The NC TraCS Biostatistics Seminar Series helps clinical and translational researchers collaborate more effectively with consulting biostatisticians by building deeper understanding of key statistical concepts and methods. Researchers then are better able to (1) evaluate relevance of the concept or method for research aim(s) definition and choice of study design; and (2) properly interpret the results of data analysis.

The interpretability and validity of results taken from research studies, both designed experiments or observational study designs, can be adversely impacted by missing data. In this seminar, David Yanez, PhD, will introduce mechanisms of how missing data arises and the impacts (e.g., bias) caused by missingness. Commonly used approaches to remedy problems of missing data (e.g., single-step and multiple imputation) and the strengths and limitations of these approaches will be discussed.

Yanez is a professor of biostatistics and bioinformatics in the Duke University School of Medicine and a member in the Duke Clinical Research Institute.