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Kristian Brock

Statistical Consultant

AstraZeneca

University of Birmingham

Biography

I am a biostatistician specialising in Bayesian trial methodology at AstraZeneca. I have experience in cancer and non-cancer clinical trials. I have authored several methodology papers and conducted the analysis for several trial results publications. I write statistical software. By honourary association, I supervise trial methods research at the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Birmingham.

Interests

  • Clinical Trials
  • Bayesian Statistics
  • Trial Methodology
  • R
  • Stan

Education

  • PhD in Clinical Trial Methodology, 2019

    University of Birmingham

  • MSc in Statistics, 2011

    University of Sheffield

  • BSc in Mathematics, 2001

    University of London

Recent Posts

Comparing dose-finding designs by simulation

A simple, efficient method for comparing dose-finding designs described in preprint and implemented in escalation v0.1.8
Last updated on Feb 26, 2024 5 min read Research, Code

Praise for statistical developers

Those that write statistical software sit at the intersection of two difficult disciplines. They are heroes.
Last updated on Feb 18, 2021 3 min read Opinion

Sending me data in Excel

If you want to send me data in an Excel sheet, laying it out like this will let me start analysing it right away.
Last updated on Nov 2, 2020 5 min read Research

New phase I methods in escalation

Introducing new methods in escalation for TPI, mTPI and Neuenschwander et al.‘s design for phase I trials, plus MCMC-based CRM …
Last updated on Oct 20, 2020 13 min read Code

trialr and escalation

The trialr package, the escalation package, how they work together, and how they will grow.
Last updated on Oct 19, 2020 4 min read Code
See all posts

Projects

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All Bayes

Real data on lots of dose-finding trials

We collected efficacy and toxicity outcomes from 122 published dose-finding trials. This project introduces the data and our insights.

The escalation package

escalation is an R package for dose-escalation clinical trials, providing a consistent, extensible, modular approach.

The PePS2 Trial

PePS2 is a phase II trial of pembrolizumab in performance status 2 non-small-cell lung cancer patients.

The trialr package

trialr is an R package implementing Bayesian clinical trial methods in Stan.

Featured Publications

April 2020 Lancet Respiratory Medicine

Pembrolizumab in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer of performance status 2 (PePS2) - a single arm, phase 2 trial

Therapeutic blockade of the axis of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) has transformed the management of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Clinical trials with pembrolizumab have enrolled patients with performance status (PS) 0–1. However, around 18% of patients with NSCLC are PS2, and the activity and safety of pembrolizumab in these patients is unclear. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of pembrolizumab in these patients.

PDF Project DOI Article
June 2019

trialr - Bayesian Clinical Trial Designs in R and Stan

This manuscript introduces an R package called trialr that implements a collection of clinical trial methods in Stan and R. In this article, we explore three methods in detail…

PDF Code Project Video Source Document CRAN package arXiv

Recent Publications

Pembrolizumab in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer of performance status 2 (PePS2) - a single arm, phase 2 trial

Therapeutic blockade of the axis of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) has transformed the management of …
PDF Project DOI Article

A Phase II Clinical Trial Design for Associated Co-primary Efficacy and Toxicity Outcomes with Baseline Covariates

The experimental design presented here is motivated by a phase II clinical trial called PePS2, investigating the efficacy and safety of …
PDF Project DOI Article

Ibrutinib Plus Venetoclax in Relapsed/Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia - The CLARITY Study

The treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has been revolutionized by targeted therapies that either inhibit proliferation …
PDF DOI Article

trialr - Bayesian Clinical Trial Designs in R and Stan

This manuscript introduces an R package called trialr that implements a collection of clinical trial methods in Stan and R. In this …
PDF Code Project Video Source Document CRAN package arXiv

How to design a dose-finding study using the continual reassessment method

The continual reassessment method (CRM) is a model-based design for phase I trials, which aims to find the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) …
PDF DOI Article
See all publications

Popular Topics

Bayes bootcamp CRM DoseFinding escalation PhaseII R training trialr TrialResults

Experience

 
 
 
 
 

Statistical Consultant

AstraZeneca

Aug 2023 – Present Cambridge, UK
I work in a statistical innovation team at AstraZeneca.
 
 
 
 
 

Statistical Lead

UCB

Jul 2020 – Jul 2023 Slough, UK
I worked at UCB as a statistical methodologist in their Centre for Excellence in Statistical Innovation.
 
 
 
 
 

Principal Biostatistician

University of Birmingham

Nov 2018 – Jun 2020 Birmingham, UK

Another promotion at the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit. The Principal Biostatistician role places an emphasis on leading a programme of research and continuing to win grant funding for new trials. I continued to supervise trials launched in the Senior Biostatistician role, whilst adding a major trial in idiopathic intracranial hypertension. I designed and delivered a 40-hour programme of technical training for new Biostatisticians, and wrote an MSc module on early phase trials.

Highlights

  • Completed PhD.
  • Designed and delivered a MSc module and a technical statistical training programme.
  • Won 1 grant (correct at 2019-12-27) for £1.7m.
  • Published further publications as first-author and co-author.
 
 
 
 
 

Senior Biostatistician

University of Birmingham

Jan 2016 – Nov 2018 Birmingham, UK

Promotion at the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit to lead biostatistical aspects in a brand new team devoted to early phase trials outside of cancer. The Senior Biostatistician role places a much greater emphasis on designing new trials, winning trial funding, and setting up trials. I served on trials in burns, trauma, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and Wolfram Syndrome, whilst retaining some involvement in cancer trials.

Highlights

  • Won 7 grants from public bodies and pharma companies totalling £4.3m.
  • Won MRC funding for the first ever RCT in Wolfram Syndrome, a rare monogenic neurodegenerative disorder.
  • Published first publication as first-author, and several publications as co-author.
 
 
 
 
 

Biostatistician

University of Birmingham

Feb 2014 – Jan 2016 Birmingham, UK

As a clinical trial statistician at the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit, I worked on a range of early phase trials in lung cancer and haematological malignancies. The core responsibilities were to perform trial analyses, produce reports for publication and safety monitoring, and produce documentation in accordance with the trials unit’s quality management processes.

Highlights

  • Experience very early in my career on a large, complex platform trial called National Lung Matrix, which investigates targeted therapies in molecularly-defined groups of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.
  • Experience on dose-finding trials using the Continual Reassessment Method and EffTox designs.
  • Started a PhD on clinical trial methodology.

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