People

Dr Rhian Daniel

Dr Rhian Daniel

Reader in Medical Statistics

School of Medicine

Email:
danielr8@cardiff.ac.uk
Location:
306c, Neuadd Meirionnydd, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4YS
Welsh speaking
Media commentator
Available for postgraduate supervision

I am a statistician with a particular focus on methods for learning about cause-effect relationships from observational data. I am especially interested in situations, such as when attempting to learn about the joint effects of sequential exposures in the presence of time-dependent confounding, or when attempting to disentangle path-specific causal effects, where standard regression methods are known to be valid only under highly unrealistic assumptions, but where alternative, so-called "causal inference", methods rely on weaker assumptions and hence can deliver substantially more reliable inferences with respect to the question of scientific interest.

I am interested in the development, dissemination and application of these methods.

I hold a Sir Henry Dale fellowship from the Wellcome Trust and the Royal Society on the topic Statistical methods for studying multidimensional mediators of genetic associations with chronic diseases. The methodological developments entailed in this fellowship will extend causal mediation analysis to settings with high-dimensional mediators, by incorporating machine learning methods.

My current/recent applied collaborations include work on socio-economic disparities in breast cancer survival, intergenerational patterns of eating disorder behaviours, and the efficacy of treatments given to patients with cystic fibrosis.

Having recently (June 2017) joined the Division of Population Medicine, I look forward to collaborating with my new colleagues on, among other things, the development and application of causal inference methods to the analysis of routinely-collected data.

Education and qualifications

  • 2009: PhD ("On aspects of robustness and sensitivity in missing data methods"; supervisor: Mike Kenward) London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
  • 2005: MSc (Medical Statistics) London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
  • 2004: Certificate of Advanced Studies (Mathematics) Queens' College, Cambridge, UK
  • 2003: BA (Mathematics) Queens' College, Cambridge, UK

Career overview

  • 2017 - present: Reader, Division of Population Medicine, Cardiff University
  • 2015 - 2017: Lecturer / Assistant Professor and Sir Henry Dale Fellow, Medical Statistics Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
  • 2013 - 2015: Lecturer, Medical Statistics Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
  • 2011 - 2013: Research Fellow, Medical Statistics Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
  • 2008 - 2011: Research Fellow, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Professional memberships

  • Royal Statistical Society
  • International Biometrics Society

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2010

2006

Areas of expertise

External profiles