Dr. Joseph Ibrahim

Joseph G. Ibrahim, PhD

Alumni Distinguished Professor
Department of Biostatistics
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Biostatistics
Director
Laboratory for Innovative Clinical Trials
Director
Cancer Genomics Training Grant

About

Dr. Joseph Ibrahim, Alumni Distinguished Professor of biostatistics, is principal investigator of several grants and contracts for developing statistical methodology related to clinical trials, cancer and genomics research.

Dr. Ibrahim is also the Director of the Biostatistics Core at UNC’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Ibrahim is currently the biostatistical core leader for the NIH-funded Breast Cancer Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) project. He is also the PI of the NCI training grant titled “Biostatistics for Genomics and Cancer.”

Honors and Awards

Elected Fellow
2020, International Society of Bayesian Analysis (ISBA)

Alumni Distinguished Professor
2006, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Janssen Research Foundation Chair in Survival Analysis
2005, Limbergs Universitair Centrum (LUC), Belgium

Elected Fellow
2000, Institute of Mathematical Statistics

Elected Member
2000, International Statistical Institute

Elected Fellow
1999, American Statistical Association

Elected Fellow
1989, Royal Statistical Society

Teaching Interests

Representative Courses

BIOS 762: Theory and Applications of Linear and Generalized Linear Models (Fall, 2016-2024)

BIOS 779: Bayesian Statistics (Fall 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2017, Spring 2021, 2023)


 

Research Activities

Dr. Ibrahim's areas of research focus are Bayesian inference, missing data problems, medical imaging analysis and genomics. He received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in statistics from the University of Minnesota in 1988. With more than 30 years of experience working in cancer clinical trials, Ibrahim directs the UNC Center for Innovative Clinical Trials -- one of eight Gillings Innovation Labs funded by a gift to the School from Dr. Dennis and Joan Gillings.

Dr. Ibrahim is also the director of graduate studies in the Department of Biostatistics at the Gillings School, as well as the program director of the cancer genomics training grant in the same department. He has served on several national committees and study sections, including as the section chair of the Section on Bayesian Statistical Science of the American Statistical Association and the Biostatistical Methods and Research Design (BMRD) NIH Study Section. He has also served as the associate editor for several statistical journals, and was the editor of the Journal of the American Statistical Society (JASA) - Application and Case Studies from 2013 to 2015.

Dr. Ibrahim has published more than 360 research papers, mostly in the top statistical journals. He also has published two advanced graduate-level books on Bayesian survival analysis and Monte Carlo methods in Bayesian computation. He has also supervised over 40 doctoral dissertations. He is an elected fellow of the International Society of Bayesian Analysis, American Statistical Association, Institute of Mathematical Statistics, Royal Statistical Society, and an elected member of the International Statistical Institute.

Service Activities

2013–2015: Editor for the Journal of the American Statistical Association (Applications and Case Studies)

2001–2012: Associate Editor for the Journal of the American Statistical Association (Applications and Case Studies)

2016–2021: Associate Editor for the Journal of the American Statistical Association (Applications and Case Studies)

2011–2021: Associate Editor for the Journal of the American Statistical Association (Theory and Methods)

2007–2010: Section Chair, Section on Bayesian Statistical Sciences, American Statistical Association

2005–2009: Biostatistical Methods and Research Design (BMRD) NIH Study Section (Regular Member)

2003–2008: Associate Editor for the Journal of the American Statistical Association (Theory and Methods)

2002–2006: Associate Editor for Applied Statistics

2002–2005: Epidemiology of Cancer (EPIC) NIH Study Section (Regular Member)

2004–present: Associate Editor for Bayesian Analysis

2000–2002: Associate Editor for Biometrics

1999–2002: Treasurer, Section on Bayesian Statistical Sciences, American Statistical Association

1999–2002: Associate Editor for Lifetime Data Analysis

Key Publications

Bayesian Design of Clinical Trials Using Joint Models for Recurrent and Terminating Events. Xu, J, Psioda, MA, Ibrahim, JG (2023). Biostatistics, 24.

Bayesian Design of Clinical Trials Using the Scale Transformed Power Prior. Chen, X, Nifong, B, Alt, EM, Psioda, MA, Ibrahim, JG (2024). Journal of Biopharmaceutical Statistics.

Deeply-Learned Generalized Linear Models with Missing Data. Lim, DK, Rashid, NU, Oliva, JB, Ibrahim, JG (2024). Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics.

glmmPen: High Dimensional Penalized Generalized Linear Mixed Models. Heiling, H, Rashid, NU, Li, Q, Ibrahim, JG (2024). The R Journal.

Efficient Computation of High-Dimensional Penalized Generalized Linear Mixed Models by Latent Factor Modeling of the Random Effects. Heiling, H, Rashid, NU, Li, Q, Peng, XL, Yeh, J, Ibrahim, JG (2024). Biometrics.

Safety Signal Detection with Control of Latent Factors. Tan, X, Wang, W, Zeng, D, Liu, G, Diao, G, Jafari, N, Alt, EM, Ibrahim (2024). Statistics in Medicine.

Bayesian Generalized Linear Low-Rank Regression Models for Discrete Multivariate Longitudinal Outcomes. Hauser, P, Tan, X, Chen, F, Chen, R, Ibrahim, JG (2024). Annals of Applied Statistics.

Bayesian Joint Modeling of Multivariate Longitudinal and Survival Outcomes using Gaussian Copula. Cho, S, Psioda, MA, Ibrahim, JG (2024). Biostatistics.

LEAP: The Latent Exchangeability Prior for Borrowing Information from Historical Data. Alt, EM, Chang, X, Jiang, X, Liu, Q, Mo, M, Xia, HA, Ibrahim, JG (2024). Biometrics.

Optimal Priors for the Discounting Parameter of the Normalized Power Prior. Shen, Y, Carvalho, LM, Psioda, MA, Ibrahim, JG (2024). Statistica Sinica.

Staff/Administrative Duties

2002– present: Member, Qualifying Exam Committee, Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2003–present: Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2006–present: Biostatistics Core Director, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2004–present: Director: Cancer Genomics Training Grant, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2007–present: Director: Center for Innovative Clinical Trials, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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2007–2008: Faculty Retreat Committee, Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2007–2008: Self-Study Committee, Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2006–2009: Committee on Education of Public Health (CEPH), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2001–2002: Chair, Degree Program Committee, Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health
1999–2000: Chair, Masters Degree Program Committee, Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health
1998–2002: Chair, Qualifying Exam Committee, Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health
1997–1998: Chair, Curriculum Committee, Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health
1997–1998: Member, Qualifying Exam Committee, Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health
1996–1998: Member, Degree Program Committee, Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health
1994–2002: Member, Curriculum Committee, Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health
1994–1997: Member, Student Admissions Committee, Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health

Education

  • PhD, Statistics, University of Minnesota, 1988
  • MS, Statistics, University of Minnesota, 1988
  • BS, Mathematics, University of Minnesota, 1983