Daniel Barker

Dr. Daniel Barker is a part-time Senior Lecturer in Medical Statistics at the School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, and a concurrent part-time Senior Statistician at the Hunter Medical Research Institute's Data Sciences Division. With over 15 years of experience in health-related statistical research, he specializes in designing complex clinical trials and modeling longitudinal/correlated data. His collaborations span national and international institutions, applying his expertise to cancer, cardiovascular disease, indigenous health, nutrition, pharmaceuticals, respiratory medicine, and stroke.

• Education: PhD in Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Statistics (2018), GradDip in Medical Statistics (2012), BMath (2006) from the University of Newcastle.

Research Interests: Daniel's current focus includes adaptive clinical trials—trials with pre-specified statistical rules to optimize resource use—and methodologies for stepped wedge cluster randomized trials. His work extends to health service delivery, pharmacological interventions, and epidemiological modeling in maternal/child health.

Publication Trends: His articles span 2012–2025, emphasizing biostatistics in clinical trials, particularly asthma during pregnancy, telestroke networks, and stepped wedge designs. Key subfields include neutrophilic inflammation, trial adaptations, and health equity in underserved populations.

• Scientific Awards:
  • 2013 BCA Star Graduate
  • 2016 J.B. Douglas Postgraduate Award
  • 2013 Australian Postgraduate Award
  • 2017 Highly Commended Teaching Award

Teaching: Coordinated postgraduate courses including Biostatistics A/B, Clinical Trial Design, Bayesian Methods, and Regression Modelling at the University of Newcastle's Faculty of Health and Medicine.

Collaborations: Frequent co-author with researchers in asthma (Peter Gibson, Jodie Simpson), stroke (Neil Spratt, John Attia), and public health (John Wiggers, Chris Paul), with cross-disciplinary work in nutrition, indigenous health, and addiction treatment.