Legenda
Nationality: Italian
Date and place of birth: 28th October 1969, Rome (Italy)
Address: Via Augusto Camerini, 50, Roma
Tel: +39 3453536926 (mobile)
E-mail: francesco.sera@unifi.it
Education
Qualifications
Feb 2023
PhD in Public Health, University of London, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. PhD thesis: “An extended random-effects framework for complex meta-analysis, with applications in environmental epidemiology.”. Supervisor: Prof Antonio Gasparrini.
Jan 2004
MSc in Epidemiology, I.S.I Foundation & University of Turin. Final grade: 110/110 cum laude. Final thesis: “Meta-analysis of observational studies: an application on risk factors of cutaneous melanoma.”. Supervisor: Prof Annibale Biggeri; Co-Supervisor: Dr. Roberto Zanetti.
July 1996
MSc in Statistics, University of Rome. Final grade: 110/110 cum laude. Degree Thesis: “Chaos theory and economic models”. Supervisor: Prof. Claudio Sardoni; Co-Supervisor: Prof. Marco Lippi.
Advanced courses
2018
Introduction to QGIS: Understanding and Presenting Spatial Data and Confident Spatial Analysis in QGIS. Farr Institute London.
2017-2018
Academy for PhD Training in Statistics (APTS). University of Cambridge, University of Southampton.
2010
Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modelling. London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London UK.
2009
Structural Equation Models: an introduction. University of Cassino, Italy.
2007
Statistical Design and Analysis of Genetic Epidemiology. European Educational Programme in Epidemiology, Florence, Italy.
Functional genomics; principles of statistics: course on statistical methods for genomics data analysis. University of Florence, Italy.
2006
Bayesian analysis, MCMC and WinBUGS. MRC Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge, UK.
2004
Human population genetics and genetic epidemiology. University of Rome, Italy.
Repeated measures data analysis. University of Florence, Italy.
1997
Applications of the Case-Control method. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA.
Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA.
Intermediate Biostatistics. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA.
Work experience
Current positions
Oct 2023-Ongoing
Associate Professor, Dipartimento di Statistica, Informatica, Applicazioni “Giuseppe Parenti”, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Oct 2020-Sept 2023
Research Fellow, Dipartimento di Statistica, Informatica, Applicazioni “Giuseppe Parenti”, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Oct 2020-ongoing
Honorary Research Fellow, London School of Hygiene &Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Public Health & Policy, Social and Environmental Health Research, London, UK.
Previous positions
Jan 2016-Sept 2020
Research Fellow, London School of Hygiene &Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Public Health & Policy, Social and Environmental Health Research, London, UK.
Sep 2009-Dec 2015
Senior Research Associate in Statistics, Life Course Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Population, Policy and Practice, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London UK.
Dec 2004-Aug 2009
Research fellow in statistics, Molecular and nutritional epidemiological unit, I.S.P.O. Centre for Study and Cancer Prevention, Florence Italy.
Sep 1996-Nov 2004
Research fellow in statistics, Clinical Epidemiology Unit Istituto Dermopatico dell’Immacolata IRCCS, Rome Italy.
Research interests and topics
H index (scopus): 63
Main research interest: statistical methodology applied to epidemiological studies.
Specific interests: statistical modelling, epidemiological study designs, meta-analysis.
Expertise: statistical methods in analytic epidemiology (case-control, cohort and cross sectional studies, time-series), applied in clinical, cancer, molecular and environmental epidemiology.
Other research activities
Peer-review activity for highly-ranked scientific journals (Carcinogenesis, Pediatrics, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, BMC Public Health, BMJ Open, Lancet Planetary Health, Epidemiolofy, International Journal of Epidemiology) and funding institutions (National Institute for Health Research-Programme Grants for Applied Research).
Research degree supervision
Jan 2013-Jan2015
MSc candidate: Giuliana Gargano. Project: Dietary intervention study in breast cancer patients at risk of recurrences: Preliminary results on the effect of dietary changes on risk parameters. MSc in Epidemiology, I.S.I Foundation & University of Turin, Italy.
Jan 2011-Jan2013
MSc candidate: Eleonora Bruno. Project: A case–control study on IGF-I and hereditary breast cancer. MSc in Epidemiology, I.S.I Foundation & University of Turin, Italy.
Jan 2009-Jan2011
MSc candidate: Fulvio Ricceri. Project: Skin cancer and occupational exposure within ELIOS study. MSc in Epidemiology, I.S.I Foundation & University of Turin, Italy.
Teaching
2020-ongoing
Lecturer in the module Advanced Topic In Epidemiology, “Master in Epidemiology”, University of Turin.
Lecturer in the module Data Science for Health, “Master in Data Science”, University of Florence.
Lecturer in the module Basic Statistics, “Health Sciences Degree courses”, University of Florence.
2017-2019
Practical Group leader in the module Introduction to Statistical Computing”, “Master course in Medical Statistics” LSHTM
Lecturer and practical group leader in the module Basic Statistics, “Master course in Public Health” LSHTM.
2001-2003
Lecturer in the Medical Statistics module. Medical school, Universita’ di Tor Vergara, Rome, Italy.
2000
Practical Group leader in the Intermediate Biostatistics course. IDI IRCSS, Rome Italy.
Practical Group leader in the Advanced Clinical Epidemiology course. IDI IRCSS, Rome Italy.
Technical skills
Areas of expertise: statistical methods in analytic epidemiology (case-control, cohort, cross sectional and time-series studies), applied in different research areas (clinical, cancer and environmental epidemiology).
Statistical methods: general and generalised linear models, multilevel models, meta-analytical methods.
Statistical software: excellent knowledge of R and Stata, basic knowledge of WinBUGS, SAS, SPSS, MLwiN and Matlab.
Programming and software packaging: good knowledge of the programming techniques in R and Stata, basic knowledge of SAS programming.
Text formatting and data management: good knowledge of LaTeX and Office
Reference manager software: good knowledge of JabRef and EndNote.
Languages: good spoken and written English, Italian native speaker.
Membership
Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society since 2010.
Awards
First prize in the abstract competition at the symposium ‘Research on Physical Activity in London: From laboratory to environmental and population studies’, organised jointly by UCL’s Physical Activity Research Group (PARG) and the Population Health Domain, 2011, London, UK.
