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Kevin McGeechan |
BCA Masters graduate,
The University of Sydney |
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| Lecturer, epidemiology and biostatistics |
I was originally working in General Practice Data Management and needed to update my skills. The Masters of Biostatistics was delivered completely online, and this was what attracted me to the course. As a Biostatistician you'll be asked many different questions and you'll need to have the knowledge to confidently address these. The Masters course provided me with both the depth and range required. The area is highly specialised and as such there are many opportunities for people with such a qualification. |
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Gabrielle Davie |
BCA Masters Graduate,
The University of Melbourne
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| Biostatistician/Senior Research Fellow in the Injury Prevention Research Unit (IPRU) at the University or Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand |
Ever since taking an epidemiology undergraduate paper while completing my Mathematics and Statistics degree, I have been interested in the confluence of health and statistics. After a few years as a Research Assistant in an Epi & Biostats unit I enrolled in the BCA Masters Degree. The BCA’s programme was an obvious choice for me – renowned lecturers, wide range of courses and distance taught so I could fit it in around full-time work. Even though working full-time and studying part-time was challenging, it was encouraging to see how applied the courses were and have opportunities to apply the course material to my work.
I am currently a Biostatistician/Senior Research Fellow in the Injury Prevention Research Unit (IPRU) at the University or Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. The BCA papers I took have given me knowledge and resources that I find extremely valuable in my consulting, teaching and research. |
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Alicia Stein |
BCA Masters Graduate,
Monash University
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After completing my undergraduate degree in biological sciences in Argentina, a PhD in Melbourne and 21 years of research in immunology of transplantation and renal disease I was ready for a change.
I found the biostatistics course challenging and stimulating. It gave me a real insight into the field and vastly increased my skills.
I’m now working as a Senior Epidemiologist at CSL where I’m involved in making evidence-based decisions for health policy. I’m still using many of the course materials in my day-to-day work. My only regret is that I wish I’d taken the Bayesian Statistics unit as well!”. |
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Aiden O'Loughlin |
BCA Masters Graduate,
The University of Sydney
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I was training to be a cardiologist when I started the program. Cardiology is one area of medicine which is fortunate to have a strong tradition of high quality clinical trials which address key areas of practice.
The Master of Biostatistics course has given me a comprehensive understanding of clinical trial design, analysis and interpretation of trial results. This has allowed me to successfully incorporate the available evidence into my clinical practice. It also has enabled me to design, implement and analyse clinical research programs both on my own and in collaboration with others. |
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Mohammad Siahpush |
BCA Masters Graduate,
The University of Melbourne
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I have a degree in sociology (PhD 1990) and just finished my Masters degree with the BCA. Although I had quite solid quantitative training in my postgraduate years in the 80s, I was always looking for an opportunity to learn statistics/biostatistics more formally and systematically. I was very happy to hear about the BCA in 2001 and signed up to do the course immediately.
Biostatistics in my view is a set of specialized statistical techniques appropriate for analysing data from biomedical and public health sciences and epidemiological studies. I am essentially a public health researcher and use biostatistics to analyse survey data and population based cohort studies. I also give a lot of statistical advice to my colleagues from the health behavioural and social sciences area who conduct a lot of experiments.
I think anyone who does health research and is responsible for data analysis should have a firm grounding in biostatistics. Sloppy data analysis and using common statistical software without a sound knowledge of statistical assumptions and techniques does not contribute to scientific progress. The BCA provides very rigorous training in most essential techniques that data analysts need to know. |
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Edward Tong |
BCA Masters Graduate,
The University of Queensland
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I work in healthcare acquired infection (HAI) research, primarily in risk factor studies. My colleagues and I estimate the economic cost of HAI and implement statistical process control for the surveillance of HAI in all Queensland public hospitals.
The Biostatistics program is taught by experts renowned in Australia and around the world. The program emphasises the analysis of real - that is, imperfect - datasets, so is great preparation for working life. And studying by distance was great. It meant I was able to learn from top biostatistics experts from around the country while still enjoying online class discussions with fellow students who shared insights from their own jobs.
A career in biostatistics is a rewarding one that allows you to make important contributions to many fields of research and development. Opportunities are plentiful and determined by your own personal interests. |
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Charles Thompson |
BCA Masters Student,
The University of Queensland
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I am a biostatistician with the Australasian Kidney Trials Network, based at the Princess Alexandra Hospital. I work in a team that contributes to the design of clinical trials in kidney disease. Later this year we will be launching our first two trials: one to assess the effect of aspirin and fish-oil in the prevention of thrombosis and the other to study the use of wound gel to prevent catheter-associated infections.
I did not have a health or statistics background and found it extremely satisfying to master concepts that grew in complexity and challenge after each unit. The program is highly valued by employers, many of whom are closely involved in its development, and it offers a great balance between theory and practice.
Biostatisticians are in huge demand, especially as the emphasis on evidence-based medicine grows and advances are made in genetics. I work with highly motivated and creative people and enjoy the feeling that the trials we create may make a big impact on medical practice and people's health worldwide. It's an engrossing experience. |
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Jeff Presneill |
BCA Masters Graduate,
The University of Melbourne
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BCA Masters graduate, University of Melbourne Intensive Care Physician, Mater Hospital Brisbane Associate Professor, School of Medicine, University of Queensland |
Evidence-based medicine requires a reliable basis of evidence! As a practising clinician who wanted to conduct my own research, I realised that I needed to develop the relevant expertise. I was attracted to the BCA’s claim to provide a background in mathematical and statistical theory to those without a first degree in mathematics or statistics, to fill the gap between public health/epidemiology and general statistical courses. Part-time study by distance allowed me to work and study at the same time. Staff are highly competent and enthusiastic. I believe the BCA delivers on its promise to 'address the need for highly skilled biostatisticians for health and medical research’. |
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Mark Reeler |
BCA Masters Graduate,
The University of Sydney
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I have always been interested in maths/statistics and medicine, so biostatistics is a good combination for me. The course gives a solid grounding in biostatistics overall and is directly relevant to practice as a Biostatistician. |
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Kris Jamsen |
BCA Masters Graduate,
The University of Melbourne
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I was working as a Research Assistant at a biostatistics unit of a major metropolitan hospital when I started the BCA. I enrolled because I wanted to gain a more detailed understanding of the statistical techniques used in public health, as well as learn about more advanced topics, such as analysis of longitudinal data and Bayesian statistics. The BCA offered a level of rigour that adequately prepared me for a career in biostatistics and was taught by first-class biostatisticians. As a result of the skills I acquired, I am now in a Research Fellow biostatistician role where I primarily work on statistical methods, and am also enrolled in a PhD.. |
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Brent Carryer |
BCA Masters Graduate,
The University of Sydney
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I am a statistical programmer working on clinical trial analyses and methodologies in the pharmaceutical industry. I was fortunate to be enrolled in the BCA program while working in the Biostatistics unit of Pfizer Australia, which allowed me to learn the statistical methods and application of those methods employed on pharmaceutical clinical trials, while working closely with expert biostatisticians. I am currently working at Roche, and my increased knowledge from the Masters program allows me to take a greater responsibility on clinical trial analyses and provide input on design issues to my statistical colleagues. I was very impressed by the depth of knowledge and experience of the course coordinators at the participating universities and also by the commitment and contribution of industry experts from both Pfizer and Roche. |
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Postal address: |
BCA c/- NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre
Locked Bag 77
Camperdown NSW 1450 |
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