Director: Scott L. Zeger, PhD Overview
The Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core provides direction on experimental design, data collection and management; is available for consultation on data analysis; and develops innovative biostatistical methods for the analysis of environmental data. Scott L. Zeger, PhD is the Core Director. Dr. Zeger conducts research on longitudinal and time-series methods for environmental assessment. He is a member of the National Morbidity and Mortality Air Pollution Study (NMMAPS) team with Professor Jon Samet and Associate Professor Francesca Dominici. He has a history of environmental research dating back to 1974 and including studies of air and water pollution.
The Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Facility Core has three objectives: 1. to provide leadership on the application of statistical reasoning and methods in center research, including experimental design and data collection, management and analysis;
2. to organize workshops and working groups on statistical ideas and methods relevant to investigators in the Center;
3. to promote the development of innovative statistical methods appropriate for analysis of Center's data.
Core Director and Members
Dr. Scott Zeger
Core Director and Professor
Department of Biostatistics
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Dr. Frank Curriero
Co-Director and Assistant Scientist
Department of Biostistics
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Dr. Francesca Dominici
Co-Director and Associate Professor
Department of Biostistics
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Dr. Ingo Ruczinski
Co-Director and Assistant Professor
Department of Biostatistics
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Equipment and Facilities
The Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Facility Core will be utilizing the expertise of members to assist other Center members. Dr Dominici is leading the development and application of statistical methods for national estimates of the health effects of air pollution. She is developing time-series and spatial analysis methodology for this purpose. Her methods are being used by the Epidemiology Research Core and have led to a number of key publications during the past year that have informed the EPA particulate air pollution standard setting. Dr Curriero has participated in the air pollution mortality studies but also conducts research on temperature and mortality and on the spatial distribution of infectious diseases. Dr. Ruczinski is serving as a general consultant in the Center, but also focuses on bioinformatics issues for the analysis of gene and protein expression studies by Center members.
New data bases and statistical methods developed by the Biostatistics Center team during the last year include: - internet Health and Air Pollution Surveillance System (iHAPSS) - a publicly available national database on air pollution, weather, SES, disease, and mortality that can be used by Center members and others
- time series regression models for assessing the mortality effects of particulate air pollution and other exposures while controlling for weather, seasonality and long-term trends in demographics developed spatial models to combine estimates of pollution effects from individual cities to create regional and national estimates.
- R-package statistical package to implement the time series and spatial models on these and other related projects that the Center members and others might undertake
Usage and Benefits
Dr. Zeger and Dominici have worked with Center members Pat Breysse and his faculty colleagues on two projects. The first is the Baltimore City Traffic Study. Drs Breysse, Buckley and Geyh presented their study on multiple occasions at the Monday EBEG meeting. There, we discussed statistical modeling approaches to address their priority questions. We have also created special R functions for time series analysis of their data and other sets like it to implement the semi-parametric methods we have developed. We have on-going discussions with them as needed as their analyses move forward.
We have also collaborated to develop to create a new randomized community trial in densely populated agricultural region in southern Nepal. The study objective is to test an intervention to reduce indoor air pollution for the purpose or reducing infant morbidity and mortality and pre-school children's respiratory morbidity. The intervention involves building an alternate energy efficient and cleaner mud stove in homes. Dr. Geyh and Zeger have worked together to design a pilot study to collect preliminary data for this larger trial. Dr. Geyh has traveled to Nepal to make in-home and ambient air quality measurements and to test the efficacy of a candidate stove for reducing indoor particulate pollution. Dr. Zeger is working with her on the analysis of the preliminary data. Dr. Curriero worked with PhD student Shannon Henshaw (EHS) on a project involving environmental exposure assessment that involved working closely with center members Patrick Breysse and Paul Strickland. The work included a GIS and geostatistical analysis of environmental DDE, DDD, and DDT constituents for a region surrounding an old chemical plant in western Maryland. Other work included spatial regression models for exposure to blood organochlorines and statistical methods for handling errors in GIS geocoded location information.
The Environmental Biostatistics and Epidemiology Group (EBEG) was created in Summer 2003 in the Department of Biostatistics. The EBEG is aimed at promoting education and research at the interface between statistical methods and social and environmental epidemiology. EBEG comprises roughly 20 statisticians, epidemiologists, environmental and behavioral scientists who meet weekly (Monday for an hour and a half) to promote quantitative methods and analyses to address environmental questions. EBEG is directed by Center member Dr. Francesca Dominici. It is attended by several other Center members on an as needed basis.
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