Yinghui Wei

Academic profile

Professor Yinghui Wei

Visiting Professor
School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics (Faculty of Science and Engineering)

The Global Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Yinghui's work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

Goal 03: SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-beingGoal 04: SDG 4 - Quality EducationGoal 05: SDG 5 - Gender EqualityGoal 09: SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and InfrastructureGoal 10: SDG 10 - Reduced InequalitiesGoal 12: SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and ProductionGoal 14: SDG 14 - Life Below WaterGoal 16: SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong InstitutionsGoal 17: SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

About Yinghui

I am Associate Head of School (Resources) and Professor of Statistics and Data Science in School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics at University of 50業子.

My primary research interest is in developing statistical methodology and the substantive applications to medicine, clinical trials, observational studies and evidence synthesis, as well as using data to improve population health and health care services. I have experience in conducting big data enabled health research using NHS data, national registry databases, and large and complex data (from up to 24 million people) from national linked electronic health records and longitudinal cohort studies within Trusted Research Environments/Secure Data Environments. I led an impact case study "" for REF2021 UoA10 Mathematical Sciences. I was a Statistical Editor for Cochrane developmental psychosocial and learning problems review group (2011-2023). I sit on and on Royal Statistical Society President Nominating Committee. I am a member of the Executive Group for Health Data Research UK South-West.

I chair the School Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Comittee and Athena Swan Self-Assessment team. I led the School's successful Athena Swan Silver application in 2024 and Bronze application in 2020. I was the Winner for the Vice-Chancellor's Awards 2024 for the Award of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion.

I led a cross-faculty team for the establishment of the new MSc Health Data Science and Statistics for September 2022 launch.

I also hold an honorary/visiting appointment in Bristol Medical School at University of Bristol. I am an associated member of National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula (PenARC). Prior to joining 50業子, I was Investigator Scientist (Statistician) in MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL, Career Development Fellow in Biostatistics in MRC Biostatistics Unit at University of Cambridge, and Research Fellow in School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham. I completed my PhD and MSc in Statistics in 2008 and 2004, respectively, from the School of Mathematics, The University of Manchester.

Research interests
My primary research interest is in developing statistical methodology and the substantive applications to medicine, clinical trials, observational studies and evidence synthesis, as well as using data to improve population health and health care services. I have experience in conducting big data enabled health research using NHS data, national registry databases, and large and complex data (from up to 24 million people) from national linked electronic health records and longitudinal cohort studies within Trusted Research Environments/Secure Data Environments. I have a sustained research contribution to developing novel statistical methods in medicine, as well as applied health data science, through disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborations, supported by external research funding. My specific methodological research areas include:

  • Bayesian inference
  • Clinical prediction models
  • Statistical methods for evidence synthesis
  • Modelling and analysis of infectious diseases epidemiology
  • Survival analysis

I have worked in various disease areas, including

  • COVID-19
  • Zika virus
  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • Autoimmune disorders
  • Renal diseases
  • Cancer
  • Mental illnesses
  • Neurodegenerative diseases
  • Tuberculosis
  • Hospital-acquired infectious diseases, such as Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci

In 2021, I was awarded an MRC fellowship to work within the COVID-19 Longitudinal Health and Wellbeing National Core Study to investigate the long-term effects of COVID-19 on population health. In 2009-2012, I was an MRC Career Development Fellow in Biostatistics at Cambridge, where I delivered methodological research in multivariate meta-analysis of multiple outcomes and multiple treatments. In 2012-2013, I worked as a methodological Statistician at the MRC London Hub for Trials Methodological Research, where I conducted methodological research in meta-analysis of time-to-event outcomes. I co-developed a statistical package, ipdfc in Stata, to reconstruct individual participant time-to-event data from published Kaplan-Meier curves, which has been used by researchers worldwide ().

Externally funded projects

  1. 01/01/2025 31/07/2028, ESRC SWDTP PhD Studentship, "", 贈93K. Gulley M (PhD Student), Wei Y (Lead Supervisor).
  2. 02/01/2025 - 31/07/2025, EPSRC IAA, Using data to improve healthcare services and population health, 贈2,500. PI: Wei Y; Co-I: Nasser M, Dorr C.
  3. 20/01/2025 - 19/07/2025, Royal Academy of Engineering Diversity Impact Programme, How to embed inclusive teaching and learning and employment goals for neurodiverse and disabled engineering students, 贈19,998. PI: Khan A, Co-I: Gibson S, Wei Y.
  4. 10/2024 03/2026, NIHR, Using data from mobile health applications to inform service design and clinical decision-making, 贈81,468. NIHR Pre-Doctoral Fellow Keeling A; Primary Supervisor Wei Y.
  5. 2024 2027, NIHR Insight, 贈3M, Lead Applicant: Bunn L, Co-applicants: Wei Y (Health Data Science and Statistics Lead) and other co-applicants.
  6. 03/2024 09/2025, Royal Academy of Engineering Diversity Impact Programme, Partnering for choice and change: Education for social inclusion, 贈98,538, PI: Khan A, Gibson A, CoI: Hansen A, Wei Y, Besinis A, Beresford M, Belton A, Cree C.
  7. 10/2023 09/2026, ESRC,, 贈970,775. PI Asthana S, CoI Gibson A, Agarwal S, Wei Y and Brayne C.
  8. 10/2023 03/2025, NIHR, Autoimmune diseases following COVID-19 vaccination, 贈66,150. NIHR Pre-Doctoral Fellow Gulley M; Primary Supervisor Wei Y, Co-Supervisor Galloway J, Russell M and Wood A.
  9. 12/06/2023 11/06/2024, EPSRC IAA, Using machine learning for the benefit of customers and businesses in the telecommunications industry, 贈5,000. PI Wojtys M, CoI McNeile C and Wei Y.
  10. 06/2023 09/2023, Manning Endowment UG Research Internship and HCI Digital, How best to utilise data from the CONNECTPlus multicondition app to improve health and wellbeing? 贈3000, PI/Lead supervisor Wei Y, Co-supervisors/collaborators Halkes M, Kelly H, Mcilree N, Prime S, Asthana S and Green K.
  11. 04/2023 03/2028, Health Data Research UK, Health Data Research UK South-West Regional Network, 贈500K (贈22,087 to 50業子). Director Sterne J, Co-Director Denholm R, 50業子 Lead Wei Y.
  12. 01/02/2023 31/01/2027, Horizon Europe Marie Skodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network,, 2.8M (贈265, 251 to 50業子). Coordinator / PI Stefan T, Pan G, 50業子 Co-I Wei Y, Sherriff I.
  13. 2023 2025, China Scholarship Council International Cooperative Program for Innovative Talents: Yunnan-50業子 Joint Doctoral Training Programme in Statistical Science. PI Tang N; 50業子 PI Wei Y. (renewal from the 2020 - 2022 programme grant funded by the China Scholarship Council).
  14. 01/10/2022 31/03/2026, EPSRC DTP (2738361),, 贈79,506. Lead Applicant Broomhead N, Co-applicant Wei Y, Stander J and Pirashvili M.
  15. 01/09/2022 31/08/2024, NIHR (302739), Risk factors for adverse health outcomes following kidney transplantation, 贈89,205. NIHR Pre-Doctoral Fellow Gray J; Primary Supervisor Wei Y, Co-Supervisor Tse W, Connor A.
  16. 01/08/2022 31/07/2023, EPSRC IAA, "", 贈5,000. PI Wei Y; Co-I Stander J, Broomhead N, Prime S, Asthana S.
  17. 01/04/2022 1/10/2023, Royal Academy of Engineering Diversity Impact Programme, "", 贈93,667. PI Khan A, Co-I Craven M, Wei Y, Outram N, Besinis A, Lavelle M, Simmonds D.
  18. 1/10/2021 30/09/2022, MRC Fellowship (MR/W021358/1): "", 贈117,805, PI Wei Y. This fellowship is part of the COVID-19 Longitudinal Health and Wellbeing National Core Study (NCS) award, NCS PI Chaturvedi N, Sterne J.
  19. 03/2021, London Mathematical Society (WiM 20-21 04):, 贈1,600. Lead Applicant: Wei Y; Co-applicant: Broomhead N, Christopher C and Robertz D.
  20. 2020 2022, China Scholarship Council International Cooperative Program for Innovative Talents: Yunnan-50業子 Joint Doctoral Training Programme in Statistical Science, PI Tang N; 50業子 PI Wei Y.
  21. 1/10/2020 30/09/2024, University Hospitals 50業子 NHS Trust (Ref: 1374) and EPSRC DTP(Ref: EP/T518153/1: 2432390): "", 贈84,786 (with 贈34,000 from NHS). PI Wei Y, Co-I Connor A, TSE W, Rowe P, Tan K.
  22. 04/2019 12/2020, GlaxoSmithKline(Ref: 8894): , awarded in 2018, 贈55,754. CI Masoli M, PI Jones R, Co-I Hyland M, Wei Y, Lanario J.
  23. 04/2019 04/2020, GlaxoSmithKline (Ref: 8893): Further validation of a scale to measure quality of life in patients with severe asthma, awarded in 2018, 贈44,503. CI Masoli M, PI Jones R, Co-I Hyland M, Wei Y, Lanario J.
  24. 07/2016 01/2018, NIHR RfPB (PB-PG-0215-36117): , awarded in 2015, 贈154,528. PI Thompson T; Co-I Husk K, Nasser M, Kandiyali R, Wei Y, Wallace G, Taylor A, Neale J, Sinclair J, Creanor S.

Selected Seminars/Talks/Posters

  • 2024: Invited talk: "A comparison of methods for externally validating the kidney donor risk index in the UK kidney transplant population", 7th International Conference on Econometrics and Statistics (EcoSta 2024), Beijing.
  • 2024: Invited talk: "Why and how to get research funding", Royal Statistical Society International Conference, Young Statistician Session, Brighton.
  • 2023: Invited talk: "Why and how to get research funding", Royal Statistical Society International Conference, Young Statistician Session, Harrogate.
  • 2023: Invited talk: "Patient characteristics associated with clinically coded long COVID: an OpenSAFELY study using electronic health records", Institute of Epidemiology, University of M端nster, Germany
  • 2023: Invited talk: "How I got my first grant", Early Career Researcher Funding Workshop, School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, University of 50業子
  • 2023: Webinar: "Improved health research and practice through advancing statistical methods and applications - sharing experience from constructing a REF2021 impact case study", Association of British Chinese Professors, Impact Case Webinar Series.
  • 2023: Seminar: "Factors associated with clinically coded long COVID: big data analytics using OpenSAFELY", Community and Primary Care Research Group, University of 50業子
  • 2022: Seminar: "What is a Trusted Research Environment?", Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of 50業子
  • 2022: Poster: "Risk factors for long COVID: big data analytics using OpenSAFELY", Royal Statistical Society International Conference, Aberdeen
  • 2022: Contributed talk: "Bivariate copula regression models for semi-competing risks", Royal Statistical Society International Conference, Aberdeen
  • 2022: Invited talk: "Using data to improve public health: COVID secondment - Overview of Experience", COVID-19 Longitudinal Health and Wellbeing National Core Study Workshop, UCL
  • 2022: Invited talk: "Risk factors for long COVID", COVID-19 Longitudinal Health and Wellbeing National Core Study Workshop, UCL
  • 2020: Invited talk, "The arts and techniques of online teaching for mathematics and statistics", Shanghai Polytechnic University
  • 2019: Contributed talk, "Estimating the correlation between bivariate survival endpoints", Royal Statistical Society International Conference, Belfast
  • 2019: Invited talk, "Statistical Applications in Medical Sciences", INSPIRE Interdisciplinary Meeting, 50業子.
  • 2018: Invited talk, "Survival analysis of patients following kidney transplantation" (with Lexy Sorrell), South West Transplant Centre Annual Transplant Day, Totnes.
  • 2018: Invited talk, "Survival analysis: from individual level data to aggregate data", Yunnan University, China.
  • 2018: Invited talk, "Survival analysis: from individual level data to aggregate data", AUFE, China.
  • 2017: Invited talk, "Restricted mean survival time: from individual level data to aggregate data", CMStatistics 2017, University of London, London.
  • 2017: Session chair, "Recent Advances in Research Synthesis Methods", CMStatistics 2017, University of London, London.
  • 2017: Contributed talk, "Using published Kaplan-Meier curves to reconstruct time-to-event data for secondary analyses", Royal Statistical Society International Conference, Glasgow.
  • 2017: Contributed poster, "Hierarchical Bayesian models for road traffic accidents", Royal Statistical Society International Conference, Glasgow.
  • 2016: Invited lecture, "Introduction to Design and Analysis of Clinical Trials", postgraduate summer school, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu.
  • 2015: Invited seminar, "The use of restricted mean survival time in meta-analysis of clinical trials with time-to-event outcomes". University of Exeter, Exeter.
  • 2014: Invited seminar, "Meta-analysis of survival data using restricted mean survival time", University of Essex, Colchester.
  • 2013: Contributed talk, "Analysis of survival data from trials with non-proportional hazards". Clinical Trials Methodology Conference: Methodology Matters, Edinburgh.
  • 2013: Contributed talk, "Network Meta-analysis", Methodology Theme Meeting, MRC Clinical Trials Unit, London.
  • 2012: Contributed poster, "Bayesian multivariate meta-analysis with many outcomes", 33rd Annual Conference of International Society for Clinical Biostatistics, Bergen.
  • 2011: Contributed talk, "Bayesian multivariate meta-analysis with many outcomes", Methods in Meta-analysis Meeting, Royal Statistical Society, London.
  • 2010: Internal Seminar, "Multivariate meta-analysis with multiple outcomes", MRC Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge.
  • 2010: Invited lecture, "Introduction to Meta-analysis", Shanghai Nottingham Systematic Review Course, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai.
  • 2007: Poster presentation, "An epidemic model for discrete data in dynamic population", Manchester Research Student Conference in Statistics and Probability, University of Manchester.
  • 2007: Contributed talk, "Statistical inference about epidemics in dynamic population", Research Student Conference in Statistics and Probability, Durham, UK.

Conferences organised

  • Nov 2022: EPSRC IAA Workshop: Industry-Academia Collaboration for Health Data Science
  • Sept 2022: Health Data Science for COVID-19 Research, Invited Session, Royal Statistical Society International Conference
  • Mar 2021: LMS Women in Mathematics Day
  • Oct 2020: Joint RSS South West Local Group - Impact Lab event: Early Career Researchers' Health Data Science Symposium.
  • 2018 2022: RSS South West Local Group Meeting Programmes

Supervised Research Degrees

  • Dr Lingling Zhang (2025) Bayesian multilevel models for survival data from multiple centres (Director of Studies)
  • Dr Stephanie Riley (2024) Clinical prediction models for survival outcomes following kidney transplant (Director of Studies)
  • Dr Nicole Thomas (2022) Investigation of the effectiveness of an intervention to prevent oral disease in a highly vulnerable child population (co-supervisor)
  • Dr Jagriti Sethi (2022) Graphene based biosensors for detection of blood biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (co-supervisor)
  • Dr Lexy Sorrell (2021) Statistical inference about bivariate semi-competing risk data using copulas (Director of Studies)
  • Dr Zainab Al-Kaabawi (2018) Bayesian Hierarchical Models for Linear Networks (Director of Studies)

Current PhD Students at University of 50業子:

  • K. Jagoda: Statistical methods in electronic health records research (Director of Studies)
  • L. Ellaway: Enhancing Understanding of long COVID using novel mathematical clustering techniques (co-supervisor)
  • M. Dogan: Biosensors for detection of Alzheimer disease biomarkers (co-supervisor)
  • S. Nazir: Graphene biosensors for clinical applications in the detection of body fluid AD biomarkers (co-supervisor)
  • J. Mnyambo: Prediction of Diagnostic Accuracy using Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics from HeroRats for Tuberculosis Detection (co-supervisor)

Visiting PhD Students:

  • Q. Zhang: (Overseas supervisor, Yunnan University), visiting 2022 -2024
  • B. Duan: (Overseas supervisor, Yunnan University and Chinese Academy of Sciences), visiting 2022 - 2024
  • J. Li: Survival analysis (Overseas supervisor, Yunnan University), visiting 2021 - 2022
  • Y. Zhou: Spatial-temporal modelling (Overseas supervisor, Yunnan University), visiting 2021 - 2022

Teaching

I lead the MSc Health Data Science and Statistics programme.

I supervise MSc projects in Health Data Science and Statistics. Recent projects include the analysis of patient reported outcomes in multiple sclerosis, estimation of reproduction number for COVID19, and the impact of COVID-19 on mental health. Past projects also include predictive analytics for social housing and telecommunication industry.

I was Stage 1 Tutor for BSc (Hons) Mathematics for three years (2018 2021).

Highlights

Improved health research and practice through advancing statistical methods and applications