Rod Walker, MS
Biostatistician
206-287-2895
walker.rl@ghc.org
Recent publications
Curriculum vitae (CV)
Research interests and experience
- Biostatistics: survival analysis; longitudinal data analysis; simulation studies
- Cancer control: biostatistics; breast cancer surveillance
- Aging & geriatrics: biostatistics; cognitive health and dementia; neuropathologic correlates of dementia
- Medication use & patient safety: biostatistics; pharmaco-epidemiology; drug safety in the elderly
A 2007 graduate of the University of Washington's biostatistics program, Rod Walker is quickly developing a unique niche at Group Health Research Institute (GHRI). With interests ranging from breast cancer to dementia to pharmacoepidemiology, he is poised to strengthen his expertise through a diverse research portfolio.
Mr. Walker works with data from the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study to bolster knowledge of risk factors related to dementia and Alzheimer's disease. He has contributed to medication use analyses within this cohort and utilized techniques to augment dementia data with neuropathology measures while adjusting for selection bias. Continued collaboration with other ACT investigators is a highlight of his research at GHRI. Mr. Walker also serves as an analyst for the Statistical Coordinating Center for the National Cancer Institute's Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium and works with other team members to organize the collection, management, and analysis of data from seven mammography registries.
He has also been fortunate to have the opportunity to collaborate with GHRI investigator and epidemiologist Sascha Dublin, MD, PhD on a number of projects focused on the subject of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the elderly. This research has involved studies of CAP risk associated with various medication classes, as well as potential uses of natural language processing for identifying cases in this context. He looks forward to continuing these projects with Dr. Dublin.
Recent publications
Goldman LE, Walker R, Miglioretti DL, Smith-Bindman R, Kerlikowske K. Facility characteristics do not explain higher false-positive rates in diagnostic mammography at facilities serving vulnerable women. Med Care. 2011 Dec 16 [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Dublin S, Walker RL, Jackson ML, Nelson JC, Weiss NS, Von Korff M, Jackson LA. Use of opioids or benzodiazepines and risk of pneumonia in older adults: a population-based case-control study. J Am Geriatr Soc. Epub 2011 Sept 13. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03586.x PubMed
Kapp JM, Walker RL, Haneuse S, Yankaskas B. A prospective assessment of racial/ethnic differences in future mammography behavior among women who had early mammography. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2011 Apr;20(4):600-8. Epub 2011 Jan 17. PubMed
Gray SL, Walker R, Dublin S, Haneuse S, Crane PK, Breitner JC, Bowen J, McCormick W, Larson EB. Histamine-2 receptor antagonist use and incident dementia in an older cohort. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2011;59(2):251-57. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.03275.x. PubMed
Goldman LE, Walker R, Miglioretti DL, Smith-Bindman R, Kerlikowske K. Accuracy of diagnostic mammography at facilities serving vulnerable women. Med Care. 2011 Jan;49(1):67-75. PubMed
Miglioretti DL, Walker R, Weaver DL, Buist DS, Taplin SH, Carney PA, Rosenberg RD, Dignan MB, Zhang ZT, White E. Accuracy of screening mammography varies by week of menstrual cycle. Radiology. 2011 Feb;258(2):372-379. Epub 2010 Dec 3. PubMed
Farhat GN, Walker R, Buist DS, Onega T, Kerlikowske K. Changes in invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ rates in relation to the decline in hormone therapy use. J Clin Oncol. 2010 Dec 10;28(35):5140-6. Epub 2010 Nov 8. PubMed
Sonnen JA, Larson EB, Walker RL, Haneuse S, Crane PK, Gray SL, Breitner JC, Montine TJ. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are associated with increased neuritic plaques. Neurology. 2010 Sep 28;75(13):1203-10. Epub 2010 Sep 1. PubMed
Dublin S, Walker RL, Jackson ML, Nelson JC, Weiss NS, Jackson LA. Use of proton pump inhibitors and H2 blockers and risk of pneumonia in older adults: a population-based case-control study. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2010 Aug;19(8):792-802. Epub 2010 Jul 7. PubMed
Kapp JM, Walker R, Haneuse S, Buist DS, Yankaskas BC. Are there racial/ethnic disparities among women younger than 40 undergoing mammography? Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2010 Nov;124(1):213-22. Epub 2010 Mar 4. PubMed
To view more publications, please see Mr. Walker's CV.