Statistical Methods

This page has a list of publications and news articles related to Innovative Strategies - Statistical Methods. Find more information on Innovation in HEI's research programs.

Novel Statistical Methods for Studying Pollutant Mixtures

April 7, 2016

HEI Research Report 183, Part 3, Modeling of Multipollutant Profiles and Spatially Varying Health Effects with Applications to Indicators of Adverse Birth Outcomes, describes a study to develop and apply statistical methods to analyze the effects of multipollutant exposures on health, expanding beyond the two-pollutant approaches used in many studies to date.

Update Fall 2015

Newsletter

Health Effects Institute

2015

Topics:

This newsletter reports on the approval of new HEI studies to examine potential health effects of low-level pollution; the completion of a review of diesel exhaust studies (Special Report 19) by an HEI-appointed panel; and WHO's plans to update global air quality guidelines. In addition, it announces the publication of an HEI report taking a closer look at exposure to PM_2.5 and its composition and a report evaluating rapid heart rhythm changes after exposure to PM. HEI also announces the recipient of the 2015 Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award and the appointment of three new HEI Research Committee members.

Development of Statistical Methods for Multipollutant Research

Research Report 183, Parts 1 and 2

Brent A Coull

et al.

Eun Sug Park

et al.

2015

Topics:

Air Pollution

Multipollutant Mixtures

Innovation

Statistical Methods

This report contains two studies, by Drs. Brent A Coull and Eun Sug Park and their colleagues, and a Commentary discussing each study individually, as well as an Integrative Discussion of the two.
Part 1. Statistical Learning Methods for the Effects of Multiple Air Pollution Constituents. Brent A. Coull et al.
Part 2. Development of Enhanced Statistical Methods for Assessing Health Effects Associated with an Unknown Number of Major Sources of Multiple Air Pollutants. Eun Sug Park et al.

Update Spring 2015

Newsletter

Health Effects Institute

2015

Topics:

Multipollutant Mixtures

Contents: HEI's Strategic Plan for 2015–2020 Now Under Way; Greenbaum Chairs NRC Review of U.S. Climate, Health Assessment; O'Keefe Closes Out Successful Run on Key Air Advisory Committee; Communicating Results - HEI Science Highlighted at EPA Workshops HEI in the News - Wide Audience for ACES Findings; Novel Statistical Methods for Studying Pollutant Mixtures; Journal Spotlights NPACT Studies; Eyes on the Future - HEI Sponsors Meet with Research Committee to Discuss the Path Forward; Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award Announced

New Statistical Approaches to Semiparametric Regression with Application to Air Pollution Research

Research Report 175

James M Robins

Peng Zhang

Rajeev Ayyagari

Roger Logan

Eric Tchetgen Tchetgen

Lingling Li

Thomas Lumley

Aad van der Vaart

2013

Topics:

Innovation

Statistical Methods

This report describes semiparametric methods for epidemiologic investigations of the short-term effects of air pollution on health, intended specifically to improve the reliability of point estimates and confidence intervals. Dr. James Robins of the Harvard School of Public Health and colleagues developed the new methods, used simulations to compare them with other methods, and applied them to a large epidemiologic data set from the National Morbidity, Mortality, and Air Pollution Study (NMMAPS) to assess their effectiveness. The report is accompanied by a short editorial to assist the reader in understanding this study and its contributions to epidemiologic methods for air pollution.

Update Summer 2013

Newsletter

Health Effects Institute

2013

Topics:

Contents: Annual Conference Showcases HEI's Scientific Program; Did the Irish Coal Bans Improve Air Quality and Health? Novel Approaches to Analyzing Health Effects Data; Board Seeks New Review Committee Chair; HEI Moving to Improve the Way it Communicates; Expert Group Conducts Peer Review of ACES Pathology Results

Selective Detection and Characterization of Nanoparticles from Motor Vehicles

Research Report 173

Murray V Johnston

Joseph P Klems

Christopher A Zordan

M Ross Pennington

James N Smith

2013

Topics:

This report describes a study in which a nano aerosol mass spectrometer (NAMS) was used to study composition of nanoparticles in real time near a major roadway intersection. Dr. Murray V. Johnston of the University of Delaware, Newark, and colleagues conducted a field test in Wilmington, Delaware, to evaluate performance of the instrument in a real-world setting and to assess whether it could aid in identifying the major source contributions to nanoparticle spikes and background levels, including distinguishing diesel from gasoline vehicles.

Accountability Analysis of Title IV Phase 2 of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments

Research Report 168

Richard D Morgenstern

Winston Harrington

Jhih-Shyang Shih

Michelle L Bell

2012

Topics:

This report describes a study that analyzed the relationships between reductions in pollutants from power plants and fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) concentrations in the eastern United States between 1999 and 2005. Dr. Richard D. Morgenstern of Resources for the Future and colleagues used a novel data-driven source-receptor model to explore the statistical relationships between source emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides and monitored concentrations of PM_2.5. They performed various external comparisons of their models, and compared the reductions to an estimated counterfactual scenario in which no mandated reductions in SO₂ occurred.

Update Spring 2012

Newsletter

Health Effects Institute

2012

Topics:

Contents: Greenbaum Testifies on "Producing Credible Science for Decisions"; New HEI Health Effects Study of Modern Diesel Engine Emissions; Health Outcomes and Biomarkers Studies Approved; Multicity Study in Latin America; Air Pollution and Children's Health in Vietnam; HEI in the News; Communication 17: ACES Exposure Atmosphere; Annual Report Now Available; New Global Burden of Disease Estimates; HEI Investigator Wins Haagen-Smit Prize; Workshop on Assessing Exposure to Pollution from Traffic; IARC Review of Diesel and Gasoline Exhaust

Internet-Based Health and Air Pollution Surveillance System

Communication 12

Scott L Zeger

Aidan McDermott

Francesca Dominici

Roger D. Peng

Jonathan Samet

2006

Topics:

HEI Communication 12 describes a project by Dr Scott Zeger and colleagues at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health that was funded by HEI to make data and software from the National Morbidity, Mortality, and Air Pollution Study (NMMAPS) available to the wider research and policy communities. This Communication contains the Project Report, which describes the Internet-Based Health and Air Pollution Surveillance System (iHAPSS), along with Comments from some members of the HEI Health Research and Review Committees and other experts who had used the data.