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Supporting clinical research in primary care and advancing statistical methods to improve healthcare worldwide – a team of statisticians, systematic reviewers, methodologists and health economists involved in international research programmes.

Medical statisticians teaching on Evidence-based health care course
Medical statisticians teaching on the Evidence-Based Health Care programme

We are a team of statisticians, systematic reviewers, methodologists and health economists who are involved in a variety of research programmes using a wide range of expertise to develop innovative methods of analysis and monitoring in primary and secondary research, including diabetes, oral anticoagulation therapy, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease.

Professor Perera, Director of the Medical Statistics Group, has overseen the development of one of the strongest methodological/statistical groups in the UK (across all clinical areas) with a particular emphasis on monitoring, with the group achieving national and international recognition [NIHR Progress Report 2008/09-Delivering Health Research].

The team also provides support for the design, execution and analysis of studies to all the clinical research groups in the department as well as our own individual research programmes. We are closely involved in:

Clinical trials

We provide support to the Primary Care Clinical Trials Unit with statisticians embedded within the Trials Unit. We specialise in primary care trials and in particular the design and analysis of cluster trials.

Teaching

Our group is heavily involved in teaching of both undergraduate and post graduate programmes. In particular, many of our senior members act as supervisors for both the MSc in EBHC and for both of our DPhil programmes. Professor Perera also teaches for Cochrane UK.

Work with us 

NIHR Undergraduate Internships in Data Science 

Latest publications:

Burden and economic impact of RSV hospitalisations among English adults, 2023/24

Journal article

Truong T. et al, (2026), Journal of Infection, 93

Impact of structured medication reviews on prescribing in English primary care: a retrospective observational cohort study

Journal article

Sheppard JP. et al, (2026), British Journal of General Practice the Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 76, e603 - e612

Exploring the implementation and integration of structured medication reviews in primary care: a qualitative evaluation using normalisation process theory

Journal article

Reidy C. et al, (2026), British Journal of General Practice the Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 76, e613 - e623

Iron deficiency testing among people with incident heart failure in primary care.

Journal article

Maharajan V. et al, (2026), BJGP Open