El nodo Galicia, liderado por la investigadora Carmen Cadarso Suárez (Universidad de Santiago de Compostela), está formado por 62 miembros. Sus principales líneas de investigación se centran en la Inferencia en Modelos Aditivos Generalizados (GAM), Extensiones del Modelo GAM y Modelos Aditivos Multi-estado (MSM) en Supervivencia.

Researchers participating in the node

Principal Investigator: María Xosé Rodríguez Álvarez (Universidade de Vigo)

View all members

Main lines of investigation

Generalized Additive Models (GAM) represent a flexible tool in multivariate regression studies. In this kind of models the researcher does not need to assume parametric form  for the effects of the covariates in the response. Its versatility allows for several extensions:

a) GAM with interactions and unknown link function

b) Multistate survival models

c)  Multivariate Response Models (VGAM).

d) Conditioned ROC curves (on covariates). Amongst these models´ immediate application areas it is worth mention Medicine (Clinical, Epidemiology, Neuroscience and Forensic Medicine and also Biology. In particular, they are essential for Clinical diagnosis and are becoming more and more useful in Epidemiology.

Amongst this node´s main lines of research:

  • Inference in Generalized Additive Models (GAM).
  • Association studies through GAM models.
  • Prediction studies using GAM models.
  • Clasiffication studies through GAM: ROC conditioned on covariates. Optimal combinations of several diagnostic tests. Quantile regression.
  • GAM extensions: Vector GAM (VGAM). Multistate Additive Models (MSM) for Survival.
  • Software development.

Apart from the methodological objectives mentioned above and due to the fact that many of the statistical projects developed have appeared as methodological challenges  born from biomedical research projects, it is believed that there is a need to transfer this knowledge to society and those areas of application of biostatistics. This leads to the main objectives:

(a) Application of the proposed methodology to real data from Medicine and Biostatistics areas:

  1. Measures of association in Clinical Medicine and Epidemiology: non parametric estimation of continuous varuablese effect measurement  curves  like Odds-Ratio (OR), Relative Risk (RR) and Hazard Ratio (HR).
  2. Neuronal firing rate. Measurement of neuronal time sinchrony. Neuronal population
    analysis.
  3. Prediction of Post-Mortem interval in Forensic Medicine through GAM models, SVM (Support Vector Machines) and Neural Networks.
  4. ROC regression analysis in clinical diagnosis. Statistical evaluation of CAD systems (Computer-Aided Diagnosis) for breast cancer.
  5. Growth curves in Medicine and Marine Biology. Smooth quantile regression.
  6. Marine invertebrates reproductive cycle modelling (GAM) applied to marine resources management.
  7. Modelling of complex survival processes in HIV/AIDS and cancer through flexible MSMs.
  8. Diseasse mapping.
  9. Modelling of spatial patterns in biodiversity.

(b) Development of friendly software for those professionals in the medical and biological sciences interested in the practical application of the proposed statistical methodology.

Institutions present in the node

National universities

  • Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
  • Universidade da Coruña
  • Universidade de Vigo

Foreign universities

  • Universidade Nova de Lisboa
  • Universidade do Minho
  • Hasselt University
  • Georg-August Göttingen Universität
  • Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
  • University of Bonn
  • Universidade de Coimbra
  • Universidade de Lisboa
  • Humboldt University of Berlin
  • Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la provincia de Buenos Aires (UNNOBA)

Biomedical institutions

  • Dirección Xeral de Innovación e Xestión da Saúde Pública de la Xunta de Galicia
  • Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago (CHUS)
  • Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Ourense (CHUO)
  • Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña (CHUAC)

Otras instituciones

  • Biostatech – Advice, Training & Innovation in Biostatistics

Biostatistics consulting activities

Biostatistics consulting services are developed in several centres (Spanish Institutions involved in Galicia Node as shown in chart) :

The CHUS Support Unit for Research provides methodological support to the centre´s different hospitals.

The Coruña University Hospital Complex (CHUAC) Support Unit provides methodological support to the centre´s different hospitals.

USC Medical School Biostatistics Unit integrates research in biostatistics with education and knowledge transfer through cooperation in the execution of the resulting documents and collaboration in research projects in Biomedicine and Statistics (see I.P.´s  curriculum vitae).

The Centre for Research Molecular Medicine and Chronical Diseases (CIMUS) where the IP and her team will be moving soon in will be also carrying out transfer activities in order to execute biostatistical research tasks in the biomedical area. This action will further extend to collaborations with members from the Santiago´s Sanitary Research Institute (IDIS).

Entities and groups with which it collaborates

Dirección General de Salud Pública (DXSP) de la Xunta de Galicia

Fundación Gallega de Endocrinología y Nutrición

Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas (CSIC – Vigo)

Rede Galega de Biotecnoloxía e Acuicultura (ReGABA)

Grupo de Recursos Marinos y Pesquerías – Universidad de A Coruña (UDC)

Laboratorio de Neurociencia Computacional (LANCON) – Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (USC)

Laboratorio de Imagen Radiológica – Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (USC)

Instituto de Acuicultura – Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (USC)

Grupo de Parasitología Humana y Animal del Instituto de Investigación y Análisis Alimentarias – Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (USC)

Grupo de Investigación GI-1232 (Laboratorio de Invertebrados Marinos)- Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (USC)

List of node members

  • María Xosé Rodríguez Álvarez

    Principal InvestigatorComité EjecutivoUniversidade de Vigo

  • Alberto Malvar Pintos

    Dirección Xeral de Innovación e Xestión da Saúde Pública de la Xunta de Galicia

  • Altea Lorenzo Arribas

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Ana Bouzas Lorenzo

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Anaderli Torres Ortiz

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Andreas Mayr

    University of Bonn

  • Arturo González Quintela

    Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago (CHUS)

  • Beatriz López Calviño

    Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña (CHUAC)

  • Berta Rial Ameijeiras

    Comité de WebmastersUniversidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Bruno de Sousa

    Universidade de Coimbra

  • Carla Díaz Louzao

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Carlos Daniel Paulino

    Universidade de Lisboa

  • Christel Faes

    Hasselt University

  • Francisco Gude Sampedro

    Comité AsesorComplexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago (CHUS)

  • Francisco Reyes Santías

    Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago (CHUS)

  • Geert Molenberghs

    Comité AsesorHasselt University

  • Geert Verbeke

    Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

  • Giovani Loiola da Silva

    Universidade de Lisboa

  • Inês Pereira Silva Cunha Sousa

    Universidade do Minho

  • Ipek Guler Caamano Fajardo

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Irene Castro Conde

    Universidade de Vigo

  • Isabel Martínez Silva

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Jacobo de Uña Álvarez

    Universidade de Vigo

  • Javier Roca Pardiñas

    Universidade de Vigo

  • Jenifer Espasandín Domínguez

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Jesús Gutiérrez Botella

    Universidade de Santiago de CompostelaBiostatech – Advice, Training & Innovation in Biostatistics

  • José Antonio Vilar Fernández

    Universidade da Coruña

  • Juan Antonio Arias López

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Laura Calaza Díaz

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Luis Meira Machado

    Comité AsesorUniversidade do Minho

  • Luzia Gonçalves

    Universidade Nova de Lisboa

  • Mª Aurora Baluja González

    Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago (CHUS)

  • Manuel Oviedo de la Fuente

    Universidade da Coruña

  • Manuel Pereiro Ferreirós

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Mar Rodríguez Girondo

    Universidade de Vigo

  • Marc Aerts

    Hasselt University

  • María Amalia Jácome Pumar

    Universidade da Coruña

  • María Ausencia Tomé Martínez de Rituerto

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • María del Carmen Carollo Limeres

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • María Graciela Estévez Pérez

    Universidade da Coruña

  • María Isabel Borrajo García

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • María Isolina Santiago Pérez

    Dirección Xeral de Innovación e Xestión da Saúde Pública de la Xunta de Galicia

  • María José Ginzo Villamayor

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • María José Lombardía Cortiña

    Universidade da Coruña

  • María Pazos Pata

    Biostatech – Advice, Training & Innovation in Biostatistics

  • María Teresa Alves Pérez

    Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Ourense (CHUO)

  • María Teresa Seoane Pillado

    Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña (CHUAC)

  • Matías Hisgen

    Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la provincia de Buenos Aires (UNNOBA)

  • Mercedes Conde Amboage

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Muiños

    Dirección Xeral de Innovación e Xestión da Saúde Pública de la Xunta de Galicia

  • Mónica López Ratón

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Nadja Klein

    Humboldt University of Berlin

  • Óscar Lado Baleato

    Comité de ConsultoríaUniversidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Pablo García Tahoces

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Pedro Faraldo Roca

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Pilar Cacheiro Martínez

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Pilar Gayoso Diz

    Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago (CHUS)

  • Ricardo Cao

    Universidade da Coruña

  • Roberto Domínguez Gómez

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Rosa Crujeiras Casais

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Sonia Pértega Díaz

    Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña (CHUAC)

  • Thomas Kneib

    Comité AsesorGeorg-August Göttingen Universität

  • Vicente Lustres Pérez

    Biostatech – Advice, Training & Innovation in Biostatistics

  • Wenceslao González Manteiga

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Xosé Luis Otero Cepeda

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

  • Xurxo Hervada Vidal

    Dirección Xeral de Innovación e Xestión da Saúde Pública de la Xunta de Galicia
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