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Ex-Founder Professor of Biostatistics, and Head

Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics

Delhi University College of Medical Sciences

Dilshad Garden, Delhi 110 095

Phone: 9810315030

email: a.indrayan@gmail.com

Currently: Biostatistics Consultant, Max Healthcare Institute, Delhi, since 2014

 

For my page at Wikipedia, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhaya_Indrayan

For medical biostatistics topics, visit http://www.MedicalBiostatistics.com

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A Brief on Prof A. Indrayan

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Prof Indrayan is the only biostatistician in India as of 2025 to be honored with the Fellowship of the Indian Academy of Sciences (of Dr CV Raman fame). This is much beyond FAMS that he earned in 1998. He completed MS and PhD from the Ohio State University in a record time of three years. He established the first Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics in India – that too in a non-PG medical institution – in the year 1995, which was later emulated by SGPGI (Lko) and JIPMER (Py). He retired as Head of this department in 2010 and is currently (2025) working as Biostatistics Consultant at Max Healthcare.

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Prof Indrayan is respected as the top biostatistician in the country with more than 300 publications, including a large number of his own research on medical biostatistics. He has authored 6 books, three of which are published in the US for the international audience, and more than 20 chapters. He has completed nearly 40 projects for the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and the UNAIDS. He also conducted an online course for an international audience for the past 20 years in collaboration with a US institute.

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Prof Indrayan is serving biostatistics in several ways. He has developed a medically integrated curriculum of biostatistics for medical under- and postgraduate students. His publications on Personalized Statistical Medicine, medical uncertainties, and the conundrum of P-values are notable. Among his original ideas are the smoking index, objective measurement of an individual’s positive health, scoring for assessing the quality of the process of medical research from choosing a problem to its publication, assessing agreement directly without Bland-Altman limits, a new method for assessing predictive performance of a model, and ‘promote heart disease, stop cancer’ by research on choosing the cause of death in old age.

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Books Authored

1. Concise Encyclopedia of Biostatistics for Medical Professionals, CRC Press, 2016
(Martin Holt of Leicester, UK, is the second of the two authors.)
The encyclopedia explains more than 1000 biostatistical terms and concepts in non-mathematical language for our medical colleagues. Profusely illustrated with figures, graphs, and tables. Click Contents to see the alphabetical list of these terms and concepts.
Contents

2. Medical Biostatistics, Chapman&Hall/CRC Press, Fourth Edition, 2017
(Rajeev Kumar Malhotra is the second of the two authors.)
​Projects biostatistics as a science for managing medical uncertainties. Completely oriented to medical sciences. Received excellent reviews from the world’s top resources, including the one that says that it is “perhaps the most complete book on biostatistics…” , and “seems to be an encyclopedia”, Click here to see the wide range of topics covered in the book.
Details. Contents. Original Thoughts Guide to Statistical Methods Unique Contribution of the Book

3. Research Methods for Medical Graduates, CRCPress, 2019
Explains A to Z of basics of medical research, extremely useful for postgraduate and doctoral theses in medicine, surgery, and super-specialties, written in easy language that is conducive to medical graduates. Also useful for dental, nursing, and pharmacy PG students.
Details. Contents.

4. Simple Biostatistics for MBBS, PG Entrance and USMLE, Fifth Edition, Brillion Publishers, 2019
(Satyanarayana Labani is the second of the two authors)
A three-in-one book covering the needs of MBBS syllabus, PG Entrance competition, and USMLE examination. Creates a character, Dr Science Singh, to explain biostatistical concepts to medical students.
Details. Contents. Formula sheet Download

5. Basic Methods of Medical Research, Fifth Edition AITBS Publishers, 2022

A comprehensive guide for emerging research workers for all steps of medical research from choosing a problem to reviewing the literature, to design, to collection and collation of data to analysis to writing the paper for publication or presentation.

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6. Biostatistics for Medical, Nursing and Pharmacy Students, Prentice-Hall of India, 2006
(Satyanarayana Labani is the second of the two authors)
Comprehensive coverage of all topics of biostatistics for para-medical students

Research 

  1. More than 300 publications. List

  2. Presented invited and contributed papers to more than 15 international conferences. List

  3. A large number of projects completed. List

  4. Human Development Index for the States of India. Reference

  5. First burden of disease (DALYs) study in India. Reference

  6. Health Atlas of India. Details

  7. HIV database. Details

  8. A comprehensive index of smoking (Indrayan’s smoking index). Details

  9. Newer statistical methods Details (i) Personalized statistical medicine, (ii) Objective measurement of an individual's positive health, (iii) Direct measurement of agreement without Bland-Altman limits, (iv) Correct assessment of predictivity of prediction models

  10. Full Text Articles. List

  11. Recent research on Biostatistics methods: (i) Erroneous use of ROC curves in prediction Details (ii) Objective measurement of personalized positive health Details (iii) Personalized statistical medicine Details (iv) Newer biostatistics methods Details (v) Agreement assessment by flexible limits Details (vi) Improved SAMPL guidelines for statistical reporting Details (vii) Scoring for quality of medical research (QERM) Details (viii) Statistical significance vs medical significance Details


Original Thoughts (provoking)

  1. Nurture heart diseases—stop cancer. Details

  2. Biostatistics as a science of managing medical uncertainties. Details

  3. Internationally applicable social classification Details

  4. Meteorological forecasting in India—predict the change in weather. Details

  5. Positive health Details. Full details available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10353687/ 

  6. Medically integrated curriculum of biostatistics for postgraduates in medical and allied colleges Details

  7. Statistical medicine: An emerging new medical specialty Details Also see  https://journals.lww.com/ijmr/Fulltext/2023/01000/Personalized_statistical_medicine.17.aspx 

  8. Pocket health monitor as conceived in 1996. Link 

  9. Statistical errors can kill many  Details

  10. "P-values; Stuck in a quagmire" - Oration delivered in a conference at AIIMS, Patna in 2019 DownloadPPT

  11. Reporting of basic statistical methods in a biomedical publication SAMPL Guidelines Full Article Guidelines

  12. Agreement assessment without Bland-Altman limits Details Also see https://europepmc.org/article/MED/37137481


  
Contributions

  1. Expert Committees and Task Forces. List

  2. Projects completed for WHO, World Bank and UNAIDS. List

  3. PhD and MD/MS theses supervised. List

  4. Chaired a large number of scientific sessions and Resource Person for many workshops

  5. Selection committees: Served as chair for some selection committees and as an expert for a large number of selection committees including at UPSC (among several, at one time for all-India services) and ICMR

  6. Invited Talks/Seminars delivered (International)

                    Hacettepe University, Turkey, 1998
                    Food & Drug Administration, USA, 1994
                    National Center for Health Statistics, USA, 1994
                    University of Massachusetts, USA, 1992
    7. Unparallel contribution to the college (UCMS). List
    8. Recent research on Biostatistics methods

      (i) Misuse of ROC Curves in Prediction  Details; (ii) Objective Measurement of Personalized Positive Health Details; (iii) Personalized Statistical Medicine Details; (iv) Unrealized Impact of             Medical Uncertainties Details; (v) Agreement Assessment by Flexible Limits Details; (vi) Improved SAMPL Guidelines for Statistical Reporting Details; (vii) Scoring for Quality of Medical              Research (QERM) Details; (viii) Statistical Significance vs. Medical Significance Details


Awards Instituted

1. National Academy of Medical Sciences (India) - Dr Abhaya Indrayan Award to a Biomedical/Clinical/Public Health Scientist/Biostatistician for significant contribution in the field of clinical epidemiology, epidemiology or biostatistics as applied to a subject that may have relevance to health sciences
2. Indian Society for Medical Statistics - Prof. A. Indrayan Travel Award to Senior Members
3. Manipal Academy of Higher Education - Professor Abhaya Indrayan Award for the Best Outgoing MSc (Biostatistics) Student
4. Public Health Foundation of India - Prof Indrayan Award in Biostatistics for MPH students

5. Epidemiology Foundation of India- Prof Indrayan Award for Excellence in Epidemiology/Biostatistics

6. Delhi University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi - Indrayan Award for Excellence in Research


Recognitions  

  1. Elected Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences (a UGC recognized distinction) - first and till 2025 the only Biostatistician in India to be so honored

  2. Elected Fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (a rare distinction for a non-medical scientist at that time - 1998)

  3. Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society

  4. Elected Fellow of the Indian Society for Medical Statistics

  5. Selected for (i) Who’s Who in Asia, 2007; (ii) Who’s Who in the World, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2006; (iii) Asia/Pacific Who’s Who, 2002; (iv) Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century, 2000; (v) Man of the Year 1999 (American Biographical Institute), etc.

  6. Featured in Bulletin of the International Biometric Society, 1995 (Link)

  7. News about my work appeared in the Times of India (1994) (Link), Amrita Bazar Patrika (1996) (Link), the Hindu (1998) (Link), and Indian Express (2021) 



Education 
PhD(Biostatistics), The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 1977, with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.88 (97%) and completed both MS and PhD in a record period of three years – received the prize for the best Biostatistics student

Career
Biostatistics Consultant, Max Healthcare Institute, New Delhi (2014 - )
Adjunct Faculty, Public Health Foundation of India (2016 -)
Founder Professor and Chair, Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, UCMS, Delhi (1995-2010)

Professor of Biostatistics, Delhi University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi 1987-2010

Previous jobs—Reader at Delhi UCMS, Visiting Research Scientist at the University of Massachusetts, Visiting faculty at the Ohio State, Teaching Associate at the Ohio State, Lecturer at Allahabad.


Assignments

  1. A large number of assignments with WHO, World Bank, and UNAIDS. Details

  2. Member, Technology Committee, International Biometric Society, 1996-1999

  3. Convener, Special Interest Group on Medical Informatics, Computer Society of India, 1995-1999

  4. Committees of Indian Society for Medical Statistics. Details

  5. Visiting Faculty at the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA, 1983-84 

  6. Visiting Research Scientist at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 1995. Recognized for Outstanding Service as a Visiting Research Scientist.



Professional Societies 
Elected Member, International Statistical Institute                                                          1997- 2007
Elected Member, National Academy of Medical Sciences                                              Since 1989
International Biometric Society, Member                                                                        1988-2013
           Member, International Technology Committee                                                    1996-1999
           Council Member (Indian Region)                                                                         1997-2000
Computer Society of India, Life Member                                                                        Since 1986
          Convener, Special Interest Group on Medical Informatics                                   1994-1997
Indian Society for Medical Statistics, Life Member                                                        Since 1983
          President                                                                                                                2015
           President-Elect                                                                                                      2013-2014
            Advisory Council                                                                                                 1984-91 and 1995-97
          Convener, Curriculum Committee                                                                        1986-1987
          Awards Committee                                                                                                1995-98 and 2001-2003
          Fellowship Committee                                                                                          2002-2019
           Chairman, Silver Jubilee Committee                                                                    2008-2011
           Chairman, Committee on Biostatistics Education                                                2015
International Epidemiological Association, Member                                                     1978-2014

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