�鶹APP

I joined the University of Leicester in October 2023 as a Senior Biomedical Statistician, supporting observational and interventional studies in the cardiac surgery group.

I use epidemiological and statistical methods and conduct health services research to improve health outcomes of major non-communicable diseases (such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, ageing and dementia) at the population level.

Please get in touch (email weiqi.liao@leicester.ac.uk) if you are interested in research collaboration.

This personal webpage was updated on 19 July 2024.

I lead on statistical analyses in clinical trials and observational studies using electronic health records (EHRs) from hospital episode statistics (HES) in cardiac surgery. Current active projects include:

• I am the trial statistician of the Val-CARD study (), a randomised controlled trial of pre-surgery sodium valproate, for the prevention of organ injury in cardiac surgery.

• Evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of novel organ injury biomarkers in adult cardiac surgery (the COPTIC study)

• Days Alive and out of Hospital (DAOH) as an Outcome Measure After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (CABG), Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) and Heart Failure (HF) using Hospital Episode Statistics (HES)

Key publications:

1. Weiqi Liao, Carol Coupland, Judith Burchardt, David Baldwin, Fergus Gleeson, Julia Hippisley-Cox. . The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. 2023 Aug;11(8):685-697. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(23)00050-4.
2. Weiqi Liao, Carol Coupland, Hamish Innes, Peter Jepsen, Philippa Matthews, Cori Campbell, Eleanor Barnes, Julia Hippisley-Cox. . eClinicalMedicine (Lancet Discovery Science). 2023 May 11:59:101969. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.101969.
3. Weiqi Liao, Ashley Clift, Martina Patone, Carol Coupland, Arturo González-Izquierdo, Stephen P Pereira, Julia Hippisley-Cox. . British Journal of General Practice. 2021; 71(712):e836-e845.

Other selected publications:

• Weiqi Liao, Peter Jepsen, Carol Coupland, Hamish Innes, Philippa Matthews, Cori Campbell, Eleanor Barnes, Julia Hippisley-Cox. . Diagnostic and Prognostic Research 6, 21 (2022) doi: 10.1186/s41512-022-00133-x.
• Weiqi Liao, Renske E.G. Hamel, Marcel G.M. Olde Rikkert, Saskia M. Oosterveld, Pauline Aalten, Frans R.J. Verhey, Philip Scheltens, Nicole Sistermans, Yolande A.L. Pijnenburg, Wiesje M. van der Flier, Inez H.G.B. Ramakers and Rene J.F. Melis. . BMC Neurology. 2016; 16: 242. doi: 10.1186/s12883-016-0750-9.
• Weiqi Liao, Xiaojing Long, Chunxiang Jiang, Yanjun Diao, Xin Liu, Hairong Zheng, and Lijuan Zhang. . Academic Radiology. 2014 May; 21(5):597-604. doi: 10.1016/j.acra.2013.12.00.
• Ash Kieran Clift, Pui San Tan, Martina Patone, Weiqi Liao, Carol Coupland, Rachael Bashford-Rogers, Shivan Sivakumar, Julia Hippisley-Cox. . British Journal of Cancer. 2024 Jun;130(12):1969-1978. doi: 10.1038/s41416-024-02693-9.
• Pui San Tan, Cesar Garriga, Ashley Clift, Weiqi Liao, Martina Patone, Carol Coupland, Rachael-Bashford Rogers, Shivan Sivakumar, Julia Hippisley-Cox. . Gut. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2021-326522.
• Martina Patone, Karen Thomas, Rob Hatch, Pui San Tan, Carol Coupland, Weiqi Liao, Paul Mouncey, David Harrison, Kathryn Rowan, Peter Horby, Peter Watkinson, Julia Hippisley-Cox. . The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 2021 Nov; 21(11):1518-1528.
• Xiaojing Long, Lijuan Zhang, Weiqi Liao, Chunxiang Jiang, Bensheng Qiu and the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. . Human Brain Mapping. 2013 Dec; 34 (12): 3400-3410. doi: 10.1002/hbm.22157.

Peer review for journals: BMC Medicine, BMC Public Health, British Journal of Cancer, British Journal of General Practice, Communications Medicine, Scientific Reports, �鶹APP Journal of Health Planning and Management

Peer review for grant: UKRI fellowship

Education

• I was awarded a 1+3 full studentship for my MRes & PhD programmes from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC, UK, Advanced Quantitative Method Pathway for international students).
• I was awarded a full studentship for my research Master in Epidemiology and Health Statistics.
• I was awarded a scholarship for my overall academic performance in undergraduate at the graduation ceremony.

Projects

• I have a project award titled “Prediction Models for Lung Cancer in Never Smokers” as a principal investigator, funded by NIHR School for Primary Care Research (from 1 April 2023 to 30 September 2024).
• I was awarded seed funding to involve and engage patient and public contributors to develop research proposals for external funding.

Travel grants

• I was awarded seven travel grants for national/international conferences, summer schools, and short-term academic visits.

Funded internship

• I hosted a Black in Cancer summer intern as a mentor during July – September 2023 at the University of Oxford, funded by Cancer Research UK (Cambridge Institute).

Risk prediction model to predict an individual’s risk of getting lung cancer in the next 10 years

• This study was published in the (2023), with an invited from two experts.
• Official press releases from the  and the . This study was promoted on the front page of both universities’ websites on 6 April 2023. 
• Mass media report from , , , , , , and others.

Symptoms for pancreatic cancer

• This study was highlighted at the , with . 200+ media outlets worldwide reported this study in many languages within one month of the conference press release.
• This study ranked second in the .
• The findings of this study were used to increase public awareness of the by Pancreatic Cancer UK.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health Sciences

Master of Research (MRes) in Clinical & Health Research

Master of Medicine (MMed, research degree) in Epidemiology & Health Statistics

Bachelor of Management (BMgt) in Health Services Management