Rate My Professor Daniel Barker

Dr Daniel Barker is a Conjoint Senior Lecturer in medical statistics in the School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He earned a Bachelor of Mathematics in 2006, a Graduate Diploma in Medical Statistics in 2012, and a PhD in Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Statistics in 2018, all from the University of Newcastle. His PhD research examined the design and analysis of stepped wedge cluster randomised trials. With 15 years of experience as an applied statistician in health research, Barker concurrently serves as a senior statistician in the Hunter Medical Research Institute's data sciences division. He specializes in designing complex clinical trials and modeling longitudinal or correlated data, collaborating on topics such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory conditions, stroke, indigenous health, nutrition, and pharmaceuticals.

Barker's research focuses on adaptive clinical trials and advanced statistical methods for trial analysis. Notable publications include 'Stepped wedge cluster randomised trials: a review of the statistical methodology used and available' (BMC Medical Research Methodology, 2016), 'Risk factors for asthma exacerbations during pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis' (European Respiratory Review, 2022), 'Lumacaftor/ivacaftor reduces exacerbations in adults homozygous for Phe508del mutation with severe lung disease' (Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, 2020), and 'Adaptive designs for trials aiming to optimise implementation strategies and the effect of an additional interim analysis: a simulation study' (BMC Medical Research Methodology, 2025). He has secured involvement in grants totaling over $11 million, including NHMRC projects like the MOHMQuit trial ($1,081,240, 2020-2026) and Ready to screen ($1,999,923, 2021-2025). Awards include the Highly Commended Teaching Award from the School of Medicine and Public Health (2017), BCA Star Graduate from the Biostatistics Collaboration of Australia (2013), and nomination for the J.B. Douglas Postgraduate Award (2016). Barker co-supervises PhD students in clinical epidemiology and medical statistics.