Sign in

Richard Hooper

@richardhooper.bsky.social
404 followers 242 following 167 posts

Professor of Medical Statistics @qmul.ac.uk. I study how to design evaluations of health technologies and health service interventions. Sometimes I just make patterns.

PostsRepliesMedia
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
I'm increasingly convinced that Alice B Toklas was the prototype for Joyce Meadowcroft in Thursday Murder Club.
000
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
God bless this phenomenon
010
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
6 (phew!) on Wordle—that's how I know I'm not sleeping well.
000
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
I've found that asking students "how would Mr Beast design a randomised trial to evaluate X" can elicit some much more creative responses than "how would *you* design it?"
010
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
I asked a class of students if they'd ever watched Tipping Point and they looked at me blankly. Scratch that example.
000
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
I liked them better than Pulp's "Something Changed".
000
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
These lyrics were one of the readings at my wedding.
110
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
It's clearly AI-canonical that a Researchfish lives *out* of water.
100
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Should we put together a "sorry you're leaving" card or something? (I asked AI for help) help.researchfish.com/en_US/resear...
130
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
The dinosaur lake still looks like a crime scene.
000
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
"Stone Penge" is looking resplendent.
100
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
Crystal Palace Park will look amazing when its refurbishment is finished.
100
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Almost nobody in the office today, naturally, but they still managed to steal most of the milk I'd tried to stash in the fridge [waves fist like an angry old man]. Happy Friday everyone
000
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
15th century keyboard cat www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a...
smithsonianmag.com
A Cat Left Paw Prints on the Pages of This Medieval Manuscript When the Ink Was Drying 500 Years Ago
An exhibition called "Paws on Parchment" tracks how cats were depicted in the Middle Ages through texts and artworks from around the world—including one example of a 15th-century "keyboard cat"
000
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Yes, I am back at work, I promise.
000
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
And obviously, if a faithful is banished they take their money with them; if a traitor is banished their money is shared between remaining players; if there are only faithfuls left at the end they keep their money; if any traitors are left they steal the faithfuls’ money.
110
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
You needn’t reveal your beneficiary’s name, and can change it anytime, but people know (for some reason) if you’ve seen the “solicitor” about changing your will.
100
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Idea for TV show: Traitors x Inheritance x Marple: Each player keeps the money they personally win in tasks, and has a “will” naming another current player as their sole beneficiary if they’re murdered.
130
Reposted by Richard Hooper
Crystal Palace Dinos @cpdinosaurs.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
Wishing all our friends, followers, and well-wishers a peaceful and relaxing few days ahead x
Illustrated London News...illustration, of the NYE 1853 Iguanodon dinner, with added Xmas hat and tree
15312
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Happy Friday everyone
000
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
A very clever, prolific statistician who I look up to recently said to me "I think all statisticians work in the potential outcomes framework, don't they?" I'm not so sure. arxiv.org/abs/2301.11976
arxiv.org
Personalised Decision-Making without Counterfactuals
This article is a response to recent proposals by Pearl and others for a new approach to personalised treatment decisions, in contrast to the traditional one based on statistical decision theory. We a...
110
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Things have already changed, and that machine is so mercurial. What *would* have happened has already vanished, a seductive phantom, completely unobservable.
100
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
The best bit about the show Tipping Point is when the host, Ben Shephard, says "let's find out what would have happened if you'd decided to play". There's always a nagging doubt at the back of my mind: that's not really what *would* have happened, is it?
132
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
The journal's revenge: "Before we can further process it you are kindly requested to make the following corrections to meet the journal's requirements (please also refer to the Submission Guidelines)"
010
Reposted by Richard Hooper
ArXiv Paperboy (Stat.ME+Econ.EM) @paperposterbot.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
link 📈🤖 Personalised Decision-Making without Counterfactuals (Dawid, Senn) This article is a response to recent proposals by Pearl and others for a new approach to personalised treatment decisions, in contrast to the traditional one based on statistical decision theory. We argue that this approac
042
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Yes, four candles... (HT @thameschoral.bsky.social and @simonywaking.bsky.social)
020
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Once you see it you cannot unsee it.
111
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
You know how as a reviewer/editor you dislike that rush of end-of-year manuscripts that are slipped under the wire, before the Christmas shut-down, but without a hope anyone will action them until January? Well, I just did it myself. The lure of getting that manuscript off my desk was too strong...
media.tenor.com
a person is laying on the ground in a dark room with a window .
ALT: a person is laying on the ground in a dark room with a window .
260
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
They understood principles of good data analysis in Gertrude Stein's day, if not good data governance.
010
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
Software companies who add annoying, random pop-ups to their products asking if I would recommend them to a colleague will, ironically, never know how much greater their customer satisfaction would be if only they stopped doing that..
000
Reposted by Richard Hooper
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
📢 As one of the next round of TRMP PhD students (below) you could join me, Clare Robinson, @averoniki.bsky.social and @marionkcampbell.bsky.social to work on developing a typology of research outputs in trials methodology, based at @wiphcem.bsky.social. Details here: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
findaphd.com
Developing a typology of research outputs in trials methodology at Queen Mary University of London on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Developing a typology of research outputs in trials methodology at Queen Mary University of London, listed on FindAPhD.com
189
Reposted by Richard Hooper
Katie Gillies @katiegillies.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
One of my 2026 goals is to be more present on BlueSky! Another is to recruit a great candidate to this 4-yr PhD studentship with us at the Aberdeen Centre for Evaluation -applying behavioural science to the design and delivery of clinical trials. Please share. www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
findaphd.com
Improving health by improving trials – applying behavioural science to improve the design and delivery of clinical trials. at University of Aberdeen on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Improving health by improving trials – applying behavioural science to improve the design and delivery of clinical trials. at University of Aberdeen , listed on FindAPhD.com
1108
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 15/11/2025
Dinosaur scene of crime officers at Crystal Palace Park today.
000
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Another day of Teams calls, but just watched a whippet eating a raw carrot, so feeling much better now.
000
Reposted by Richard Hooper
Michael "Shapes Dude" Betancourt @betanalpha.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
That's just frequents statistics.
192
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
I really enjoyed this inaugural—an academic and a personal journey—thanks @vcornelius.bsky.social
040
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
My wife once described me as a "pound-shop Anthony Edwards". Ouch.
000
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
[Shamelessly recycling from my "old twitter"] I think my "introductory stats for ER doctors" session went well—everyone seemed enthused by the homework I set.
100
Reposted by Richard Hooper
Dan Lewer @danlewer.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
Idea for a Christmas BMJ paper: submit loads of Christmas BMJ papers, then do a survival analysis of time to rejection. Then submit the survival analysis as a Christmas BMJ paper the following year
2163
Reposted by Richard Hooper
The BMJ @bmj.com · 27/10/2025
📝 New Research Methods & Reporting article: Covariate adjustment in cluster randomised trials 📝 A practical guide for when and how to adjust for covariates. Read more ⬇️ www.bmj.com/content/391/...
Summary points
0158
Reposted by Richard Hooper
Annie Wright @anniestats.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
💡 Have you ever taken part in a clinical trial or thought about it? We want to hear your views on how health data is collected using technology like apps, wearable devices, and medical records. 🕐 5 mins, anonymous. imperial.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_... #PPIE #ClinicalTrials #DigitalHealth
024
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
📢 As one of the next round of TRMP PhD students (below) you could join me, Clare Robinson, @averoniki.bsky.social and @marionkcampbell.bsky.social to work on developing a typology of research outputs in trials methodology, based at @wiphcem.bsky.social. Details here: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
findaphd.com
Developing a typology of research outputs in trials methodology at Queen Mary University of London on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Developing a typology of research outputs in trials methodology at Queen Mary University of London, listed on FindAPhD.com
189
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
📢 Interested in a PhD in clinical trials methodology? The Trials Methodology Research Partnership are advertising projects for PhDs starting Oct 2026, in statistics, health economics, epidemiology, social science, and more, hosted at one of 12 UK partner institutions. mrctmrpdtp.com/current-oppo...
mrctmrpdtp.com
Current Opportunities
We have an iCASE studentship available to start for the 2025/2026 academic year, and applications to our fifth round of recruitment to our DTP to start in October 2026 are now also open. Please see…
01213
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
Just had a review request where these seem to be the only options. I'm not clicking.
010
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
Here is what he wrote in 1988, including a touching description of Gosset's last days:
010
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
Family history can turn up some surprising connections. My grandfather, Oliphant Murray Brown, worked at Guinness from the 1930s. I discovered for the first time this week, reading through some of his notes and recollections, that he used to car-share with W. S. Gosset (aka Student, of the t-test)!
130
Reposted by Richard Hooper
Brennan Kahan @brennankahan.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
New PhD position available at @mrcctu.bsky.social to develop guidance on balancing statistical and clinical considerations when choosing an estimand in RCTs. www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
findaphd.com
Optimising the choice of estimand in randomised trials: developing guidance on balancing statistical and clinical considerations to ensure results matter to stakeholders at University College London o...
PhD Project - Optimising the choice of estimand in randomised trials: developing guidance on balancing statistical and clinical considerations to ensure results matter to stakeholders at University Co...
0610
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
If there is no such time window then you can't do *any* kind of randomised evaluation. If there *is* such a window, then you *could* fill it with a parallel groups trial.
000
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
And the bottom line: instead of asking "shouldn't I give all the sites the intervention?" ask instead "how long can I reasonably ask any site to wait for it?"
110
Richard Hooper @richardhooper.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
The solution is to break the chain; think more deeply about research design; do feasibility work; *talk* to sites; find out concerns and discuss different design choices.
100