Philosophy

Science is always a reflection of our values, both as a society and as individuals, and of the systems and structures within which we operate (funders, universities and institutes, scientific societies, journals, and informal relationships with colleagues). Here I share some of the motivating principals of this lab, both towards research and science generally, and on the state and use of statistical methods in science.

Research as Service

We view research as a service profession in which researchers are paid largely by governments and have an obligation to responsible use of funds.

Two arrows pointing in opposite directions

Communitarian Statistics

Statistical thinking is essential to competent evaluation of many questions in everyday life.

Three people thinking about a statistical chart

Our Statistical Approach

Much of theoretical statistics involves assumptions that rarely apply to real data, and most real data involve multiple complexities in combinations that may not have been studied in detail.

Computer screen with a pie chart, line graph and column chart

Use of Statistics in Medical Research

The quality of statistical analyses in most medical research is quite poor, and the impact of this on human health is undoubtedly large.

The State of Scientific Research

Structural problems in the research system are particularly acute in medical research.

Cohen Lab on Aging, Systems and Statistics