The HRM biostatistics PhD field is specially designed for applicants with an MSc in mathematics and/or statistics, who wish to pursue doctoral work in biostatistics. The program aims to provide trainees with the skills they need to conduct independent research into biostatistical topics, provide leadership as biostatistical collaborators in clinical, health systems and population health investigations and effectively teach biostatistics from introductory through to advanced levels.

Graduates will possess the following skills:

• Ability to apply biostatistical concepts, techniques and data-analytic strategies across the full spectrum of research questions and study designs
• Ability to contribute to grant proposals in the areas of research design, data analysis and interpretation
• Ability to teach biostatistical concepts to research colleagues who are not biostatisticians
• Ability to adapt existing statistical techniques or to develop new techniques to solve research design and analytical programs

Graduates may pursue career opportunities in academia, government or private industry.

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is defined as the evaluation of the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and broader impact of drugs, medical technologies and health systems, both on patient health and the health care system. HTA has gained increasing importance in health care decision making locally and around the world and, over the last decade, there have been numerous important methodological advances in the techniques of HTA. As a result, there is a growing gap between the need for HTA and the availability of skilled researchers to conduct HTAs. The goal of the HTA field of specialization is to train individuals who, upon graduation, will have the necessary skills to be actively involved in independent and collaborative research in the field of HTA.

Graduates will possess the following skills:

• Strong foundation in the basic principles of HTA
• Advanced decision analysis
• Ability to apply research methods derived from health economics
• Understand and use basic and advanced biostatistics
• Utilize health services research and health policy analysis concepts and methods

Please note: You may consider other HRM faculty members to be your advisor/supervisor to specialize in this field. The faculty listed are HRM faculty members who have identified Health Technology Assessment as their primary field of specialization.

Special Note for interested applicants: You must also check whether the HRM faculty member has approved graduate status at the appropriate level (i.e., MSc supervision or PhD supervision).

If you have any questions about the health technology assessment field of specialization, please send us an email.

Students who do not wish to declare a field of specialization should enroll in HRM Classic. The advantage centres on the high-level of flexibility HRM classic offers, enabling students to tailor their educational plan to their own unique needs and interests. Students pursue a general methods degree or explore other exciting emerging fields.

For example, applicants interested in medical and health sciences education research can work with faculty in the Program for Educational Research and Development on research related to the evaluation of clinical competence. Alternatively, students in HRM classic might work on medical informatics and knowledge translation research topics, investigating the use of evidence by different professional groups such as health care providers, health systems administrators and government policy-makers and contributing to an improved understanding of the behavioural and contextual factors that determine effective knowledge uptake.

Many other areas, including health ethics, can be selected as the focus of study.