Rate My Professor Sheila Williams

Associate Professor Sheila Williams is a prominent biostatistician affiliated with the Department of Public Health, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago. She holds a BSc (Hons) and a DSc from the University of Otago. Her career has been marked by extensive contributions to biostatistics and epidemiology, particularly through her long-standing involvement in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, a landmark longitudinal cohort study examining health and development from birth into adulthood. As a member of the department's Biostatistical Group, she provides consulting and research support, applying rigorous statistical methods to diverse public health inquiries.

Williams' research spans child and adolescent mental health, obesity prevention, diabetes management, physical activity, sleep patterns, bone health, and chronic conditions such as COPD and acute coronary syndrome. She has co-authored numerous high-impact publications, including 'DSM-III disorders in preadolescent children: Prevalence in a large sample from the general population' (Anderson et al., 1987), 'Elective surgery cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic: global predictive modelling to inform surgical recovery plans' (2020), 'Evaluation of waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and the conicity index as screening tools for high trunk fat mass' (Taylor et al., 2000), 'Diagnosing insulin resistance in the general population' (McAuley et al., 2001), and 'DSM-III disorders in a large sample of adolescents' (McGee et al., 1990). These works, among hundreds of others, have garnered tens of thousands of citations, underscoring her influence in preventive medicine and epidemiology. Her statistical expertise has supported key projects like the Otago Diabetes Project, LOADD study on lifestyle interventions for type 2 diabetes, and investigations into infant feeding practices and socioemotional wellbeing predictors. Williams continues to advance analytical approaches in observational and interventional studies, contributing to evidence-based public health strategies.