What Do Biostatisticians Do?
For biostatisticians, a typical day is usually one full of number crunching, strategic development and reporting results in an office environment. Exact responsibilities, duties and work environment varies depending on employer and seniority, but many members of the profession spend the bulk of their time working with data and digital tools on a computer. As a specialization within the field of statistics, biostatistics is exclusively focused on harnessing information related to living things. Its scope includes everything from evaluating the efficacy of a new drug to improving crop yield on farms.
Planning and Conducting Research
Many biostatisticians devote a significant portion of their daily work towards designing, conducting and analyzing research projects. Senior team members are typically responsible for designing the parameters, objectives and guidelines for the study to ensure useful results. While they primarily work in fields related to health and biology, biostatisticians apply mathematics and computer science skills on a consistent basis. Planning and conducting research projects usually revolves around strategies to improve accuracy and usability of results to ensure the study provides useful information for the company or organization.
Presentation and Reporting
Biostatistics is a relatively specialized and technical field, so professionals in a business or organizational setting need strong communications skills as well as mathematical and scientific knowledge. Senior staff members are expected to coordinate with executives and company leaders to determine strategic direction for their department. Biostatisticians are also expected to present their findings in an understandable and practical way so that their audience can make informed financial or policy decisions based on the information presented.
Team Projects and Interdisciplinary Coordination
Statistics is a scientific tool that is usually used in conjunction with a variety of other skill-sets. This may include working alongside members of other scientific disciplines, like biologists and engineers, as well as people from marketing or business backgrounds. This means a typical day usually includes a lot of interpersonal communication and coordination to accomplish on-going projects. As members of a larger interdisciplinary team, experts in biostatistics are generally expected to contribute by applying software and mathematical skills to aid in data analysis.
Additional Duties for Faculty Positions
The field of biostatistics is heavily focused on research, so many members of the profession spend at least part of their career working for an academic institution. These schools usually require faculty to perform a few extra duties alongside their roles in research projects. Many spend at least part of the year in the classroom and school laboratories educating students about their field. Educators are expected to develop a curriculum, track student progress and administer examinations according to their university’s policy.
Related Resource: Top 8 Master’s in Biostatistics Degrees Online
As an emerging discipline within the larger field of statistics, biostatistics can be a strong career choice for students with the passion and motivation to pursue the necessary skills. In fact, biostatistics was rated as the best master’s degree for getting a job in 2016 and enjoys a strong growth outlook in the years ahead, according to Forbes. Even though biostatisticians spend most of their days in the office, they work on a wide range of problems and issues that impact people across the globe.