Teaching Biostatistics in Medicine and Allied Health Sciences

This book discusses the theory and practice of teaching biostatistics to students in the life sciences, in particular medical and dental trainees and researchers, as well as its crucial importance to biomedical research and evidence-based health care. Specific tools and resources to biostatistics teaching (e.g., “R shiny”) are described, and how they can be used effectively to increase interaction with students and improve engagement with the subject. The book is structured into three parts: teaching and learning of statistics in medicine and allied health sciences; the move to online learning and online learning methods, especially in light of the impact of COVID-19; and computer tools and resources. It provides a unique insight into teaching biostatistics to medical and dental students from some of the most prominent biostatisticians who also have a very strong interest in biostatistics pedagogy.

Biostatistics teaching is important for maintainingthe quality of biomedical research and also in evidence-based medicine, both of which are key to the health and well-being of the world population. This book is particularly useful to readers who are new to the field of biostatistics teaching as well as to more experienced teachers as it presents the latest accounts of the teaching and learning of biostatistics, recent experiences of increased use of online teaching, and useful computer resources and tools for teaching biostatistics.

Dr Damian JJ Farnell is a lecturer in the School of Dentistry at Cardiff University. He is the school lead for the Dental Data Science research group, which aims to leverage dental data in order to improve patient experiences and outcomes. His team provides research advice and statistical consultancy for projects in the school of dentistry. DJJF has a undergraduate degree (BSc) in mathematical physics, UMIST (1991) and a doctor of philosophy (PhD) in theoretical physics, UMIST (1994). He was the co-organiser of the "Burwalls" conferences in 2020 & 2021 along with Dr. Renata Medeiros Mirra. DJJF has published many abstracts or papers over the years in diverse areas of science. He has co-edited one volume in Lecture Notes in Physics (Springer Verlag) [1] and has co-written another book in this series [2]. 

Dr. Renata Medeiros Mirra is a Lecturer in Medical Statistics in the Cardiff School of Dentistry. Her background is Biology and her previous research interests are on Seabird Ecology. Through her research career she developed an interest in Statistics and became passionate about teaching. She retains a broad range of research interests in Biology, Ecology, Medicine, Dentistry, and Pedagogy and she has published work across all the disciplines, collaborating widely at national and international level. She is the co-organiser of Burwalls in 2020 & 2021 along with Dr. Damian Farnell.