Paul Dickman awarded prize as the Statistical Promoter of the Year 2023
Professor Paul Dickman at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet is awarded the prize Statistical Promotor of the year from the Swedish Statistical Society (Svenska statistikfrämjandet).
The Swedish Statistical Society works to promote research and education in the field of statistics and serves as a forum for discussions regarding statistical applications and ethical issues within the scientific field of statistics. Each year, they award the prize for Statistical Promoter of the Year, and this year the prize is awarded to Professor Paul Dickman with the following justification:
Paul Dickman is named the statistician of the year for his long-term work in implementing the newly adopted master's program in biostatistics and data science. The master's program is unique in that it integrates two different subjects – biostatistics and data science – and is jointly offered by Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and Stockholm University in collaboration.
Paul has undertaken substantial efforts to highlight the importance of biostatistics and the role of biostatisticians in medical research for a long time. He has, among other things, been involved in building up the biostatistics group at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet and emphasized the importance of a rich research environment in biostatistics.
Paul has worked to strengthen the role of biostatistics in Sweden and at Karolinska Institutet, for instance, during his tenure as a faculty representative in the university board (2019-2021). He facilitated meaningful interactions among biostatisticians, both internally at Karolinska Institutet as well as in a broader context through initiatives such as the Stockholm Biostatistics Network Event.
“I am honored and humbled to have been selected to receive this award and delighted that the importance of developing biostatistical science has been recognized”, says Paul Dickman. “I am deeply grateful to the Swedish Statistical Society and to those who nominated and supported me. I hope the many clinical and biostatistical scientists who have worked with me on our journey view this award as recognition of our joint efforts. I cannot name everyone I wish to thank or acknowledge but it is impossible not to mention Professor Juni Palmgren, who has been a driving force in building biostatistics at KI, in Sweden, and internationally for more than 25 years. Our journey in developing biostatistics at KI is far from complete, and the recognition provided by this award will give impetus to further developments.”
Collaboration between statisticians and clinical researchers promotes research quality
Another initiative that Paul has led aimed at enhancing the methodological quality in medical research at KI has been done through his work with Clinicum, a collaboration project with Region Stockholm to support and provide scientific and methodological advice to researchers. With his extensive experience in medical and clinical research, he has represented the statistical perspective in Clinicum's steering group and contributed to highlighting the importance of collaboration between different disciplines to promote the development of both medical and biostatistical research at Karolinska Institutet.
The prize was awarded during the Swedish Statistical Society's annual meeting on March 20, 2024. Read more about it on their Swedish web site.