Dr Rebecca Whittle PhD, MSc, BSc

• PhD “Statistical methods for prognostic factor and risk prediction research”, Keele University, 2023
• MSc in Medical Statistics, University of Leicester, 2013
• BSc in Mathematics, University of Leeds, 2012

Rebecca completed her MSc in Medical Statistics at the University of Leicester in 2013 as part of a NIHR Research Methods Fellowship at Keele University.

Following completion of her MSc and the remainder of her fellowship at Keele, Rebecca began a PhD on a part time basis. The overarching focus of her thesis was to apply and develop statistical methods for prognosis research, with a particular focus on the identification of prognostic factors and the performance of risk prediction models. There was a particular emphasis on various methodological aspects relating to this, including the measurement error that may be present within predictors used in the development of prediction models, the impact of measuring a time-varying predictor after the intended moment of using the prediction model in practice, and the use of individual participant data (IPD) from multiple studies to evaluate prognostic factor effects with binary outcomes.

Whilst working towards her PhD, Rebecca also provided statistical support for various clinical research projects, with a particular focus on the use of large data from electronic health records.

Rebecca joined the BESTEAM research group at the University of Birmingham in November 2023 and is currently working on multiple projects to improve sample size calculations for the development, validation, and updating of clinical prediction models.

Current projects

• SS-PREDICT - Sample size guidance for developing and validation reliable and fair AI prediction models in healthcare.
• SS-UPDATE - Sample size calculations for updating clinical prediction models to ensure their accuracy and fairness in practice.