“Being able to lead a project again in the challenge call shows that the research of the Applied Statistics line of BCAM is following the right steps”

Dr. Dae-Jin Lee is the principal investigator of the S3M1P4R project together with his research team of mathematicians and statisticians

Dr. Dae-Jin Lee is the principal investigator of the project New proposals for estimation, prediction and validation of semi-parametric models for the analysis of complex data with applications in Health and Climate Change (S3M1P4R). Dr. Leeobtained his PhD in mathematical engineering (area of statistical sciences) at the Universidad Carlos III (Madrid) in 2010. Since 2014, he is the leader of the Applied Statistics research line within the Data Science area at BCAM, after his postdoctoral stage at CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization). Since then, the research line has carried out its scientific activity in the field of statistical modelling in areas as diverse as health, biology, environment and sports science.

The S3M1P4R project belongs to the "research challenges" category of the National R&D&I programme 2020. The main objective of this type of projects in this category is the development of solutions oriented to the eight great challenges of society in the Spanish research plan. Our project includes a research team made up mainly of mathematicians and statisticians with extensive experience in the development of advanced statistical methods with collaborations in fields such as health, sports and life sciences, agriculture and forestry research.

“Leading a research project in the national research plan is a great responsibility, as it involves the support of a committee of experts in your research area to develop a research project for 3 or 4 years (3 in our case) from which research results are expected to have an impact on our society. Being able to lead a project again in the challenge call shows that the research of the Applied Statistics line of the center is following the right steps”, remarks Dr.Dae-Jin Lee.

The aim of the S3M1P4R project is to develop new methods for the estimation of semi-parametric regression models, which is a field of research that combines the use of parametric and non-parametric models, and which is very useful when analyzing data with complex structures (correlated data, data with partial or incomplete information). 

“The acronym S3M1P4R refers to the 3 objectives of the project: 1) development of new statistical methodology; 2) development of free software for the scientific community; 3) multidisciplinary application. From a unique perspective, semi-parametric models and in 4 application domains such as Health, clinical practice in medicine, sport sciences and climate change. Therefore, we do not restrict ourselves to a single field of application but to several fields but with a statistical methodology as a common denominator”, explains Dr. Dae-Jin Lee, principal investigator of the project.

As for the main results of the projects, they will be applied in six areas. One of them is the modelling of recurrent events in the analysis of survival or time-to-event data for injury prevention in professional sport. It will also contribute in the modelling of growth curves and also for modelling of patient-reported outcomes in the field of health and chronic diseases through the analysis of health-related quality of life questionnaires. Additionally, the results will be applied too in the analysis of surveys under complex sampling designs, validation of predictive models for use in clinical practice and the use of predictions based on the combination of predictive models through meta-models in climate change scenarios.

Dr Dae-Jin Lee adds that "in particular, our objectives are fully aligned with those of the national plan (Health, Demographic Change and Well-being, Productive and Sustainable Agriculture, Sustainability, Natural Resources, Climate Change Action and Efficiency in the use of resources and raw materials). The project also has an important role to play in the training of young predoctoral and early career stage postdoctoral researchers who compose our team. They are a fundamental part of the research team, as they have the opportunity to start their research career in the group and in a center of excellence such as BCAM.".

"As leader of the line and Principal Investigator as far as the S3M1P4R project is concerned, the medium-term challenges are clear: to develop the objectives outlined in the project. In addition, we are looking forward the resolution of the Proof of Concept (PoC) 2020 call. This is the first time of this call, and we can participate because we led another project in 2017. The PoC project would add a broader dimension to our research through the transfer of knowledge to the field of agricultural and forestry sciences. However, research is very dynamic and new challenges arise every day," explains Dr Dae-Jin Lee.

In addition, the principal investigator of S3M1P4R says that in 2022 they hope to be able to travel again, attend international conferences and research stays, as well as welcome foreign visitors at BCAM. " experts in the field of statistical modelling, as they are also an important asset for the exchange of ideas between researchers."