Dr Peter Baker
Dr

Peter Baker

Email: 

Background

Dr Peter Baker is an Honorary Associate Professor at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation

From 2021-2023, Peter was an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the School of Public Health, University of Queensland. For twelve years until the end of 2020, he was a Senior Lecturer in Biostatistics at the School of Public Health and a senior statistical collaborator, advisor and consultant to several research projects in the Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health.

With fourty years experience as a statistical consultant and researcher, Peter has a passion for biometrics in agricultural research and biostatistics applied to public health and medical research. He also champions reproducible research and reporting and to this end has developed R and Make software to aid the workflow of data analysts in any field. As a statistical consultant and collaborator, he has contributed to many agricultural, genetic, public health and medical research projects. His contribution has ranged from advice on standard statistical approaches to the application of novel methods to improve statistical analysis or the development of new statistical methodology to fill a gap in the knowledge.

Peter's current research interests:

  • efficient statistical computing using R, Make, Git and related software for the workflow of data analysis,
  • reproducible research and reporting using R, Markdown, Quarto and Sweave,
  • tailoring R functions and developing bespoke packages for specific statistical analyses, and
  • applied statistlcal research in novel methods for epidemiological and medial research, including
    • graphical models for multivariate data in epidemiology,
    • statistical methods for modelling trajectories of alcohol consumption in youths,
    • propensity score analysis to adjust for selection bias in observational studies, and
    • Bayesian methods for epidemiological and medical MCMC studies.

Dr Baker is an Accredited Statistician (ASTAT) with the Statistical Society of Australia (see SSAI_Accreditation)

Availability

Dr Peter Baker is:
Available for supervision

Fields of research

Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences Biomedical and Clinical Sciences Biostatistics Crop and pasture production Health Sciences Mathematical Sciences Statistics

Qualifications

  • Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), University of Adelaide
  • Masters (Coursework), University of New South Wales
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Queensland University of Technology

Research impacts

Peter is a highly experienced statistical consultant and researcher who worked at CSIRO Mathematics, Informatics and Statistics for 20 years before joining the School of Population Health at the University of Queensland. Prior to this he was employed as a statistical consultant in enviironmental monitoring at the Electricity Commision of NSW, sports science at Cumberland College of Health Sciences, and agricultural research at NSW Agriculture. During his time at CSIRO, he worked in a range of areas including agricultural research, bioinformatics and quantitative genetics. Highlights: developed novel Bayesian methods for assessing marker dosage in sugarcane and other polyploids and applied false discovery rate methods to QTL analysis and microarrays.

In addition to collaborating with a range of applied scientists to advance scientific knowledge by employing standard and cutting-edge statistical methods, several projects have had practical significance to industry including timely alerts to graziers when drops in temperature are dangerous for lambing, improved soil moisture estimation for cotton production and enhancing quantitative methods for sugarcane breeding. Recent collaborative work has informed public policy on drink safe precincts and alcohol related problems, effectiveness of mosquito nets and the effect of sunscreen to prevent skin ageing.

When it can improve research outcomes, Peter is keen to apply new statistical methods to agricultural research, epidemiology, health and medical studies in order to extract the maximum information from study data. He is also an expert in, and advocate for, reproducible research and efficient statistical computing using the R statistical and graphics system.

R Clinics and Short Courses

  • Please contact Peter if you would like a workshop or Introductory to Advanced R Course tailored to your needs.

Student Projects

  • Developing or contributing to R packages for various aspects of the workflow of data analysis projects like data wrangling, cleaning, validation and reproducible reporting,
  • Statistical and Graphical Models for crop modelling, agricultural research, and epidemiological and medical studies.

Search Professor Peter Baker’s works on UQ eSpace

75 works between 1986 and 2024
All (75) Journal Article (59) Book Chapter (1) Conference Publication (14) Book (1)

1 - 20 of 75 works

2024

Journal Article

Using latent variable modelling to identify etiological heterogeneity in preterm delivery

Betts, Kim Steven, Alati, Rosa and Baker, Peter (2024). Using latent variable modelling to identify etiological heterogeneity in preterm delivery. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. doi: 10.1111/jpc.16660

Using latent variable modelling to identify etiological heterogeneity in preterm delivery

2023

Journal Article

Differences in temperature responses among phenological processes in diverse Ethiopian sorghum germplasm can affect their specific adaptation to environmental conditions

Tirfessa, Alemu, McLean, Greg, Baker, Peter, Mortlock, Miranda, Hammer, Graeme and van Oosterom, Erik (2023). Differences in temperature responses among phenological processes in diverse Ethiopian sorghum germplasm can affect their specific adaptation to environmental conditions. Annals of Botany, 131 (4), 601-611. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcad011

Differences in temperature responses among phenological processes in diverse Ethiopian sorghum germplasm can affect their specific adaptation to environmental conditions

2023

Journal Article

Secular trends of birthweight in a population of live-born, singletons, without congenital anomalies in Queensland, Australia

Vilcins, Dwan, Baker, Peter, Jagals, Paul and Sly, Peter D. (2023). Secular trends of birthweight in a population of live-born, singletons, without congenital anomalies in Queensland, Australia. Journal of Public Health, 32 (4), 701-711. doi: 10.1007/s10389-023-01841-4

Secular trends of birthweight in a population of live-born, singletons, without congenital anomalies in Queensland, Australia

2022

Journal Article

Tobacco Harm Reduction with Vaporised Nicotine (THRiVe): a feasibility trial of nicotine vaping products for smoking cessation among people living with HIV

Edwards, Stephanie, Puljević, Cheneal, Dean, Judith A., Gilks, Charles, Boyd, Mark A., Baker, Peter, Watts, Peter, Howard, Chris and Gartner, Coral E. (2022). Tobacco Harm Reduction with Vaporised Nicotine (THRiVe): a feasibility trial of nicotine vaping products for smoking cessation among people living with HIV. AIDS and Behavior, 27 (2), 1-10. doi: 10.1007/s10461-022-03797-0

Tobacco Harm Reduction with Vaporised Nicotine (THRiVe): a feasibility trial of nicotine vaping products for smoking cessation among people living with HIV

2021

Journal Article

The association of ambient temperature with extremely preterm births

Vilcins, Dwan, Baker, Peter, Jagals, Paul and Sly, Peter D. (2021). The association of ambient temperature with extremely preterm births. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 25 (10), 1638-1645. doi: 10.1007/s10995-021-03203-6

The association of ambient temperature with extremely preterm births

2021

Journal Article

Identifying the predictors of Covid-19 infection outcomes and development of prediction models

Ansari, Rashid M. and Baker, Peter (2021). Identifying the predictors of Covid-19 infection outcomes and development of prediction models. Journal of Infection and Public Health, 14 (6), 751-756. doi: 10.1016/j.jiph.2021.03.006

Identifying the predictors of Covid-19 infection outcomes and development of prediction models

2020

Journal Article

The association of fractional cover, foliage projective cover and biodiversity with birthweight

Vilcins, Dwan, Scarth, Peter, Sly, Peter D., Jagals, Paul, Knibbs, Luke and Baker, Peter (2020). The association of fractional cover, foliage projective cover and biodiversity with birthweight. Science of The Total Environment, 763 143051, 143051. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143051

The association of fractional cover, foliage projective cover and biodiversity with birthweight

2020

Journal Article

The double burden of malnutrition in Vietnamese school-aged children and adolescents: a rapid shift over a decade in Ho Chi Minh City

Mai, Thi My Thien, Pham, Ngoc Oanh, Tran, Thi Minh Hanh, Baker, Peter, Gallegos, Danielle, Do, Thi Ngoc Diep, van der Pols, Jolieke C. and Jordan, Susan J. (2020). The double burden of malnutrition in Vietnamese school-aged children and adolescents: a rapid shift over a decade in Ho Chi Minh City. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 74 (10), 1448-1456. doi: 10.1038/s41430-020-0587-6

The double burden of malnutrition in Vietnamese school-aged children and adolescents: a rapid shift over a decade in Ho Chi Minh City

2020

Journal Article

Using GNU Make to manage the workflow of data analysis projects

Baker, Peter (2020). Using GNU Make to manage the workflow of data analysis projects. Journal of Statistical Software, 94 (Code Snippet 1), 1-46. doi: 10.18637/jss.v094.c01

Using GNU Make to manage the workflow of data analysis projects

2020

Journal Article

Association of maternal and social characteristics with age-standardised birthweight

Vilcins, Dwan, Baker, Peter, Jagals, Paul and Sly, Peter D. (2020). Association of maternal and social characteristics with age-standardised birthweight. Journal of Public Health, 30 (2), 373-383. doi: 10.1007/s10389-020-01292-1

Association of maternal and social characteristics with age-standardised birthweight

2019

Journal Article

Longitudinal impact of the Women’s Health Initiative study on hormone therapy use in Australia

Natari, R. B., McGuire, T. M., Baker, P. J., Clavarino, A. M., Dingle, K. D. and Hollingworth, S. A. (2019). Longitudinal impact of the Women’s Health Initiative study on hormone therapy use in Australia. Climacteric, 22 (5), 489-497. doi: 10.1080/13697137.2019.1593357

Longitudinal impact of the Women’s Health Initiative study on hormone therapy use in Australia

2019

Journal Article

Response to letter to the editor: When does selection generate bias in clinical samples?

Saiepour, Nargess, Najman, Jackob M., Ware, Robert S., Baker, Peter, Clavarino, Alexandra and Williams, Gail M. (2019). Response to letter to the editor: When does selection generate bias in clinical samples?. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 116, 191-192. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.02.011

Response to letter to the editor: When does selection generate bias in clinical samples?

2019

Journal Article

Understanding the prevalence of smoking among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Australia and factors associated with smoking and quitting

Edwards, Stephanie K., Dean, Judith, Power, Jennifer, Baker, Peter and Gartner, Coral (2019). Understanding the prevalence of smoking among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Australia and factors associated with smoking and quitting. AIDS and Behavior, 24 (4), 1056-1063. doi: 10.1007/s10461-019-02535-3

Understanding the prevalence of smoking among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Australia and factors associated with smoking and quitting

2019

Journal Article

Better understanding the influence and complexity of beliefs on medication adherence in asthma

Foot, Holly, La Caze, Adam, Baker, Peter and Cottrell, Neil (2019). Better understanding the influence and complexity of beliefs on medication adherence in asthma. Patient Education and Counseling, 102 (3), 564-570. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2018.10.010

Better understanding the influence and complexity of beliefs on medication adherence in asthma

2019

Journal Article

Does attrition affect estimates of association: a longitudinal study

Saiepour, N., Najman, J. M., Ware, R., Baker, P., Clavarino, A. and Williams, G. M. (2019). Does attrition affect estimates of association: a longitudinal study. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 110, 127-142. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.12.022

Does attrition affect estimates of association: a longitudinal study

2018

Journal Article

Seroprevlance of Coxiella burnetii among abattoir and slaughterhouse workers: A meta-analysis

Woldeyohannes, Solomon M., Gilks, Charles F., Baker, Peter, Perkins, Nigel R. and Reid, Simon A. (2018). Seroprevlance of Coxiella burnetii among abattoir and slaughterhouse workers: A meta-analysis. One Health, 6, 23-28. doi: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2018.09.002

Seroprevlance of Coxiella burnetii among abattoir and slaughterhouse workers: A meta-analysis

2018

Journal Article

Effect of piperacillin-tazobactam vs meropenem on 30-day mortality for patients with E coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infection and ceftriaxone resistance: a randomized clinical trial

Harris, Patrick N. A., Tambyah, Paul A., Lye, David C., Mo, Yin, Lee, Tau H., Yilmaz, Mesut, Alenazi, Thamer H., Arabi, Yaseen, Falcone, Marco, Bassetti, Matteo, Righi, Elda, Rogers, Benjamin A., Kanj, Souha, Bhally, Hasan, Iredell, Jon, Mendelson, Marc, Boyles, Tom H., Looke, David, Miyakis, Spiros, Walls, Genevieve, Al Khamis, Mohammed, Zikri, Ahmed, Crowe, Amy, Ingram, Paul, Daneman, Nick, Griffin, Paul, Athan, Eugene, Lorenc, Penelope, Baker, Peter ... MERINO Trial Investigators and the Australasian Society for Infectious Disease Clinical Research Network (ASID-CRN) (2018). Effect of piperacillin-tazobactam vs meropenem on 30-day mortality for patients with E coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infection and ceftriaxone resistance: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA, 320 (10), 984-994. doi: 10.1001/jama.2018.12163

Effect of piperacillin-tazobactam vs meropenem on 30-day mortality for patients with E coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infection and ceftriaxone resistance: a randomized clinical trial

2018

Conference Publication

Cessation and relapse prevention trial: Vaporised nicotine products for people on opiate substitution therapy, or who are living with hepatitis C or HIV

Gartner, Coral, Boyd, Mark, Bonevski, Billie, Gilks, Charles, Borland, Ron, Courtney, Ryan, Cobiac, Linda, McRobbie, Hayden, Baker, Peter and Mueller, Jochen (2018). Cessation and relapse prevention trial: Vaporised nicotine products for people on opiate substitution therapy, or who are living with hepatitis C or HIV. APSAD 2018 Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, 4–7 November 2018. Hoboken, NJ United States: Wiley.

Cessation and relapse prevention trial: Vaporised nicotine products for people on opiate substitution therapy, or who are living with hepatitis C or HIV

2018

Conference Publication

Cessation And Relapse Prevention (CARP) trial

Gartner, Coral, Boyd, Mark, Bonevski, Billie, Gilks, Charles, Borland, Ron, Courtney, Ryan, Cobiac, Linda, McRobbie, Hayden, Baker, Peter and Mueller, Jochen (2018). Cessation And Relapse Prevention (CARP) trial. The Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, 5 November 2018.

Cessation And Relapse Prevention (CARP) trial

2017

Journal Article

The natural history of risky drinking and associated harms from adolescence to young adulthood: findings from the Australian Temperament Project

Betts, K. S., Alati, R., Baker, P., Letcher, P., Hutchinson, D., Youssef, G. and Olsson, C. A. (2017). The natural history of risky drinking and associated harms from adolescence to young adulthood: findings from the Australian Temperament Project. Psychological Medicine, 48 (1), 23-32. doi: 10.1017/S0033291717000654

The natural history of risky drinking and associated harms from adolescence to young adulthood: findings from the Australian Temperament Project

Past funding

  • 2017 - 2022
    A Pragmatic Randomised Clinical Trial of Nicotine Vaporisers added to Smoking Cessation Treatment for Priority Populations Living with Comorbidities
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2018
    A harm reduction trial using novel nicotine replacement products among smokers who are living with HIV in Australia
    HIVFQ HIV Research Grants
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2015
    Very young adolescents and substance use: Community and family vulnerabilities and healthy developmental transitions.
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2010
    Advanced graphical modelling for causal inference in epidemiology
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant

Availability

Dr Peter Baker is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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