Biostatistics

The Biostatistics is a field of statistics. It deals with issues that arise in medical research and other living beings are bodies responsible for such research areas (eg in the agricultural experimental research, statistical genetics).
Her responsibilities include the planning and execution of studies and the analysis of collected data using statistical methods. Often, the term is also used interchangeably with Biometrics Biostatistics.Modern Biostatistics
Lately, we consider an increase in the importance of statistics in the life sciences. This is due to the existence and emergence of various high-throughput methods (such as next generation sequencing, microarrays on RNA / DNA (ie gene) levels and mass spectrometry at the protein level). All these technical procedures generate huge amounts of raw data that can be analyzed with biostatistsichen methods. This new approach is also referred to as systems biology.
The methods used for analysis of these data are quite complex. On a methodological side are used, among other things: Statistical machine learning by example Neural Networks, Support Vector Machines and principal component analysis. Of course, classical concepts of statistics such as regression or correlation play a role as the basis of this method. To evaluate this data robust statistics is necessary. This refers to statistical methods that are not sensitive to outliers (ie, values ​​that are too high or too low due to random formations). In gene expression data very many outliers occur. For this purpose, one only has to realize that even a dust particle on a microarray can have serious impact on the measurements.Clinical Studies
The biostatistics is also in clinical trials for use. The effectiveness of certain drugs or treatment processes is analyzed in such studies in the context of evidence-based medicine. The Biostatistics already helping with the optimal study design, so at the very beginning of a clinical trial. It must be calculated as the number of trials. Also, the study ideally double-blind (ie, both the experimenter and the patient do not know if they included placebo or drug). Using modern statist safe method can determine which patient will benefit most from which treatment or if a treatment is at all meaningful.Nutrition
Biostatistical methods are also used in nutrition research to explore the effectiveness of certain health foods can. In this play questions like "If a particular food with the emergence of a particular disease related?" or "the consumption of a particular food Has a positive effect on a particular disease?" a role. In Germany, the German Institute of Human Nutrition research in this area.Preventive Medicine
The preventive medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention of diseases before they even arise. Again, the biostatistics is used to find out how diseases can be prevented.