Health research using data not collected for research purposes

• Associate Professor Karen Lamb

  Unit Head

  klamb@unimelb.edu.au
  

Project Details

Members of the Biostatistics Unit have led the design, conduct, analysis, and reporting of health research studies involving data that has not been collected for research purposes. Our team can support work in any clinical area and have previously led projects focused on cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic disease, mental health, neighbourhoods and health, neurology, pharmacoepidemiology, and physiotherapy.

This has included biostatistical leadership of the following projects:

• Closing the gap on Indigenous cardiovascular (CV) health: Improving community outcomes through high impact policy relevant research
• Developing a Just-in-Time-Adaptive-Intervention for Problem Anger
• Testing the projected benefits of living in a 20-minute neighbourhood
• The impact of pregnancy for women with pre-existing cardiac disease in Victoria

Researchers

Associate Professor Karen Lamb

Dr Digsu Koye

Dr Sophie Zaloumis

Ximena  Camacho

Graduate Researchers

Priyanka Vithanage

Collaborators

We have national and international partners and collaborators on numerous studies led by clinicians and researchers at The University of Melbourne or affiliated hospital partners, including:

• Dr Luke Burchill
• Professor Elif Ekinci
• Professor Jon Emery
• Dr Suzanne Mavoa
• Dr Olivia Metcalf
• Dr Lukar Thornton
• Associate Professor Dominica Zentner

Funding

We are primarily funded by competitive research grants awarded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC); Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF); Melbourne Academic Centre for Health (MACH); and internal University of Melbourne or affiliated hospital partner grants.

Research Opportunities

This research project is available to Post Doctor Researchers to join as part of their thesis.
Please contact the Research Group Leader to discuss your options.

Research Publications

Grants

• Forbes D, Metcalf O, Cowlishaw S, Varker T, Hinton M, Murphy S, Qian T, Lamb K. Developing a Just-In-Time-Adaptive-Intervention for problem anger. NHMRC Ideas Grant (APP2001218). 2021-2025. $690,124.

• Zentner D, Burchill L, Parsonage W, Sullivan E, Lust K, Kane S, Lamb K, Macdonald B, Kotevski A, Yao J, Koye D. The impact of pregnancy for women with pre-existing cardiac disease in Victoria. Royal Melbourne Hospital Research Fellowship Program 2021 (RFP-006-2021). 2022-2023. $175,000.

Presentations

2025

Koye DN, Kwok R, Kishore K, Zafari T, J MacIsaac RJ, Churilov L, Ekinci EI. Performance of the CKD-EPI equation in estimating glomerular filtration rate change over time in people with diabetes [Oral presentation]. European Diabetic Nephropathy Study Group (EDNSG) Meeting, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. May 2025.

Bower K, Soh SE, Callisaya M, Klaic M, McConvey V, Vogel A, Koye D, Finkelstein D, Mok YF, McGinley J. Parkinson’s disease in Australian residential aged care: Understanding care needs and implications for allied health. 16th National Allied Health conference, Adelaide, Australia. August 2025.

McGinley J, Soh SE, Callisaya M, Klaic M, McConvey V, Vogel A, Koye D, Finkelstein D, Mok YF, Bower K. Planning for the Parkinson’s Pandemic: Care needs in Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities. The International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. October 2025.

2024

Camacho X, Marsh S, Schaffer A, Brett J, Hopkins R, Gisev N, Degenhardt L, Pratt N, Filion K, Henry D, Pearson SA. Risk of injuries associated with initiation of tapentadol vs oxycodone [Oral presentation]. 2024 Centre of Research Excellence in Medicines Intelligence Research Symposium and Policy Forum, Sydney, Australia. August 2024.

Koye DN, Kwok R, Kishore K, Zafari T, J MacIsaac RJ, Churilov L, Ekinci EI. Performance of the CKD-EPI equation in estimating glomerular filtration rate change over time in people with diabetes [Oral presentation]. World Congress of Epidemiology (WCE). Cape Twon, South Africa. September 2024.

2023

Pratt N, Hampp C, Jalbert J, Setoguchi S, Camacho X, Wong, H-L, Perez-Vilar S, Humblet O. Practical Skills In Protocol Writing and Statistical Analytic Programming Relevant to Studies Generating Real-World Evidence (RWE) [Pre-conference skills course]. ICPE 2023, Halifax, Canada. August 2023.

Oostenbach L, Burnett A, Lamb KE, Thornton LE. Does living in a 20-minute neighbourhood influence food purchasing behaviours? [Oral presentation] 2023 Australian Statistical Conference, Wollongong, Australia. December 2023.

2022

Camacho X, Schaffer A, Buckley N, Pratt N, Henry D, Pearson SA. Trends in dispensing and utilisation of tapentadol in Australia [Poster session]. ICPE 2022, Copenhagen, Denmark. August 2022.

Koye DN et al. Mapping national, regional and local prevalence of hypertension and diabetes in Ethiopia using geospatial analysis [Oral presentation]. 2022 Population Health Congress, Adelaide, Australia. September 2022.

Lamb KE, Thornton LE, Chaix B, Ball K, Coffee NT, Kestens Y, Daniel M. Impact of socioeconomic status on relationships between 20-minute neighbourhoods and health outcomes [Oral presentation]. 2022 Population Health Congress, Adelaide. September 2022.

Camacho X, Schaffer A, Buckley N, Pratt N, Brett J, Henry D, Pearson SA. Trends in dispensing and utilisation of sustained-release tapentadol in Australia [Oral presentation]. International Population Data Linkage Conference 2022, Edinburgh, Scotland. September 2022.

Koye DN and Burchill L (co-lead presenters). Risk of cardiovascular disease among Indigenous and non-Indigenous Victorians in a primary care setting [Oral presentation]. Ngar-wu Wanyarra Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health Conference, Shepparton, Australia. October 2022.

Lamb K. The HealthGap Study: Using linked administrative data to understand cardiovascular health of Indigenous people living in Victoria, Australia. Medical Research Council Biostatistics Unit Seminar series 2022, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. November 2022.

2021

Lamb KE, Camacho X, Lee P, Haurat J, Thornton LE, Turner M, Simpson JA, Kotevski A, Burchill L. Health map for HealthGap: Defining a geographical catchment to examine cardiovascular risk in Australia [Oral presentation]. 2021 International Society of Clinical Biostatistics Conference, Lyon (Online). July 2021.

Lamb KE. Obesogenic environments: is residing in a 20-minute neighbourhood associated with lower body mass index? [Oral presentation] Australia and New Zealand Statistical Conference 2021 (online). July 2021.

Koye DN, Lamb K, Lee PW, Kotevski A, et al. Guideline-based cardiovascular disease risk assessment among Indigenous Australians in a general practice setting [Oral presentation – online].World Congress of Epidemiology, Melbourne, Australia. September 2021.

Koye DN and Burchill L (co-lead presenters), Kotevski A, Haurat J, Turner M, Ebsworth G, Druce T, Bryant K, Price E, Taylor G, Simpson J. Guideline-based cardiovascular disease risk assessment among Indigenous Australians in a general practice setting [Oral presentation].Ngar-wu Wanyarra Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health Conference (online). October 2021.

Lamb KE. Health map for HealthGap: Defining a geographical catchment to examine cardiovascular risk in Victoria [Oral presentation]. Ngar-wu Wanyarra Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Conference (online). October 2021.

2020

Koye DN. Challenges of working on routinely collected administrative data as consultant biostatisticians [Oral presentation]. Statistical Consulting Network 2020 meeting (virtual conference). December 2020.

Publications

Drosdowsky A, Lamb KE, Te Marvelde L, Gibbs P, Dunn C, Faragher I, Jones I, IJzerman MJ, Emery JD. Factors associated with diagnostic and treatment intervals in colorectal cancer: A linked data study. Int J Cancer. 2025 Aug 15;157(4):687-697. doi: 10.1002/ijc.35414. Epub 2025 Mar 13. PMID: 40079691; PMCID: PMC12178107.

Metcalf O, Pham L, Lamb KE, Zaloumis S, O'Donnell ML, Qian T, Varker T, Cowlishaw S, Forbes D. A mixed-methods investigation of a digital mental health tool to manage posttrauma anger. J Trauma Stress. 2025 Apr;38(2):296-304. doi: 10.1002/jts.23126. Epub 2025 Jan 26. PMID: 39865623; PMCID: PMC11967293.

Metcalf O, Lamb KE, Forbes D, O'Donnell ML, Qian T, Varker T, Cowlishaw S, Zaloumis S. Predicting high anger intensity using ecological momentary assessment and wearable-derived physiological data in a trauma-affected sample. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2025 Dec;16(1):2472485. doi: 10.1080/20008066.2025.2472485. Epub 2025 Mar 26. PMID: 40135377; PMCID: PMC11948352.

Camacho X, Schaffer AL, Brett J, Pratt N, Buckley NA, Henry D, Pearson SA. Quality use of publicly subsidised tapentadol in Australia: a population-based analysis. Intern Med J. 2024 Jun;54(6):941-950. doi: 10.1111/imj.16335. Epub 2024 Feb 1. PMID: 38299430.

Lamb KE, Camacho X, Lee PW, Koye DN, Kotevski A, Haurat J, Thornton LE, Turner M, Simpson JA, Burchill L. Health map for HealthGap: Defining a geographical catchment to examine cardiovascular risk in Victoria, Australia. Health Place. 2024 Sep;89:103318. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2024.103318. Epub 2024 Jul 13. PMID: 39002227.

Gillies MB, Bharat C, Camacho X, Daniels B, Hall K, Kelly TL, Kelty E, Lin J, Litchfield M, Lopez D, Noghrehchi F, Raubenheimer J, Varney B, Pratt N. Medicine utilization studies in Australian individual-level dispensing data: A blinded, multi-center replicated analysis. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2024 Mar;33(3):e5776. doi: 10.1002/pds.5776. PMID: 38479400.

Gillies MB, Camacho X, Bharat C, Buizen L, Blyth F, Currow D, Wilson A, Degenhardt L, Gisev N, Pearson SA. Oxycodone initiation in Australia (2014-2018): Sociodemographic factors and preceding health service use. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2024 Jul;90(7):1656-1666. doi: 10.1111/bcp.16063. Epub 2024 Apr 3. PMID: 38571341.

Zoega H, Falster MO, Gillies MB, Litchfield M, Camacho X, Bruno C, Daniels B, Donnolley N, Havard A, Schaffer AL, Chambers G, Degenhardt L, Dobbins T, Gisev N, Ivers R, Jorm L, Liu B, Vajdic CM, Pearson SA. The Medicines Intelligence Data Platform: A Population-Based Data Resource From New South Wales, Australia. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2024 Aug;33(8):e5887. doi: 10.1002/pds.5887. PMID: 39145404.

Gillies MB, Chidwick K, Bharat C, Camacho X, Currow D, Gisev N, Degenhardt L, Pearson SA. Long-term prescribed opioid use after hospitalization or emergency department presentation among opioid naïve adults (2014-2020)-A population-based descriptive cohort study. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2024 Sep;90(9):2111-2123. doi: 10.1111/bcp.16093. Epub 2024 May 27. PMID: 38803009.

Price E, Kotevski A, Lamb K, Koye D, Taylor G, Ebsworth G, Burchill L. Presentations to selected Melbourne hospitals with cardiovascular disease by Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, 2011-19: a linked administrative data analysis. Med J Aust. 2024 Mar 4;220(4):208-210. doi: 10.5694/mja2.52215. Epub 2024 Jan 30. PMID: 38290713.

Camacho X, Zoega H, Gomes T, Schaffer AL, Henry D, Pearson SA, Vigod S, Havard A. The association between psychostimulant use in pregnancy and adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes: results from a distributed analysis in two similar jurisdictions. Int J Epidemiol. 2023 Feb 8;52(1):190-202. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyac180. PMID: 36135973; PMCID: PMC9908060.

Camacho X, Nedkoff L, Wright FL, Nghiem N, Buajitti E, Goldacre R, Rosella LC, Seminog O, Tan EJ, Hayes A, Hayen A, Wilson N, Blakely T, Clarke P. Relative contribution of trends in myocardial infarction event rates and case fatality to declines in mortality: an international comparative study of 1·95 million events in 80·4 million people in four countries. Lancet Public Health. 2022 Mar;7(3):e229-e239. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(22)00006-8. PMID: 35247353.

Pratt N, Camacho X, Vajdic C, Degenhardt L, Laba TL, Hillen J, Etherton-Beer C, Preen D, Jorm L, Donnolley N, Havard A, Pearson SA. The Medicines Intelligence Centre of Research Excellence: Co-creating real-world evidence to support the evidentiary needs of Australian medicines regulators and payers. Int J Popul Data Sci. 2022 Jun 13;6(3):1726. doi: 10.23889/ijpds.v6i1.1726. PMID: 35784493; PMCID: PMC9208358.

Koye DN, Melaku YA, Gelaw YA, Zeleke BM, Adane AA, Tegegn HG, Gebreyohannes EA, Erku DA, Tesfay FH, Gesesew HA, Mekonnen A, Dadi AF, Alene KA. Mapping national, regional and local prevalence of hypertension and diabetes in Ethiopia using geospatial analysis. BMJ Open. 2022 Dec 8;12(12):e065318. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-065318. PMID: 36600383; PMCID: PMC9743363.

Thornton LE, Schroers RD, Lamb KE, Daniel M, Ball K, Chaix B, Kestens Y, Best K, Oostenbach L, Coffee NT. Operationalising the 20-minute neighbourhood. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2022 Feb 12;19(1):15. doi: 10.1186/s12966-021-01243-3. PMID: 35151334; PMCID: PMC8841074.

McNamara E, Saxon L, Bond K, Campbell BC, Douglass J, Dutch MJ, Grigg L, Johnson D, Knott JC, Koye DN, Putland M, Read DJ, Smith B, Thomson BN, Williamson DA, Tong SY, Fazio TN. Threat of COVID-19 impacting on a quaternary healthcare service: a retrospective cohort study of administrative data. BMJ Open. 2021 Jun 24;11(6):e045975. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045975. PMID: 34168026; PMCID: PMC8228577.

Doolan BJ, Koye D, Ling J, Cains GD, Baker C, Foley P, Dolianitis C. Treatment modalities and risk of adverse events associated with biologic therapy: A 10-year observational review of the Australasian Psoriasis Registry. Australas J Dermatol. 2021 Feb;62(1):e47-e54. doi: 10.1111/ajd.13450. Epub 2020 Sep 4. PMID: 32885846.

Koye D, Lamb K, Lee P-W, Kotevski A, Haurat J, Turner M, Ebsworth G, Druce T, Bryant K, Price E, Taylor G, Simpson J, Burchill L. 1430 Guideline-based cardiovascular disease risk assessment among Indigenous Australians in a general practice setting, International Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 50, Issue Supplement_1, September 2021, dyab168.359, https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyab168.359

Alene KA, Gelaw YA, Fetene DM, Koye DN, Melaku YA, Gesesew H, Birhanu MM, Adane AA, Muluneh MD, Dachew BA, Abrha S, Aregay A, Ayele AA, Bezabhe WM, Gebremariam KT, Gebremedhin T, Gebremedhin AT, Gebremichael L, Geleto AB, Kassahun HT, Kibret GD, Leshargie CT, Mekonnen A, Mirkuzie AH, Mohammed H, Tegegn HG, Tesema AG, Tesfay FH, Wubishet BL, Kinfu Y. COVID-19 in Ethiopia: a geospatial analysis of vulnerability to infection, case severity and death. BMJ Open. 2021 Feb 18;11(2):e044606. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044606. PMID: 33602713; PMCID: PMC7896372.