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Why Statistics? Why Biostatistics?

Building a Better Twinkie — A Mixture Design Problem Katherine L. Monti, Ph.D. r Principal Statistical Scientist, Rho, Inc. k March 12, 2011. Why Statistics? Why Biostatistics?. Math     Earning power $ $ $ was not in math Variety of non-math courses

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Why Statistics? Why Biostatistics?

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  1. Building a Better Twinkie—A Mixture Design ProblemKatherine L. Monti, Ph.D.r Principal Statistical Scientist, Rho, Inc. kMarch 12, 2011

  2. Why Statistics? Why Biostatistics? • Math     • Earning power $ $ $ was not in math • Variety of non-math courses • Math + Applications Statistics • Forestry, biology, education, anthropology, finance and economics, sociology, manufacturing, advertising, …. • Epidemiology, health sciences, medicine, drug development,

  3. Where I’ve Been and Why • UNC Sch. of Public Health -- Chapel Hill • University of Missouri - St. Louis Department of Mathematics & Computer Science • Ralston Purina Company • Ciba Corning Diagnostics Corporation • Astra Pharmaceuticals • Rho, Inc. • Along the way – a little independent consulting

  4. I wanted variety • I got variety! • Some of the projects I’ve worked on over the decades.

  5. Projects • Energy review system (Ralston) • Simple review of energy usage, external temperature, and production saved millions of dollars a year per plant Energy use = a + b (external temperature) + c (tons*) * Tons of pet food or cereal produced

  6. Projects • Effects of weight gain restriction in Labrador retrievers (Ralston): DG448—only long-term, large mammal study investigating the health and longevity advantages of lean body mass (achieved in dogs by diet restriction)

  7. Projects • Feline reproduction (Ralston): a publication of simple summary of data from Ralston cattery has become a classic paper in veterinary medicine

  8. Projects • Heritability of feline cardiomyopathy: 25 years of feline reproductive data, 7 generations of ancestors (27 = 128) • MMMMMMM - MMMMMM …. - MM - M • MMMMMMF - MMMMMF - MF - F • MMMMMFM - MMMMFM - FM • MMMMMFF - MMMMFF - FF • MMMMFMM … • MMMMFMF - FFFFFF • MMMMFFM • … • FFFFFFF

  9. Projects • Salary discrimination law suit (Independent consulting) • Fauteck vs Montgomery Ward, 1970’s and early ‘80s • Systematically paid women less • In general, women had more years of experience, longer time with the company, higher education…and a lower salary, for any job category • ~ $5,000,000 settlement

  10. Projects • Medical instrumentation (Ciba Corning) • Blood gas machines • Co-oximeters • PSA testing

  11. Projects • Drug studies (Astra, Rho): blood pressure, acute pain, chronic pain, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, opioid-induced constipation, asthma, allergy, AIDS, autism, cancer, traumatic brain injury, arthritis, diabetes….

  12. Twinkies • Studying the ratio of emulsifiers in Hostess Twinkies for optimal springiness (Ralston/Continental Baking) • A mixture design • 3 emulsifiers make up a total of 5% of the recipe • How to decide the proportions of the emulsifiers

  13. Statisticians Have Variety • Opportunities exist in many fields • So....you can find one you like and go in that direction

  14. It is a great time to be a biostatistician! • http://www.biostatpharma.com • Google “biostatistics” “prospective student” • KMonti@RhoWorld.com

  15. When I graduated, I had no idea... • How much writing I would do and how valuable my high school grammar class would be. • That I should have taken more chemistry. • How important team work is.

  16. When I graduated, I had no idea... • How much the field of statistics would continue to grow. • How much you teach even when you don’t teach. • How valuable curiosity, common sense, and common courtesy are.

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