus, according to research published in JAMA Network Open by UTHealth School of Public Health researchers.
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Conducting needs assessments and "meeting people where they are"
UTHealth School of Public Health researchers work to bridge that gap between what intervention programs offer versus what's needed by creating programs based on input from the individuals who have lived the experiences.
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Alumnus appointed to Texas Radiation Advisory Board
Dr. William “Will” Pate, was appointed to the Texas Radiation Advisory Board (TRAB) and will remain in this position until the end of his term on April 16, 2023. Dr. Pate is one of 10 Texas professionals appointed to this board.
