Paula Williamson is Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Liverpool, and was Head of the Department of Biostatistics from 2002 until 2018. Her research programme has focussed on several aspects of evidence-based medicine (EBM) including clinical trials, meta-analysis, health outcome selection, and reducing waste in research. She was appointed as an NIHR Senior Investigator in 2014, gave the Bradford Hill Lecture in 2017, and was elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2018.
She chaired the MRC Network of Hubs for Trials Methodology Research, 2008-2018, and recently led a successful bid for a new MRC Trials Methodology Research Partnership from 2019, bringing together major organisations and networks – Health Data Research UK, Global Health Network, Health Research Board Trials Methodology Research Network (Ireland), UK Clinical Trials Unit Network, UK Trial Manager Network, along with 25 UK universities.
Paula co-founded the global COMET (Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials) Initiative in 2010, to improve the quality and relevance of health research to decision makers including patients, health professionals, regulators and policymakers. COMET was the winner of the international Cochrane-REWARD prize in 2017 for reducing waste in research.
