Peter H. Van Ness, Ph.D., M.P.H.

• Associate Research Scientist
• Associate Director, Biostatistics Core
  

Research Interests

Dr. Van Ness is a senior biostatistician at the Program on Aging in the Geriatrics Section of the Department of Internal Medicine of the Yale University School of Medicine. He is also the Associate Director of the Biostatistics Core of the Yale Program on Aging. He specializes in the analysis of categorical and longitudinal data. His research work addresses the statistical challenges arising in clinical research with older populations, e.g., evaluating instrument reliability, designing small sample studies, analyzing multicomponent interventions, and handling missing data. A special research interest involves formulating ways to integrate qualitative and quantitative data using mixed methods and elicited priors in Bayesian statistical models.

In addition to his statistical training, Dr. Van Ness has received advanced training in social epidemiology and religious studies, and thereby brings a rare combination of skills to the interpretation of social and cultural factors that influence the health of older populations. Dr. Van Ness is a Lecturer in the Yale School of Public Health and teaches a course there entitled “Religion, Health, and Society.”

Selected Publications

1. Van Ness PH, Towle VR, Juthani-Mehta M. Testing measurement reliability in older populations: Methods for informed discrimination in instrument selection and application. Journal of Aging and Health. 2008 (in press).
2. Van Ness PH, Murphy TE, Araujo KLB, Pisani MA, Allore HG. The use of missingness screens in clinical epidemiologic research has implications for regression modeling. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 2007 (in press).
3. Van Ness PH, Allore, HG. Using the SAS ® system to investigate effect modification. Proceedings of the 31st Annual SAS ® Users Group International Conference (SUGI 31) 2006;31:1-10 (www2.sas.com/proceedings/sugi31/195-31.pdf).
4. Van Ness PH, Holford, TR, Dubin, JA. Power simulation for categorical data using the RANTBL function. Proceedings of the 30th Annual SAS® Users Group International Conference (SUGI 30) 2005;30:1-12 (www2.sas.com/proceedings/sugi30/207-30.pdf)
5. Van Ness PH. Socioeconomic marginality and health services utilization among central Harlem substance users. Substance Use & Misuse 2004;39:61-86.
6. Van Ness PH. Theology and epidemiology as complementary perspectives on aging. Journal of Religious Gerontology 2003;15(3):25-40.
7. Van Ness PH, Larson DB. Religion, Senescence, and Mental Health: The End of Life is not the End of Hope. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry; 2002: 10.4.
8. Van Ness PH, Kasl SV. Religion and cognitive dysfunction in an elderly cohort. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences 2003;58B:S21-S29.
9. Van Ness PH. Epidemiology and the study of religion. Religion 2003;33:147-59
10. Van Ness PH, Larson DB. Religion, senescence, and mental health: the end of life is not the end of hope. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2002;10:386-97
11. Van Ness PH, Kasl SV, Jones BA. Are religious women more likely to have breast cancer screening? Journal of Religion and Health 2002;41(4):333-46
12. Van Ness PH. The concept of risk in biomedical research involving human subjects. Bioethics 2001;15:364-70