Evaluative Clinical Sciences

Research Administrative Assistant: Tilley Creary
Email: tilley.creary@sunnybrook.ca

Education:

• B.Sc., 1990, mathematics, McGill University, Canada
• M.Sc., 1992, mathematics, University of Toronto, Canada
• PhD, 1997, mathematics, U of T, Canada
• M.Sc., 1997, statistics, U of T, Canada

Appointments and Affiliations:

• Senior scientist, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Schulich Heart Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
• Full professor, Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto
• Senior scientist, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences

Research Foci:

• Statistics
• Health services research
• Clinical epidemiology methodology
• Statistical methods for large administrative health care databases

Research Summary:

The focus of Dr. Austin's research is on statistical methods for health services and clinical epidemiology research. There are three themes to his program of research:

• propensity-score methods for estimating the effects of treatments, interventions, and exposures using observational data
• survival analysis in the presence of competing risks
• statistical methods for predicting outcomes for patients receiving medical or surgical care.

Selected Publications:

See current publications list at PubMed.

1. Austin PC. A comparison of 12 algorithms for matching on the propensity score. Stat Med. 2014 Mar 15;33(6):1057–1069. doi: 10.1002/sim.6004.
2. Austin PC. Using ensemble-based methods for directly estimating causal effects: An investigation of tree-based G-computation. Multivariate Behav Res. 2012 Feb;47:115–135. doi: 10.1080/00273171.2012-640600.
3. Austin PC. An introduction to propensity-score methods for reducing the effects of confounding in observational studies. Multivariate Behav Res. 2011 May;46:399–424. doi: 10.1080/00273171.2011.56876.
4. Austin PC. Optimal caliper widths for propensity-score matching when estimating differences in means and differences in proportions in observational studies. Pharm Stat. 2011 March;10:150–161. doi: 10.1002/pst.433.
5. Austin PC. A critical appraisal of propensity score matching in the medical literature from 1996 to 2003. Stat Med 2008 May;27:2037–2049. doi: 10.1002/sim.3150.

Related News and Stories:

• Patients with irregular heart rhythm more likely to stay on medication when prescribed by emergency medicine doctor: Study suggests visit to emergency department is more impactful than referral to family doctor for people with atrial fibrillation (Dec. 10, 2019)
• Scientists secure investment from federal research funding agency: Grants will advance new approaches to treating cancer, and diseases of the heart and brain (July 16, 2019)
• Driving progress: National health research agency funds a dozen SRI scientists (April 25, 2014)

Related Links:

• Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences profile
• Selected works of Peter C. Austin
• Twitter: @Stats_research
• ResearchGate profile