The Department of Biostatistics was founded in 2006 to cater to the needs of the large-scale epidemiological and clinical studies conducted at MDRF. The biostatistics department under the able guidance of Dr. R. Guha Pradeepa, aims to develop innovative statistical methodologies and implement best practices in biostatistics to drive scientific advances that benefit human health.
The Biostatistics Department engages in a broad spectrum of research spanning both applied and methodological domains. Applied research addresses pressing public health issues such as chronic diseases including diabetes and cardiovascular conditions, birth outcomes in GDM, healthcare access and utilization, etc., Methodological strengths include expertise in life-course epidemiology, longitudinal study designs and analysis, behavior change interventions studies, clinical trials etc., Through this diverse portfolio, the department supports advances in biomedical and public health research and fosters innovation in statistical science.
The Department of Biostatistics is committed to strengthening the statistical and analytical capabilities of researchers, clinicians, and public health professionals through comprehensive capacity-building initiatives. Recognizing the growing importance of data-driven decision making in health research, we offer a range of programs designed to enhance statistical literacy, methodological accuracy, and data interpretation skills across the institution.
To facilitate user-friendly data analysis, we develop and maintain web-based calculators and Shiny applications that enable clinicians and researchers to compute risk scores, perform sample size calculations, and generate descriptive statistics without deep programming knowledge.
We offer internship programs for postgraduate students, research staff, and faculty members, focusing on building core capabilities in biostatistics, data science, and epidemiological methods. This includes support for academic writing, statistical reporting, and use of advanced software tools.
Through regular seminars, journal clubs, and symposia, the department promotes awareness of the latest developments in statistical methodology, encouraging interdisciplinary learning and the application of innovative techniques in health research.
We regularly organize hands-on workshops and short courses on topics such as statistical analysis using R, PYTHON, SAS, STATA, advanced regression modelling, survival analysis, sample size calculation, and clinical trial design. These programs are tailored to meet the needs of diverse audiences, from beginners to advanced researchers.
The department actively engages in collaborative research projects, providing expert statistical consulting and methodological guidance to enhance the quality of scientific studies. We work closely with investigators from various disciplines to develop study designs, analyse complex data, and interpret results.
Interested in collaborations ?