Dr Ian Saunders

Dr Ian Saunders: applying statistics to the problems of human health

Dr Ian Saunders uses his expertise in statistics to design efficient experiments and analyse complex data in the area of biological sciences.

• 19 August 2009 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Current activities
• Background 
• Academic qualifications

Current activities

Dr Saunders is Program Leader of Quantitative Biosciences, a research program of CSIRO Mathematics, Informatics and Statistics.

His own research analyses biological data using his expertise in statistics and experimental design. 

His current major research focus is on the use of high density genetic marker data to locate disease-related genes.

The main focus of his work is within the Preventative Health National Research Flagship, working to identify early indicators of disease.

Dr Saunders has played a key role in this by developing methods for selecting effective disease markers and by designing and analysing studies for discovering genes related to colorectal cancer.

Background

Dr Saunders first joined CSIRO in 1974, undertaking research and consulting in statistics and applied probability.

In 1988 Dr Saunders joined Bond University, Queensland, as Associate Professor of Statistics and Deputy Director of the Statistical Consulting Centre.

In 1992 he was appointed Queensland Government Professor of Quality Management at the Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland.

Dr Saunders joined CSIRO again in 1995 and has been part of the Bioinformatics group since 2001. 

From 1995-2001 his major focus was research into quality management and developing and applying an approach to organisational performance measurement that integrated definitions of performance with organisational strategic planning and management.

Since 2001 Dr Saunders has been working on bioinformatics in agriculture and human health.

This has included:

• studies of the impact of diet on colonic butyrate content
• design and analysis of studies of protein biomarkers in blood
• development of novel methods for the analysis of genetic data using 250 000 genetic markers to seek disease-causing genes.

In 2009 Dr Saunders was appointed Leader of the Bio Research Program at CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences.

Academic qualifications

Dr Saunders has been awarded a:

• Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Mathematics from the University of Oxford, United Kingdom (UK)
• Diploma in Mathematical Statistics from the University of Cambridge, UK
• Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics from the Australian National University in 1979.

Find out more about CSIRO's work in Preventative Health Flagship.