Biostatistics
In an era of large data volumes and increasing complexity, analyzing information with modern and robust tools is essential to obtain clear results and accurate conclusions about the systems and phenomena under study—ultimately enabling sound decision-making.
What Does the Unit’s Work Involve?
The unit is composed of a multidisciplinary group of experts trained in agronomy, statistics, and ecology. It serves as a fundamental pillar supporting the training of students at CATIE’s Graduate School and interns from other national and international educational institutions. The unit also implements courses and workshops for CATIE’s partner institutions across Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as for the Center’s internal units.
Through this ongoing support, the unit aims to propose and refine new methodologies for sampling design, data collection, and statistical analysis that maximize the knowledge generated across diverse research areas in agronomic, ecological, economic, and social systems.
The unit also contributes to the development of software and analytical algorithms for data processing and works continuously with leading specialists in statistical modeling and programming. Its areas of focus include data analysis related to variability and climate change assessment, national forest inventories, forest degradation estimation, pest and disease management, and econometric analysis.
The work carried out by the unit between 2015 and 2021 has resulted in:
73 Publications
distributed in book chapters, books, technical reports and scientific articles
15 Graduates
delivered in Biostatistics.
134 International trainings
conducted in 17 countries.
85 Students
from CATIE and other educational institutions advised in their theses.
Success story
Leaving a Mark on the Region’s Professionals
Oscar Lanuza, from Nicaragua, graduated in 2016 from CATIE’s Academic Master’s Program in Tropical Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation and currently works as a tenured professor at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN), Regional Multidisciplinary Faculty in Estelí.
Oscar explains that his experience at CATIE—particularly with the Biostatistics Unit—was extraordinary, allowing him to connect with professors and researchers of great scientific trajectory and to build professional alliances that continue to this day.
During his time at CATIE, Oscar participated in the International Diploma in Biostatistics, which he considers one of the most comprehensive courses in this field in Latin America.
The knowledge he gained enabled him to master various modern tools and techniques for analyzing ecological and agronomic data, giving him greater independence and skill to conduct high-quality scientific research. He also emphasizes that this training has been essential for advancing his Ph.D. studies in Terrestrial Ecology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain.
The Work of CATIE’s Biostatistics Unit in Latin America and Spain