A biostatistician is someone who applies mathematics and statistical methods to answer questions in medicine, public health, biology and similar fields.
Biostatisticians
What does a biostatistician do?
About the Job
In the discipline of clinical trials to test the effectiveness of new medicines, Biostatisticians play a critical role in analyzing, interpreting, and drawing conclusions from complex statistical information. They validate requirements, protocol design, and sample size; develop a statistical analysis plan and programming specifications; interpret and write detailed analysis of data, files, tables, listings, figures, and statistical sections of study reports; and build and maintain effective customer relationships.
Where Does a
Biostatistician Work?
Biostatisticians spend the greater part of their workdays in an office setting, typically working on a computer. Becoming familiar with specialized programs used to analyze statistics and lab results will be extremely useful for this field. They will often be required to collaborate with a team of scientists and researchers, meaning that they spend a great deal of their day interacting both in person and through phone and email.
Openings are available in both the U.S. and in India.
What Is the Job Demand
for Biostatisticians?
The job demand for biostatisticians is expected to grow 33% in the next 10 years (2022-2032), which is much faster than other professions.* These kinds of statisticians are increasingly needed in the medical field, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry where they can help conduct research and run clinical trials for innovative medicines and health technologies.
Candidate Qualifications
It takes strong statistical knowledge, excellent verbal and written communications skills, and the ability to work collaboratively in a diverse team.
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, math, computer science, mathematics, or related discipline
- Engineering, math, computer science, or a related discipline
- Taking a course in college in programming
- The ability to work with a variety of data formats
