Robert Wellman, MS

“Being part of Kaiser Permanente research teams gives me a chance to develop cutting-edge biostatistical methods while contributing to health care research with a national impact.”

Robert Wellman, MS

Principal Collaborative Biostatistician, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute

Robert.D.Wellman@kp.org
206-287-2557

Curriculum vitae (CV)

Biography

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.

Research interests and experience

Biostatistics

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

Vaccines & Infectious Diseases

Biostatistics; HIV/AIDS; vaccine safety

Complementary & Integrative Health

Biostatistics; clinical trials; back pain

Obesity

Biostatistics; bariatric surgery
Cancer

Biostatistics; breast cancer; effects of chemotherapy; accuracy of automated data; screening test accuracy; advanced imaging

Medication Use & Patient Safety

Biostatistics; pharmacoepidemiology; postmarketing drug safety surveillance; big data; electronic health record and claims data

Mental Health

Biostatistics; suicide risk prediction, machine learning

Recent publications

McCurry SM, Von Korff M, Morin CM, Cunningham A, Pike KC, Thakral M, Wellman R, Yeung K, Zhu W, Vitiello MV. Telephone interventions for co-morbid insomnia and osteoarthritis pain: the OsteoArthritis and Therapy for Sleep (OATS) randomized trial design. Contemp Clin Trials. 2019 Oct 12:105851. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2019.105851. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed

Cook AJ, Wellman RD, Marsh T, Shoaibi A, Tiwari R, Nguyen M, Boudreau D, Weintraub ES, Jackson L, Nelson JC. Applying sequential surveillance methods that use regression adjustment or weighting to control confounding in a multi-site, rare event, distributed setting: part 2:in-depth example of a re-analysis of the measles-mumps-rubella-varicella combination vacc J Clin Epidemiol. 2019 Sep; 113:114-122. PubMed

Arterburn D, Wellman R, Emiliano A, Smith SR, Odegaard AO, Murali S, Williams N, Coleman KJ, Courcoulas A, Coley RY, Anau J, Pardee R, Toh S, Janning C, Cook A, Sturtevant J, Horgan C, McTigue KM. Comparative effectiveness and safety of bariatric procedures for weight loss: a PCORnet cohort study. Ann Intern Med. 2018 Dec 4;169(11):741-750. doi: 10.7326/M17-2786. Epub 2018 Oct 30. PubMed

Cherkin D, Balderson B, Wellman R, Hsu C, Sherman KJ, Evers SC, Hawkes R, Cook A, Levine MD, Piekara D, Rock P, Estlin KT, Brewer G, Jensen M, LaPorte AM, Yeoman J, Sowden G, Hill JC, Foster NE. Effect of Low Back Pain Risk-Stratification Strategy on Patient Outcomes and Care Processes: the MATCH Randomized Trial in Primary Care. LID - 10.1007/s11606-018-4468-9 [doi] J Gen Intern Med. 2018 May 22. pii: 10.1007/s11606-018-4468-9. doi: 10.1007/s11606-018-4468-9 [Epub ahead of print] PubMed

Inge T, Coley RY, Bazzano LA, Xanthakos SA, McTigue K, Arterburn D, Williams N, Wellman R, Coleman KJ, Courcoulas A, Desai NK, Anau J, Pardee R, Toh S, Janning C, Cook A, Sturtevant J, Horgan C, Zebrick AJ, Michalsky M. Comparative effectiveness of bariatric procedures among adolescents: the PCORnet bariatric study. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2018 Apr 17. doi: 10.1016/j.soard.2018.04.002.