Lectures and seminars SFOepi Seminar Series in Biostatistics: : Bhramar Mukherjee, Yale University, USA
Title: Unveiling Bias: A Statistician's Quest for Data Equity in Health Research
Please note that this event is not filmed nor streamed – only participation in person.
Abstract
Despite numerous proposed strategies to enhance diversity in scientific research, a significant portion of the world's health research data continues to be derived from populations with historical privileges. In this presentation, I will delve into the crucial concept of data equity and highlight the obvious: algorithms developed on exclusionary datasets can yield erroneous conclusions and exacerbate health disparities. However, while we strive for the ideal scenario of globally representative and extensive datasets, statisticians play a pivotal role in mitigating selection bias and handling missing data—an expertise that few other quantitative disciplines possess. Drawing from my own journey as a statistician, I will showcase instances where timely statistical analysis with imperfect data resulted in enhanced inference and influenced policy outcomes. Utilizing examples from analyses of COVID-19 and biobanks linked with electronic health records, I will demonstrate how statistical methodologies can navigate the complexities of real-world data to inform decision-making and drive positive change. In conclusion, I urge statisticians to proactively lead efforts in curating, and collecting new data, launching their own studies while also spearheading innovative scientific inquiries. It is time for statisticians to step out from the fringes of design and analysis and assert their independent leadership in shaping the trajectory of research and policymaking driven by data.
About the speaker
Professor Bhramar Mukherjee is Anna M.R. Lauder Professor of Biostatistics and Professor of Chronic Disease Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH). Professor Mukherjee serves as the inaugural Senior Associate Dean of Public Health Data Science and Data Equity at YSPH. She holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Statistics and Data Science and is affiliated with the MacMillan Center and the Institute for the Foundations of Data Science. She serves on the Yale Cancer Center Director’s cabinet. Professor Mukherjees’s research interests span statistical methods for analyzing electronic health records, gene-environment interaction studies, data integration, data equity, shrinkage estimation, and the analysis of environmental mixtures. Collaboratively, she contributes to areas such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, reproductive health, exposure science, and environmental epidemiology.
About the speaker: https://ysph.yale.edu/profile/bhramar-mukherjee/
Registration: No registration is needed
If you have any questions, please contact Marie Jansson at marie.jansson@ki.se