Center for Biostatistics

The Center for Biostatistics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) reflects the Institutional commitment to advancing interdisciplinary translational and patient-oriented research by providing state-of-the-art statistical support to investigators.    

The Center’s mission is to promote excellence in all aspects of clinical research by using highly innovative statistical methodologies to support all phases of the planning, implementation, conduct and analysis of clinical studies.  The Center also offers outstanding teaching and training for individuals who want to pursue a career in biostatistics or clinical research.

The Center for Biostatistics is the academic home for the ISMMS biostatisticians, and provides a structure to support the professional growth of its members and to foster mutually rewarding collaborative relationships with colleagues.

Biostatistics Cores

The Center has established collaborations that stimulate translational and clinical research across the School. The Center developed biostatistics cores to support the statistical needs of departments and institutes, and to assist in the development of research agendas. Cores include junior and senior faculty members and master's level statisticians at varying levels of effort as dictated by specific departmental needs. The goals of the biostatistics cores are to promote collegial interactions, facilitate strong academic relationships, initiate long-term thematic collaborations, and give biostatisticians the opportunity to develop new methodologies in specific clinical areas.

The Center for Biostatistics works in close collaboration with the Department of Population Health Science and Policy, the Institute of Translational Epidemiology, the Cardiovascular Institute, the Institute for Global Health, and the Institute for Health Care Delivery Science.

Statistical Consultation Resources

In close collaboration with the Mount Sinai Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA), the Center for Biostatistics offers a fee-for-service statistical consultation service. The Statistical Consultation Service is a flexible, comprehensive and accessible resource aimed at providing and facilitating long-term collaborative and short-term consultative advice in study design and biostatistics, from the planning stages through interpretation and dissemination of study results. Consultations cost $125 per hour.

To request a Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) statistics consultation, please complete a Request for Service form online.

For more information about BERD, please contact Yvette Hutson at yvette.hutson@mountsinai.org.

Stat-Chat is a walk-in consultation service meant to resolve easy problems and answer quick questions regarding data analysis, study design, model interpretation, etc. All faculty, fellows, residents, staff, and medical students are welcome to use this resource for quick statistics-related questions. Stat-Chat is offered once per week with two statisticians available for an hour on a first-come first-served basis. Given the open environment in which Stat-Chat consultations take place, the service has become a hub for investigators to learn about each other’s research and to share problems and solutions.

Educational Programs

Our educational programs include those for degrees, courses, and summer learning.

The Master of Science in Biostatistics program provides students with the fundamental skills required for conducting high-quality clinical and translational research. The curriculum emphasizes strong quantitative training, critical thinking skills, and practical strategies for addressing complex challenges of clinical research.

The Theory and Methods Track is for students whose goal is to work as biostatisticians or data analysts in a clinical, research, or industry setting. It can also be used as a stepping stone to pursuing a PhD in Biostatistics or Epidemiology. Applicants do not need to have a background related to a health or clinical field, but strong quantitative experience is preferable.

The Clinical Applications Track is designed for clinical and translational investigators who want to acquire knowledge of quantitative methods in clinical research. A strong quantitative background and a degree in Medical Sciences (MD, DDS, DMD, ND or DO) are required for this program. The program consists of at least 34 credits that must be completed in one full-time year of study that consists of both a course requirement and a capstone requirement.

The mission of the Applied Statistical Independence in Biological Systems (ASIBS) Short Course is to train faculty and fellows from academic medical centers across the nation to become proficient in biostatistical methodology and statistical computing. The overall goal of the proposed ASIBS Short Course is to provide formal applied statistical training to faculty and fellows actively involved in research at U.S. academic medical institutions. Participants who take the ASIBS Short Course will be able to apply the necessary quantitative, logical, and computational skills to successfully collaborate within clinical research teams by fulfilling the following core objectives:

  • To develop the statistical competence necessary to carry out small-scale clinical research projects independently
  • To use statistical programming proficiently to perform data manipulation and basic to intermediate statistical analyses
  • To identify and interpret accurately the relevant results from statistical output
  • To evaluate the integrity of data, with respect to how it was collected and analyzed, and identify the major threats to the internal and external validity of the results
  • To communicate important statistical findings effectively from independent research and the medical literature
  • To develop effective communication strategies for the successful engagement of biostatisticians in collaborative research projects