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Research

Statistical consultants often encounter researchers needing support with study design and data analysis, particularly when it comes to selecting the appropriate analysis method. Despite formal training in quantitative courses, many academic researchers lack hands-on experience, leading to uncertainty in their statistical decisions. My PhD research aims to bridge this gap by developing innovative AI tools, specifically R Shiny applications, that provide researchers with critical feedback on their statistical analyses. This project focuses on areas where non-statisticians commonly struggle, such as residual diagnostics for verifying regression assumptions, interpreting multi-way interactions, and selecting covariance structures in mixed models. These tools are designed not to be exhaustive but to offer essential scientific guidance and reflections on specific statistical techniques and assumptions, fostering more robust and confident analysis. For a detailed summary of my PhD aims and objectives, please visit my university profile.

Scientific Interests #

My research interests span a broad spectrum of topics within the medical sciences, with a particular focus on:

  • Public Health, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics: Exploring statistical methods to enhance the understanding of population health trends and disease dynamics.
  • Health and Medical Informatics: Integrating data science with healthcare systems to improve decision-making and patient outcomes.
  • Precision Medicine and Pharmacometrics: Tailoring medical treatments to individual characteristics, including the development of models to optimize drug therapy.
  • High-Dimensional Data Analysis and Machine Learning: Applying advanced analytical techniques to manage and interpret complex, large-scale datasets in medical research.
  • Statistical Programming: Developing and utilising computational tools to perform rigorous statistical analyses, with a focus on reproducibility and efficiency.

Publications #

  • Stegen, H., Duppen, D., Savieri, P., Stas, L., Pan, H., Aartsen, M., … & De Donder, L. (2024). Loneliness prevalence of community-dwelling older adults and the impact of the mode of measurement, data collection, and country: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Psychogeriatrics, 1-15. [doi.org/10.1017/S1041610224000425]
  • Savieri, P., Nyamandi, C., Sigwadhi, L. N.; Tamuzi, J., Allwood, B., Koegelenberg, C. F., Irusen, E. M., Lalla, U., Ngah, V. D., Zemlin, A. E., Chapanduka, Z. C., Erasmus, R. T., Matsha, T. E., Daramola, J. O., Zumla, A., Nyasulu, P. S. Length of Stay Analysis of COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit Admissions Using Count Regression and Hurdle Regression Models: A Study in a Tertiary Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. Preprints 2024, 2024030973. [preprint]
  • Pattyn, N., Van Cutsem, J., Van Puyvelde, M., van den Berg, N., Lacroix, E., Dessy, E., Verheyden, C., Huybens, W., Lo Bue, S., Tibax, V., Vliegen, R., Ceccaldi, J., Savieri, P., Stas, L., & Mairesse, O. (2024). Smart is the new strong: An investigation of the contribution of physical, cognitive, anthropometric, and personality variables to success in a Tier 1 special forces qualification course. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 13(2), 183–204. [doi.org/10.1037/spy0000336]
  • De Wilde, L., Stas, L., Savieri, P., Vanhaverbeke, L., Keserü, I., & Macharis, C. (2023). Can we persuade company car drivers to opt out?. Frontiers in Sustainability, 4, 1163127. [doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2023.1163127]
  • Sigwadhi LN, Tamuzi JL, Zemlin AE, Chapanduka ZC, Allwood BW, Koegelenberg CF, Irusen EM, Lalla U, Ngah VD, Yalew A, Savieri P, … & Nyasulu, P. S. Latent class analysis: an innovative approach for identification of clinical and laboratory markers of disease severity among COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit. IJID regions. 2022 Dec 1;5:154-62. [doi.org/10.1016/j.ijregi.2022.10.004]
  • Coemans, S., Keulen, S., Savieri, P., Tsapkini, K., Engelborghs, S., Chrispeels, N., … & Struys, E. (2022). Executive functions in primary progressive aphasia: A meta-analysis. Cortex, 157, 304-322. [doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2022.10.001]
  • Dogbey, D. M., Burger, H., Edge, J., Mihalik, M., & Savieri, P. (2022). Identification of Palliative Care Needs in Cancer Patients in a Surgical Emergency Center. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 63(2), 260-270. [doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2021.08.008]
For a detailed list of publications see my Google Scholar, ORCID or ResearchGate profile.

Talks & posters #

  • Modern Modeling Methods Conference (2024): "LMMCov: An Interactive Research Tool for Efficiently Selecting Covariance Structures in Linear Mixed Models Using Insights from Time Series Analysis." University of Connecticut, United States
  • 29th Annual Meeting of the Royal Statistical Society of Belgium (2022): "ReDiag: A teaching tool to assess the linearity and normality regression assumptions." Brussels, Belgium

Memberships & academic services #

  • Reviewer for PLOS ONE (2023 – Present)
  • Member of the Royal Statistical Society of Belgium (RSSB) (2021 – Present)
  • Member of the International Biometric Society (IBS) through The Adolphe Quetelet Society (2021 – Present)
  • Consultant for Support for Quantitative and Qualitative Research (SQUARE) core facility of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (2021 – Present)
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