Biostatistics and Epidemiology Service Core

Overview of Services

Biostatistics and Epidemiology Service Core services are provided from members of the Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology under the direction of Paul Christos, Dr.PH, MS. These services are only available to faculty and staff with a primary appointment at the WCMC campus. This mechanism is recommended for divisions and departments with short-term epidemiological and statistical needs. For longer term needs, please see Long-term Collaboration Plans (Internal or External).

What does this plan provide?

• Statistical analysis
• Sample size and power analysis
• Study design
• Database design and management
• Questionnaire development
• Design and analysis of animal studies
• Educational workshop/lecture/tutorial
• Preparation or revision of manuscripts

How does it work?

The WCMC investigator/department requesting the service reimburses the Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at $150/hour including the initial consultation (a rate subsidized by WCMC). An estimated cost will be provided to the investigator after the initial consultation. An invoice will be issued from the Division at the project completion, or semiannually if the project is of a longer duration.

Policies and Guidelines for Collaboration under the ‘Biostatistics and Epidemiology Service Core’

We recommend that investigators include the Biostatistics and Epidemiology Service Core as early as possible in the development process. Please contact us well in advance of any deadlines (e.g., abstract submissions, grant applications, IRB deadlines). 

Expected Turnaround Time for Initial Consult

Someone will contact you within a few days of receiving your request. An appointment will be scheduled with a consultant, usually to occur within one week.

Expected Turnaround Time for Actual Work on the Project

This is, of course, dependent on the nature and scope of the project. If the protocol or data are not finalized, the time to completion of the project will commence when these are finalized. Generally, investigators can expect a turnaround time of 7-10 days.

Policies for Manuscript Writing

Authorship

A frequently asked question is whether biostatistical consultants should be co-authors on scientific papers. We feel that decisions about authorship should be independent of consideration of funding sources. As recommended in published guidelines (Parker RA, Berman NG: Criteria for authorship for statisticians in medical papers. Statistics in Medicine 17: 2289-2299 [1998]), “The basis of financial support should be the time/effort spent on a project and the basis for authorship should be whether the statistician has made a scientific contribution to the project.” We follow ICMJE criteria for authorship: Substantial contribution to data analyses or manuscript preparation constitutes authorship and not acknowledgment. Authorship cannot be exchanged with currency to pay for services. Per ICMJE guidelines, authorship implies all four of the following items: (1) substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; (2) drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; (3) final approval of the version to be published; and (4) agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. 

Leadership

Paul Christos, Dr.PH, MS

Director

Associate Research Professor of Healthcare Policy and Research

Phone: 646-962-8018

Email: pac2001@med.cornell.edu

Location and hours of operation