This project aims to develop methods and software for performing spatio-temporal analysis of cancer incidence and smoking data in Ontario over long time periods with high spatial resolution.
Postdoctoral fellow: Dr. Paul Nguyen, Division of Biostatistics, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Lead faculty member: Dr. Patrick Brown, Division of Biostatistics, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
This project aims to develop methods and software for performing spatio-temporal analysis of cancer incidence and smoking data in Ontario over long time periods with high spatial resolution. This will allow changes of cancer incidence over time to be better understood, and accommodate rare cancers that require long study periods in order to accumulate data. Because of small counts common to small area analysis, computationally intensive Bayesian inference methods will be needed. The first stage will identify existing methods and develop software suitable for wide-scale adoption by the non-specialist, as an add-on package to the R statistical software. The second stage will be to contribute to ongoing research to address substantial problems endemic to this type of analysis, for instance changes in spatial boundaries over time. In collaboration with Cancer Care Ontario, the usefulness of these methods for programs related to cancer control will be demonstrated.