Chris Guure, PhD
Personal Profile
Chris Guure is a trained Epidemiological Analyst and Bayesian and frequentist Biostatistician, a researcher and consultant with over eight years of experience. He holds a PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Currently a Senior Lecturer with the Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Ghana. Chris has worked for various international and national organizations including World Health Organization (WHO), West African Health Organization (WAHO), MEASURE Evaluation, Ghana AIDS Commission, Ghana Health Service, Ministry of Health and USAID and Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights. He is an invited Guest Lecturer and Panel Discussant with the T. H. Chan School of Public Health – Harvard University, African Centre of Excellence in Data Science – University of Rwanda and Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College in Tanzania and thus has a broad view of health data problems in Africa. He has extensive experience working in and continuous to work in a number of projects in the following areas HIV/AIDs, malaria, mothers and child health, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, tuberculosis as well as cognitive decline, and dementia and its subtypes among older folks.
I have been involved in and has led a number of research projects as either a PI, Co-Investigator, Biostatistician and Data Manager in Ghana including: Mapping and size estimate of female sex workers and their intimate partners in Ghana. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Epidemiology & Phenotype Study (Ghana PEP Study). End User Verification Survey of 2018 Point Mass Distribution of Long-Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets in Ghana. Ghana’s Progress towards Achieving Maternal and Child Health-Related Sustainable Development Goals. Improving adherence to postpartum family planning guidance: a hybrid type 2 implementation and effectiveness study. How Women are treated during Facility-Based Childbirth: Development and Utilization of Measurement Tools in Four Countries. Bridging Gaps, Innovate for Malaria (B4M) - community scorecard assessments, Bridging Gaps, Innovate for Malaria, a baseline study. In most of the project, he led/leads in the development of the study instruments, training of data collectors, field work, data monitoring, data management/ cleaning, data analysis, interpretation of results and drafting of the study reports. Chris is involved in developing and standardizing research instruments for use in the public health sector.
Research Interest
Statistical methodology and software (STATA, R programming, WinBUGS, OpenBUGS and Stan) applications using both frequentist and Bayesian statistical methods such as;
• generalized linear or nonlinear mixed effects models
• hierarchical or multilevel modelling,
• generalized estimating equations,
• joint modelling of longitudinal (repeated measurements of biomarkers)
• time-to-event survival models,
• structural equation modelling
applied on
• population based complex cross-sectional survey data
• meta-analytic data
• infectious disease data
• longitudinal data analysis
• time-to-event data
Academic and Professional Qualifications/Achievements
• PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics (Putra University)
• Fellowship in Data Management (Harvard University)
• Certificate in Data Management (Harvard University)
• Masters in Reliability Analysis (Bayesian Biostatistics)
• B. (Hons); Mathematics (University of Cape Coast)
• Data Management and Software Application
• Best Student “Excellence in Scholarly Publications”
• Best Student “Excellence in Scholarly Publications”
Invited Guest Lecturer/Presenter/Panel discussant
• Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University – United States
• African Centre of Excellence in Data Science, University of Rwanda
• Institute of Public Health, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Tanzania
Selected Publications: Journal Articles
• Kaluba, L., Goma, F., Chris Guure, Munsaka, S., Mutale, W., Heimburger, D. C., ... & Koethe, J. R. (2021). Immune activation and arterial stiffness in lean adults with HIV on antiretroviral therapy. Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine, 22(1), 9.
• Sacks, E., Mehrtash, H., Bohren, M., Balde, M. D., Vogel, J. P., Adu-Bonsaffoh, K., Chris Guure….& Tunçalp, Ö. (2021). The first 2 h after birth: prevalence and factors associated with neonatal care practices from a multicountry, facility-based, observational study. The Lancet Global Health, 9(1), e72-e80.
• Alotaibi, Refah Mohammed, Hoda Ragab Rezk and Chris Guure. (2020). Bayesian frailty modelling of correlated survival data with application to under-five mortality. BMC Public Health–https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09328-7.
• Chris Guure, Stephen Owusu, Samuel Dery, Frances Baaba da-Costa Vroom and Seth Afagbedzi. (2020). Comprehensive Knowledge of HIV and AIDS among Ghanaian Adults from 1998-2014: A Multilevel Logistic Regression Model Approach – Scientifica - https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/7313497
• Alotaibi, Refah Mohammed, and Chris Guure. "Bayesian and Frequentist Analytical Approaches Using Log-Normal and Gamma Frailty Parametric Models for Breast Cancer Mortality." Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine 2020 (2020).
• Bohren, Meghan A Bohren, Hedieh Mehrtash, Bukola Fawole, Thae Maung Maung, Mamadou Dioulde Balde, Ernest Maya, Soe Soe Thwin, Adeniyi K Aderoba, Joshua P Vogel, Theresa Azonima Irinyenikan, A Olusoji Adeyanju, Nwe Oo Mon, Kwame Adu-Bonsaffoh, Sihem Landoulsi, Chris Guure, Richard Adanu, Boubacar Alpha Diallo, A Metin Gülmezoglu, Anne-Marie Soumah, Alpha Oumar Sall, Özge Tunçalp, (2019). How women are treated during facility-based childbirth in four countries: a cross-sectional study with labour observations and community-based surveys. The Lancet, 394(10210), 1750-1763.
• Kwaku Asah-Opoku, Donne Kofi Ameme, Alfred Yawson, Chris Bambey Guure, David Ernest Mireku Aduama, Kareem Mumuni, Ali Samba, Ernest Tei Maya: Adherence to the recommended timing of focused antenatal care in the Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana. The Pan African Medical Journal. 2019; 33:123. doi:10.11604/pamj.2019.33.123.15535
• Chris Guure, Ernest Tei Maya, Samuel Dery, Baaba da-Costa Vrom, Refah M. Alotaibi, Hoda Ragab Rezk and Alfred Yawson: Factors influencing unmet need for family planning among Ghanaian married/union women: a multinomial mixed effects logistic regression modelling approach. Archives of Public Health; 12/2019; 77(11): doi.org/10.1186/s13690-019-0340-6
• Refah Mohammed Alotaibi, Hoda Ragab Rezk, Consul Iworikumo Juliana, and Chris Guure: Breast cancer mortality in Saudi Arabia: Modelling observed and unobserved factors. PLoS ONE 10/2018; 13(10).
• Philomina Akadity Aviisah, Samuel Dery, Benedicta Kafui Atsu, Alfred Yawson, Refah M. Alotaibi, Hoda Ragab Rezk, Chris Guure: Modern contraceptive use among women of reproductive age in Ghana: Analysis of the 2003-2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys. BMC Women's Health 08/2018; 18(141):1-10., DOI:10.1186/s12905-018-0634-9
• Ernest T. Maya, Chris Guure, Richard M.K. Adanu, Bismark Sarfo, Michael Ntumy, Evelyn Y. Bonney, Daria Lizneva, Walidah Walker, Ricardo Azziz: Why we need epidemiologic studies of polycystic ovary syndrome in Africa. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics 08/2018; 143(2)., DOI:10.1002/ijgo.12642
• Chris Guure, Noor Akma Ibrahim, Mohd Bakri Adam, Salmiah Md Said: Joint modelling of longitudinal 3MS scores and the risk of mortality among cognitively impaired individuals. PLoS ONE 08/2017; 12(8):e0182873., DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0182873
• Benedicta K. Atsu, Chris Guure, Amos K. Laar: Determinants of overweight with concurrent stunting among Ghanaian children. BMC Pediatrics 07/2017; 17(1):177., DOI:10.1186/s12887-017-0928-3
• Chris Guure, Noor A Ibrahim, Mohd B Adam, Salmiah Md Said: Impact of Physical Activity on Cognitive Decline, Dementia and Its Subtypes: MetaAnalysis of Prospective Studies. Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology 12/2016; 2017(9)., DOI:10.1155/2017/9016924
• Emenyonu Sandra Chiaka, Mohd Bakri Adam, Isthrinayagy Krishnarajah, Shamarina Shohaimi, Chris Guure: Bayesian Logistic Regression Model on Risk Factors of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Mathematical Theory and Modeling. Vol.5, No.1, 2015
• Christopher S Boatbil, Chris Guure, Azerikatoa D Ayoung: Impact of Belief Systems on the Management of Child Malnutrition: The Case of Talensis of Northern Ghana. DOI:10.5296/jfs.v3i1.60
• Chris Guure, Samuel Bosomprah: Bayesian Perspective on Random Censored Survival Data. International Scholarly Research Notices 10/2014; Volume 2014(Article ID 430357)., DOI:10.1155/2014/430357
• Chris Guure, Noor Akma Ibrahim: Approximate Bayesian Estimates of Weibull Parameters with Lindley's Method. Sains Malaysiana 09/2014; 43(9):1433-1437.
• Chris Guure, Noor Akma Ibrahim, Samuel Bosomprah: Parametric inference of non-informative censored time-to-event data. ScienceAsia 06/2014; 40(3):257-262., DOI:10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2014.40.257
• Chris Guure, Noor Akma, Mohd Bakri Adam, Al Omari, Mohammed Ahmed, Samuel Bosomprah: Bayesian Parameter and Reliability Estimate of Weibull Failure Time Distribution. The Bulletin of the Malaysian Mathematical Society Series 2 06/2014; 37(3):611-632.
• Chris Guure, Noor Akma Ibrahim, Duah Dwomoh, Samuel Bosomprah: Bayesian statistical inference of the loglogistic model with interval-censored lifetime data. Journal of Statistical Computation and Simulation 01/2014; 85(8)., DOI:10.1080/00949655.2014.881813
• Christopher Sormiteyema Boatbil, Chris Guure: Implication of cultural factors in spatial patterns of stunting among the three main Frafra groups in Upper East Region of Ghana. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition 01/2014; 3(2):37-43.
• Chris Guure, Noor Akma Ibrahim: Generalized Bayesian non-informative prior estimation of Weibull parameter with interval censoring. ScienceAsia 11/2013; 39(1):75-79., DOI:10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2013.39S.075
• Chris Guure, Samuel Bosomprah: Bayesian and Non-Bayesian Inference for Survival Data Using Generalised Exponential Distribution. Journal of Probability and Statistics 09/2013; 2013(2013):7.
• Chris Guure, Noor Akma Ibrahim, Mohd Bakri Adam: Bayesian Inference of the Weibull Model Based on Interval-Censored Survival Data. Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine 01/2013; 2013(11):849520., DOI:10.1155/2013/849520
• Chris Guure, Noor Akma: Bayesian Analysis of the Survival Function and Failure Rate of Weibull Distribution with Censored Data. Mathematical Problems in Engineering 10/2012; 18(33–36)., DOI:10.1155/2012/329489
• Chris Guure, Noor Akma, A. M. Al Omari, Mohammed Ahmed: Bayesian Estimation of Two-Parameter Weibull Distribution Using Extension of Jeffreys' Prior Information with Three Loss Functions. Mathematical Problems in Engineering 06/2012; 13(2)., DOI:10.1155/2012/589640
Documented details of my publications can be found here: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=MtKRd54AAAAJ&hl=en&cstart=0 &pagesize=20
Member of the Following Associations
• American Statistical Association
• Biometrics Society
• Institute of Mathematical Statistics
• New England Statistical Society
Completed Projects
• Mapping and size estimation and integrated bio-behavioural surveillance survey among female sex workers in ghana. Funder: Global Fund - 2020.
• End user verification survey of 2018 point mass distribution of long-lasting insecticide treated nets in ghana. Funder: National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) – 2019
• Bayesian frailty modelling of correlated survival data with application to under-five mortality. Funder: Deanship of Scientific Research at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University – 2019.
• Ghana’s progress towards achieving maternal and child health-related sustainable development goals. Funder: UNICEF - 2019
• How women are treated during facility-based childbirth: development and utilization of measurement tools in four countries. Funder: World Health Organization – 2018
• Bridging gaps, innovate for malaria (b4m) - community scorecard assessments. Funder: Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights – 2019
Statistical Programming Language Skills
• Competent in using Stata Software.
• Competent in using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) Software.
• Competent in using R Programming Language. R is an open source programming language and software environment for statistical computing and graphics.
• Competent in using WinBUGS, openBUGS and Stan. These are computer software for Bayesian data analysis using complex statistical models via Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods.
• Competent in using Latex Software: A Document Preparation System; Tex, “macro package”.