Benjamin Carter

Biography

Current posts held Since 2016 - Statistical Advisor (Artec CRO, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) Since 2014 - Honorary Associate Professor in Statistics (Nottingham University) Statistics Editor for the Cochrane Skin Group Since 2014 - Trial statistician to the Welsh Cancer Trials Unit (Cardiff University) Since 2013 - Lecturer in Medical Statistics (Cardiff University) Institute of Primary Care and Public Health Education 2002- 2005 - PhD - Medical Statistics, School of Applied Statistics, University of Reading, 2000- 2001 - MSc in Medical Statistics, Department of Mathematics, University of Southampton 1995- 1999 - BSc in Statistics, Department of Applied Statistics, University of Reading. Professional memberships Member of the Cochrane Skin Group (http://skin.cochrane.org/) Member of the Cochrane Statistical Methods Group (http://statistics.cochrane.org/) Member of the Older Persons Surgical Collaboration (www.opsoc.eu) Academic positions 2012- 2013 - Senior Statistician (Birmingham University), Cancer Research Clinical Trials Unit (CRCTU) 2011- 2012 - Lecturer in Medical Statistics (Cardiff/Bangor University) North Wales Centre for Primary Care Research Senior Statistician for NWORTH CTU 2010- 2011 - Lecturer in Medical Statistics, School of Health and Population Sciences, (University of Birmingham), 2007- 2009 - Statistician, South East Wales Trials Unit (Cardiff University) 2005- 2007 - Senior statistician, Veterinary Laboratories Agency (DEFRA) 2000- 2001 - Statistical report writer, Pfizer Central Research (Sandwich), Phase I/II trials 1999- 2000 - Statistician, GSK (Harlow). Trial Paroxetine in children Committees and reviewing External Commitees 2012 - 2016 Chair, Data monitoring and ethics committee PRISMATIC cluster Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) 2013 - 2018 Independent Statistician, Data monitoring and ethics committee ADENO - RCT 2010 - 2015 Independent Statistician, Data monitoring and ethics committee ESTEEM - RCT

Research Interest

Methodological Interests I have published a series of articles focused on methodologies that underpin cluster randomised controlled trials and efficient randomisation methods. I find the elegance of the intricacies of these study designs fascinating from a methodological stand point. I have a long standing interest in efficient missing data methods. In a recently published randomised controlled trial (RCT) called I implemented a novel and explicit strategy for dealing with missing item, instrument and individual level data. Current disease areas Mental health I started my career as a medical statistician at GSK (Harlow) in 1999 and began working on a suite of large studies investigating the impact of peroxetine (Seroxate) in patients with PTSD. More recently I have been involved analysing two large RCTs assessing the effect of: folate on individuals mild to moderately depressed (Bedson et al, 2014 - HTA); CT screening on cancer distress in high risk lung cancer patients (Brain, K, et al, accepted Thorax Feb-2016). A have also designed and analysed an RCT which assessed differences in anxiety between different modes of data collection (Neal et al, 2014). Mental health projects currently being undertaken: I am evaluating the folated RCT to ascertain the point of deficiency of B12 where it is believed that excess serum folate predicates production of methylmalonic acid and worsens markers of depression. I am leading a sytematic review to quantify the impact of mobile device usage on sleep outcomes. I am evaluating risk factors associated with common mental health using the Welsh Health Survey Using a risk prediction model I am evaluating risk factors associated with anxiety Oncology I have carried out with various studies of Cancer disease sites and published a number of both RCTs and systematic reviews (SCOPE, C-SIM, TRAPEZE, UKLS, DETERIME) and other well designed studies. I have worked predominantly on head and neck, lung and prostate disease sites. Primary Care and public health I have been embedded in a primary care research group and have various interests including the use of technology to encourage self management of disease, as well as increasing the uptake of non-general practice led services (eg pharmacy, dental, optometry and mental health services) and incident reporting. Dermatology I am a Statistics Editor for the Cochrane Skin Group, and have published a series of internationally impactful Cochrane reviews that have been featured in the mainstream national press in 2015, as well during plenary a plenary session at the World Dermatology conference in Vancouver during the same year. Finally in 2015 I published a very large systematic review that included 157 studies titled "Interventions for hirsutism excluding lazer treatment" and it is anticated this work will lead the way for future guidance.