Robert W. Platt

Education

Ph.D. and M.Sc., biostatistics, University of Washington; M.Sc., statistics, University of Manitoba

Summary of Experience

Professor Platt is an expert in biostatistics and pharmacoepidemiology, with a focus on developing statistical methods for causal inferences in observational studies. His recent research addresses both broad methodological topics in pharmacoepidemiology and statistical issues specific to perinatal epidemiology. Since 2011, Professor Platt has served as the leader of the methods team for the Canadian Network for Observational Drug Effect Studies, whose mandate is to provide high-quality evidence in response to drug safety queries generated by Canadian public health stakeholders. He was president of the Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research for two years, and continues to serve the society on its executive committee. Professor Platt is a past president of the Statistical Society of Canada. In addition, over a span of seven years he led and developed the Biostatistics Consulting Service and oversaw the amalgamation of biostatistics services under the Centre for Innovative Medicine and the Centre for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center. Professor Platt is an active publisher and serves as an associate editor of multiple journals, including Statistics in Medicine and the American Journal of Epidemiology. He has participated in several national grant panels, including for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC).