Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics (CEBU)
High-level expertise in data science underpinning evidence for better health in children and young people.
The Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit (CEBU) specialises in biostatistics, epidemiological methods, and data management. With co-funding from the University of Melbourne, we provide expertise and support to all researchers on the Melbourne Children's campus. We collaborate with a wide range of clinical and population health researchers and also conduct methodological research, both to develop and strengthen the biostatistical methods underpinning modern health research and to develop future leaders in data science.
The group’s work is important across many clinical and health problems, because almost all modern research involving patients and children relies heavily on statistical methods, in order to design high-quality studies and interpret the resulting data appropriately.
The Murdoch Children's has developed a national profile in this area. We are a leading example of how internationally renowned biostatistical expertise can be developed and integrated with major health research programs. The group’s work on cutting-edge methods for handling missing data problems and modern causal inference has attracted international recognition.
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Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics (CEBU)
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Our projects
MIS BAIR - Melbourne Infant Study: BCG for Allergy and Infection Reduction
Since 2015, this study has been investigating whether a 100-year-old vaccine developed to prevent tuberculosis, called Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, could also help reduce allergies, eczema, infections and asthma in infants and children.
Read more...ViCBiostat: the Victorian Centre for Biostatistics, a Centre of Research Excellence in biostatistics
Originally funded by an NHMRC grant, ViCBiostat provides support for postdoctoral biostatisticians and PhD students working on a range of methodological research projects. John Carlin, Katherine Lee and Margarita Moreno-Betancur, MCRI, with Andrew Forbes, Rory Wolfe and Jessica Kazsa, Monash University, and Lyle Gurrin and Julie Simpson, University of Melbourne School of Population and Global Health.
Addressing new challenges with missing data in complex epidemiological studies: methods, guidance and software
This research program continues to add to knowledge and guidance on effective use of methods such as multiple imputation to handle missing data in health research. Katherine Lee, Margarita Moreno-Betancur, Cattram Nguyen and John Carlin.
Causal inference in health data science: advancing understanding and methods
This program of research aims to develop, disseminate and promote the adoption of modern causal thinking and related methods in medical and health research. Margarita Moreno-Betancur and John Carlin.
The Australian Trials Methodology (AusTriM) Research Network
The AusTriM network brings Australia’s leading biostatisticians with expertise in trials together with investigators who conduct landmark trials to develop, evaluate and apply innovative approaches in design and analysis of clinical trials. Katherine Lee, Kaushala Jayawardana and John Carlin.
The Melbourne Children's Trials Centre (MCTC)
In our role with the MCTC we work to design and analyse randomised controlled trials to address important questions about effectiveness of a wide range of clinical interventions, with researchers across the Melbourne Childrens Campus. Major trials that we support include:
- BRACE: BCG vaccination to combat COVID-19 (PI Nigel Curtis)
- VITALITY: Vitamin D to prevent allergy (PI Kirsten Perrett)
- Strengthening Care for Children (PI Harriet Hiscock)
- POLAR: A randomised control trial of PEEP levels during resuscitation of preterm infants at birth (PI David Tingay)
- TREX: A comparison of long-term outcomes after two different anaesthetics (PI Andrew Davidson)
- PEAT: Probiotic oral immunotherapy for the treatment of egg allergy (PI Mimi Tang)
Katherine Lee, Anneke Grobler, Francesca Orsini, Rachel Schembri, Kaushala Jayawardana and Xiaofang Wang.
LifeCourse Initiative
We provide methodological leadership within the LifeCourse initiative, which is a hub for observational research grouping the over 40 clinical and population-based longitudinal cohort studies housed at the Melbourne Children’s
Margarita Moreno-Betancur and Marnie Downes, with David Burgner, Craig Olsson and colleagues.
Generation Victoria (GenV)
We provide high-level support with respect to research design and biostatistics to this major initiative to create a large state-wide cohort study of newborn children.
John Carlin, Katherine Lee, Margarita Moreno-Betancur, with Melissa Wake and colleagues.
Centre for Adolescent Health (CAH)
We have a longstanding collaboration with CAH, providing support to two major longitudinal cohort studies: the Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study (VAHCS) and the Childhood to Adolescence Transition Study (CATS)
Margarita Moreno-Betancur, Ghazaleh Dashti and John Carlin, with George Patton and colleagues.
Neurodisability and Developmental Group
We provide statistical support to this group’s extensive range of studies into the causes and management of childhood disabilities.
Margarita Moreno-Betancur and Daisy Shepherd, with David Amor and colleagues.
The Victorian Infant Brain Study
Katherine Lee and Diana Zannino with Peter Anderson, Deanne Thompson and colleagues.
The Barwon Infant Study
A prebirth cohort study investigating the interplay between the modern environment and the early life origins of eczema, food allergy, asthma and atherosclerosis.
OPTIMIST
A multicentre randomised controlled trial of minimally-invasive surfactant therapy in very preterm infants on continuous positive airway pressure.
PLUSS: Preventing Lung Disease Using Surfactant + Steroid.
A multicentre randomised controlled trial of surfactant plus budesonide to improve survival free of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in extremely preterm infants. Susan Donath with Omar Kamlin, Brett Manley and colleagues, Royal Women’s Hospital.
SONIC: Study of neck injuries in children.
A large prospective observational study to develop a new or validate existing international clinical decision rules for children presenting to the emergency department with suspected cervical spinal injuries.
Funding
- National Health and Medical Research Council
- Australian Research Council
Collaborations
- Professor Andrew Forbes, Professor Rory Wolfe & Dr Jessica Kasza, Biostatistics Group, Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, Monash University
- Professor Julie Simpson & Professor Lyle Gurrin, University of Melbourne School of Population & Global Health
- Dr Julie Marsh & Professor Steve Webb (Univ. of W.A.), Dr Lisa Yelland & Dr Tom Sullivan (Univ. of Adelaide) and other members of the Australian Clinical Trials Methodology network (AusTriM)
- Professor Ian White, MRC Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, U.K.
- Professor James Carpenter, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
- Professor Kate Tilling, University of Bristol
- Professor Stijn Vansteelandt, Ghent University, Belgium
- Professor Andrew Gelman, Columbia University, U.S.A.
Featured publications
- Framework for the Treatment And Reporting of Missing data in Observational Studies: The TARMOS framework.
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 2021. 134: 79-88.
Lee KJ, Tilling KM, Cornish RP, Little RA, Bell ML, Goetghebeur E, Hogan JW and Carpenter JR on behalf of the STRATOS initiative. - Mediation effects that emulate a target randomised trial: Simulation-based evaluation of ill-defined interventions on multiple mediators.
Stat Methods Med Res. 2021; 30: 1395-1412.
Moreno-Betancur M, Moran P, Becker D, Patton G, Carlin JB. - Canonical causal diagrams to guide the treatment of missing data in epidemiological studies.
American Journal of Epidemiology, 2018;187:2705-15.
Moreno-Betancur M, Lee KJ, Leacy FP, White IR, Simpson JA, Carlin JB. - Effect of Minimally Invasive Surfactant Therapy vs Sham Treatment on Death or Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Preterm Infants With Respiratory Distress Syndrome: The OPTIMIST-A Randomized Clinical Trial.
Journal of the American Medical Association. 2021. (Online ahead of print, DOI: 10.1001/jama.2021.21892)
Dargaville PA, Kamlin OF, Orsini F, Wang X, …, Carlin JB, Davis PG. - Nasal High-Flow Therapy for Primary Respiratory Support in Preterm Infants.
New England Journal of Medicine. 2016;375(12):1142-51.
Roberts CT, Owen LS, Manley BJ, Froisland DH, Donath SM, Dalziel KM, Pritchard MA, Cartwright DW, Collins CL, Malhotra A, Davis PG, Investigators HIPSTERT. - 140mmol/L of sodium versus 77mmol/L of sodium in maintenance intravenous fluid therapy for children in hospital PIMS: A randomised controlled double-blind trial.
Lancet 2015; 28;385(9974):1190-7
McNab S, Duke T, South M, Babl F, Lee KJ, Arnup SJ, Young S, Turner H, and Davidson A.
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