Most PhD projects are of methodological or statistical nature. You can see some of our areas of interest below.
Methodology
A priority of the Institute is the development of methods which have a direct impact on the design, conduct or analysis of our or other people’s studies. Our underpinning methodology work is presented in three themes:
Design of trials, meta-analyses and observational studies
- Multi-arm, multi-stage (MAMS) platform trials
- Designing phase II (and III trials) based on an enhanced decision process at the end of phase II
- Improving the design of stratified medicine trials and biomarker validation studies
- Designing trials in uncommon diseases
- Cluster randomised and stepped wedge trials
- A flexible framework for complex time-to-event outcome trials
- Planning and accounting for missing data
- Improving the analysis and design of trials with longitudinal data or clusters of varying size
- Designing trials with recurrent events as the primary outcome measure
- Re-randomising patients into trials
- Design, development and validation of prognostic models
Effective and efficient conduct of trials and meta-analyses
- Providing practical examples of how novel designs can be implemented
- Evaluating and implementing strategies to ensure that data on randomised patients is not lost through patient withdrawal
- Efficient trial monitoring
- Getting trials started more quickly, and facilitating prompt reporting of outcome data
Analysis of trials, meta-analyses and observational studies
- Analysing multi-arm multi-stage (MAMS) trials
- Analysing time-to-event outcomes
- Multivariable prognostic models and treatment-covariate interactions (including validation)
- Appropriate analysis of longitudinal and clustered data
- Causal models for answering questions not addressed by randomisation
- Missing data and improved sensitivity analysis for missing outcome data
- Design, development and validation of prognostic models
Current projects
- The "acutely sick" African child: applying new statistical methods to delineate mortality risks and identify ways to improve management - E. George
- Avoiding bias and learning more from the analysis of longitudinal data - O. Stirrup
Past projects
- Design issues and extensions of multi-arm multi-stage clinical trials - D. Bratton, 2014
- Practical and theoretical considerations of the application of marginal structural models to estimate causal effects of treatment in HIV infection - F. Ewing, 2013
- Sample size for multivariable prognostic models - R. Jinks, 2012
- Practical use of multiple imputation - T. Morris, 2014
If you are interested in pursuing a PhD in any of the research areas currently pursued above, you should first send a summary of your research interests as well as a copy of your CV (with details of your previous studies) to ictm.phd@ucl.ac.uk. The ICTM Graduate Tutor will help you to identify a potential supervisor, with whom you can then discuss a potential project.