Biography
Dr. Rahbar obtained his PhD in Statistics from Michigan State University (MSU) in 1988. From 2001 to 2008, he served as a tenured professor of biostatistics and epidemiology in the College of Human Medicine at MSU and as the founding director of MSU’s Data Coordinating Center (DCC). While at MSU, he served as PI of the DCC for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded national network of autism research centers from 2004 to 2008.
In 2008, Dr. Rahbar joined The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) as a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the School of Public Health and director of the Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Design (BERD) component of the Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS). While at UTHealth Houston, he was successful in obtaining funding for several multimillion-dollar projects, including serving as PI of the DCC for the Prospective, Observational, Multi-center Major Trauma Transfusion (PROMMTT) Study, a $9.8 million Department of Defense-funded project; PI of the Data Core for The University of Texas Specialized Program in Acute Stroke (SPOTRIAS), funded by NINDS; PI of the Data Management and Statistical Core for “Genetics and Ankylosing Spondylitis Pathogenesis,” funded by NIAMS/NIH; and PI of an R21 funded by NICHD/FIC and an R01 funded by NIEHS, “Epidemiological Research on Autism in Jamaica – Phases I and II.” He also served as PI of two methods development grants: a multiple-PI R21 grant from NHLBI (Rahbar, Ning) and an R03 from NINDS. His research interests include global maternal and child health as well as stroke, with a particular focus on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
In 2012, Dr. Rahbar was appointed founding director of the Division of Clinical and Translational Sciences (DCTS) in the Department of Internal Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. He held a primary appointment in the Department of Internal Medicine at McGovern Medical School and a secondary appointment in the School of Public Health. In 2020, Dr. Rahbar was also appointed as a professor in the Institute for Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease at UTHealth Houston. He is now professor emeritus at McGovern Medical School.
Dr. Rahbar is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Statistical Association (ASA), Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER), International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Canadian–USA Clinical Epidemiology Network, and Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute. Dr. Rahbar has served as a member of an advisory group to the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding maternal and perinatal health research and reproductive epidemiology. He has served as editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Autism (AJA) and as a reviewer for several study sections, including NICHD, NIEHS, NHLBI, NINDS, NIAMS, DoD, and WHO.
Dr. Rahbar has also collaborated with faculty across UTHealth Houston, providing support for activities ranging from study design and data management/data quality assurance to statistical analysis and participation in writing and reviewing manuscripts and grants.
Education
- Bachelor Degree
- Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
- Master Degree
- Statistics, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
- Doctoral Degree
- Statistics, Michigan State University (MSU), MI
Areas of Interest
Research Interests
• Gene-Environment Interactions in relation to Autism Spectrum Disorders • Statistical Methodology Development in Blood Transfusion Protocol Research • Environmental Health with a focus on toxins including heavy metals, PCBs and OC Pesticides • Clinical Trials with a particular focus on analytic Issues in multicenter/multisite studies Sequential Procedures and Adaptive Trial Designs • Global Health; Developmental Disabilities • Cost-Effectiveness Analysis • Data Mining • Survival Analysis • Statistical and Study Design Issues in Epidemiology • Medical Informatics