Professor Stephen Walters BSc, PGCE, MSc, PhD, CStat.

Professor of Medical Statistics and Clinical Trials

ScHARR
The University of Sheffield
Regent Court
30 Regent Street
Sheffield
S1 4DA

Tel: (+44) (0)114 222 0730
Fax: (+44) (0)114 272 4095

email : s.j.walters@sheffield.ac.uk

Biography

I graduated with a degree in Mathematics and Economics. This was followed by a PGCE and an MSc in Medical Statistics and Information Technology. My PhD involved using computer intensive statistical methods for estimating sample sizes and analysing quality of life outcomes. I joined ScHARR in January 1995. I was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2003; Reader in 2008 and to a Personal Chair in 2009.

I have over 19 years´ experience of designing, analysing and reporting the results of a variety of studies including, randomised controlled trials, observational studies and surveys. I have written over 200 publications (including 118 in refereed journals and 3 books). I have been a co-applicant, statistical advisor and collaborator on over 50 health services research projects.

Research Interests

My research interests are

• Design, Analysis and Interpretation of studies with Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) outcome measures. See 'Quality of life outcomes in clinical trials and health care evaluation: a practical guide to analysis and interpretation'.
• Computer intensive methods – the bootstrap.
• Health Services Research and Technology Assessment.
• Cluster RCTs and clustering by health professional in individually randomised trials.
• Study design and sample size determination.

Teaching Interests

I have developed several courses on teaching medical statistics to medical and health science students, clinicians and allied health professionals. I have also co-authored two textbooks: 'Medical Statistics: A Textbook for the Health Sciences' and 'How to Display Data'.

I co-ordinate and teach on HAR6035 `An Introduction to Statistics and Critical Appraisal´ module on the Master of Public Health programme and the distance learning version (HAR6042). I also teach on several other courses including: HAR674 Randomised Controlled Trials; MAS6062 Bayesian Methods and Clinical Trials.

Professional activities

• Member of the Medical Research Council Strategic Skills Fellowship Panel.
• Member of the NIHR Health Technology Assessment Clinical Evaluation and Trials Board.
• Independent statistician member on several data and safety monitoring committees. 
• Member of the International Advisory Board for the journal of Quality of Life Research.
• Member of the Editorial Board for the journal of Health and Quality of Life Outcomes.

Current projects

• NIHR Yorkshire and Humber Research Design Services (YHRDS). Co-applicant (PI: Professor R. Akehurst). 2008-2013 £5,000,000
• NIHR Yorkshire and Humber Research Design Services. Co-applicant (PI: Dr Wendy Baird). 2013-2018 £5,250,000
• MRC Lifestyle Matters for maintenance of health and wellbeing. Co-applicant (PI: Professor G. Mountain).
  2011-2015  £1,139,934
• NIHR PHR Putting Life in Years (PLINY): Evaluation of the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of an intervention to promote mental wellbeing in community living older people. Co-applicant (PI: Professor G. Mountain). 2011-2015 £706,611
• NIHR PGFaR Bridging the age gap in breast cancer. Improving outcomes for older women. Co-applicant (PI: Dr L. Wyld, Prof. M. Read). 2012-2017 £1,705,273
• MRC Assessing the risk of spontaenous premature birth by electrical impedance spectroscopy of the cervix . Co-applicant (PI: Prof D. Anumba). 2012-2016 £622,047
• NIHR RfPB Replacing conventional spine radiographs with dual energy x-ray absorptiometry in children with suspected reduction in bone density . Co-applicant (PI: Dr A Offiah). 2011-2013 £193,425
• NIHR DRF A mixed methods study to evaluate clinical and cost effectiveness of self-managed exercise programme versus usual physiotherapy for chronic rotator cuff disorders. Co-applicant (PI: C. Littlewood). 2012-2014 £265,064

Key publications

• Littlewood C, Ashton J, Mawson S, May S, Walters S. A mixed methods study to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a self-managed exercise programme versus usual physiotherapy for chronic rotator cuff disorders: protocol for the SELF study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2012; 13: 62 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2474-13-62
• Burton M, Walters SJ, Saleh M, Brazier JE. An Evaluation of Patient Related Outcome Measure in Lower Limb Reconstruction Surgery. Quality of Life Research 2012. DOI: 10.1007/s11136-011-0090-6.
• Walters, S.J. Analyzing time to event outcomes with a Cox regression model. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Computational Statistics 2012 DOI: 10.1002/wics.119
• Athey VL, Suckling R, Tod AM, Walters SJ, Rogers TK. Early diagnosis of lung cancer: evaluation of a community-based social marketing intervention. Thorax 2012; 67 (5):412-417.
• Walters SJ, Morrell CJ, Slade P. Analysing data from a cluster randomised trial (cRCT) in primary care: a case study. Journal of Applied Statistics. 2011; 38 (10) 2253-2269.
• Mutebi A, Brazier JE, Walters SJ. A comparison of the discriminative and evaluative properties of the SF-36 and the SF-6D index. Quality of Life Research 2011; 20 (9) 1477-1486.
• Brugha TS, Morrell CJ, Slade P, Walters SJ. Universal prevention of depression in women postnatally. Cluster randomized trial evidence in primary care. Psychological Medicine, 41(4):739-748, 2011.
• Walters S.J., Winslow M., Collins K., Robinson T., Green T., Madan J., Reed M.W.R., Wyld L. Health care professionals' preferences for extending mammographic breast screening to the over 70s. Journal of Geriatric Oncology 2011; 2(1): 1-10.
• Boyle S.E., Jones G.L., Walters S.J. Quality of life, physical activity, weight status and diet in adolescents. Quality of Life Research, 2010; 19(7): 943-954.
• Hutchinson A., Dean J.E., Cooper K.L., McIntosh A., Walters S.J., Bath P.A., Pearson M., Rantell K., Campbell M.J., Nicholl J., Irwin P. Assessing quality of care from hospital case notes: comparison of reliability of two methods. Quality and Safety in Health Care, May 2010; doi:10.1136/qshc.2007.023911
• Collins K., Winslow M., Reed M.W., Walters S.J., Robinson T., Madan J., Green T., Cocker H., Wyld L. The views of older women towards mammographic screening: a qualitative and quantitative study. British Journal of Cancer, 2010; 102(10): 1461-1467.
• Walters S.J. Therapist effects in randomised controlled trials: what to do about them. Journal of Clinical Nursing 2010; 19(7-8): 1102-1112.
• Greenfield D.M., Walters S.J., Coleman R.E., Hancock B.W., Snowden J., Shalet S.M., DeRogatis L.R., Ross R.J.M. Health Related Quality of Life, Self-esteem, Fatigue and Sexual Function in Young Men after Cancer: a Controlled Cross-Sectional Study. Cancer 2010; 116(6) 1592-1601.
• Waterhouse J.C., Walters S.J., Oluboyede Y., Lawson R.A. A randomised 2 x 2 trial of community versus hospital pulmonary rehabilitation, followed by telephone or conventional follow-up. Health Technol Assess 2010; 14(6): 1-140.
• Hutchinson A., Coster J.E., Cooper K.L., McIntosh A., Walters S.J., Bath P.A., Pearson M., Young T.A., Rantell K., Campbell M.J., Ratcliffe J. Comparison of case note review methods for evaluating quality and safety in health care. Health Technol Assess 2010; 14(10): 1-144.
• Absolom K., Eiser C., Michel G., Walters S.J., Hancock B.W., Coleman R.E., Snowden J.A., Greenfield, D.M. Follow-up care for cancer survivors: views of the younger adult. British Journal of Cancer 2009; 101(4 ): 561-567.
• Greenfield D.M., Absolom K., Eiser C., Walters S.J., Michel G., Hancock B.W., Snowden J.A., Coleman R.E. Follow-up care for cancer survivors: the views of clinicians. British Journal of Cancer 2009; 101(4): 568-574.
• Morrell C.J., Warner R., Slade P., Dixon S., Walters S., Paley G., Brugha T. Psychological Interventions for Postnatal depression: Cluster Randomised Trial and Economic Evaluation (The PoNDER Trial). Health Technology Assessment, 2009; 13(30):1–176.
• Walters S.J. Consultants’ forum: should post hoc sample size calculations be done? Pharmaceutical Statistics 2009; 8(2): 163-169.
• Naylor P.B., Cowie H.A., Walters S.J., Talamelli L., and Dawkins J. Impact of a mental health teaching programme on adolescents. British Journal of Psychiatry 2009; 194: 365-370.
• Morrell C.J., Slade P, Warner R., Paley G., Dixon S., Walters S.J., Nicholl J.P., Brugha T., Barkham M., Parry G. Nicoll J.P. Clinical effectiveness of health visitor training in psychologically informed approaches for depression in postnatal women: pragmatic cluster randomised trial in primary care. British Medical Journal 2009; 338: 1-12.
• Caldon L.J.M, Walters S.J., Reed M.W.R. Changing trends in the decision making preferences of UK women with early breast cancer. British Journal of Surgery 2008; 95(3):312-8.

View full list of Stephen Walters' publications

Section

Stephen Walters is based in the Design, Trials & Statistics Section.