A graduate of the University of Washington (UW) biostatistics program, Robert Wellman, MS, joined the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) Biostatistics Unit in 2009. His work spans a diverse collection of topics including mental health, pharmacoepidemiology, postmarketing drug safety surveillance, obesity, diagnostic test accuracy, back pain, and breast cancer. Prior to this, he spent 5 years in the Biostatistics Core at the UW Center for AIDS Research.
Causal inference; longitudinal data; diagnostic and screening test accuracy; clinical trials; survival analysis: rare disease outcomes; nonparametrics; missing data; electronic data; distributed data; statistical computing
Biostatistics; HIV/AIDS; vaccine safety
Biostatistics; clinical trials; back pain
Biostatistics; bariatric surgery
Biostatistics; breast cancer; effects of chemotherapy; accuracy of automated data; screening test accuracy; advanced imaging
Biostatistics; pharmacoepidemiology; postmarketing drug safety surveillance; big data; electronic health record and claims data
Biostatistics; suicide risk prediction, machine learning
Yeung K, Zhu W, McCurry SM, Von Korff M, Wellman R, Morin CM, Vitiello MV. Cost-effectiveness of telephone cognitive behavioral therapy for osteoarthritis-related insomnia. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2021 Oct 11. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17469. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Vitiello MV, Zhu W, Von Korff M, Wellman R, Morin CM, Yeung K, McCurry SM. Short-term improvements in insomnia or pain predict long-term improvements in sleep, pain, depression, and fatigue in older adults with co-morbid osteoarthritis pain and insomnia. Sleep. 2021 Sep 13:zsab231. doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsab231. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Pocobelli G, Akosile MA, Hansen RN, Eavey J, Wellman RD, Johnson RL, Carls G, Bron M, Dublin S. Obstructive sleep apnea and risk of motor vehicle accident. Sleep Med. 2021 Jul 17;85:196-203. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2021.07.019. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
McCurry SM, Zhu W, Von Korff M, Wellman R, Morin CM, Thakral M, Yeung K, Vitiello MV. Effect of telephone cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in older adults with osteoarthritis pain: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2021 Feb 22:e209049. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.9049. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Fireman B, Gruber S, Zhang Z, Wellman R, Nelson JC, Franklin J, Maro J, Murray CR, Toh S, Gagne J, Schneeweiss S, Amsden L, Wyss R. Consequences of depletion of susceptibles for hazard ratio estimators based on propensity scores. Epidemiology. 2020 Nov;31(6):806-814. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000001246. PubMed
Models that are easier to explain, use could have better uptake in health care settings.
A study among KP members with sleep problems and osteoarthritis shows promise for overcoming obstacles to treatment.
Watch video on latest results from PCORnet Bariatric Study. (Spoiler alert: Bypass, not sleeve.)