Professor Matthew Law
June 1986
Merton College Oxford University, UK
BA (Hons) Mathematics 2:1
September 1987
University of Kent at Canterbury, UK
MSc Statistics
October 1999
The University of New South Wales, Australia
PhD
I am Head of the Biostatistics and Databases Program at the Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney. I am a biostatistician with a background in mathematics and statistics. My research interests include randomized trials, observational cohorts and linkage studies in HIV, HCV and STIs.
My research has a strong emphasis on large, multidisciplinary collaborations. I worked with clinicians across Australia to establish the Australian HIV Observational Database in 1999, which is now able to assess very long-term treatment outcomes. Using similar methodology I was part of the leadership teams with Dr. Annette Sohn that established IeDEA Asia-Pacific’s regional cohorts, for adults in 2003 and children in 2006. These studies are the largest, multi-country cohorts examining antiretroviral treatment and outcomes in HIV positive patients in the region and are critical in regional policy and treatment guidelines.
Specific Research Keywords: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Bostatistics, Epidemiology, Hepatitis C virus
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
Funding Source: Australian NH&MRC
Project Title: Treatment and Prevention of HIV & Sexually Transmitted Infections (Investigator Award)
Project Number: APP1176257
Chief Investigators: Law MG
Project Dates: 2020-2024
Funds: $2,648,640
Funding Source: Australian NH&MRC
Project Title: Risk factors for long-term chronic disease events in HIV-positive persons: the RESPOND cohort study (Project Grant)
Project Number: APP1126695
Chief Investigators: Law MG, Petoumenos K, Carr A, Hoy J, Nolan D
Project Dates: 2017-2021
Funds: $925,658.50
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Project Title: Strengthening health systems to address drug resistance: improving the role of unregulated antimicrobial sellers in Indonesia
Project Number: APP:1153144
Chief Investigators: Wiseman V, Probandari A, Khan M, Wibawa T, Marco L, Jan S, Yeung S, Kaldor J, Law M, Day R
Project Dates: August 2018 - August 2021
Funds: $1,900,000
NIH/NIAID/NICHD/NCI/NIMH/NIDA
Project Title: IeDEA Asia-Pacific Research Collaboration
Project Number: 5U01AI069907
Chief Investigators: Sohn A & Law M
Project Dates: July 2006 - June 2021
I have had a collaborative role as lead biostatistician on several important randomized trials in HIV infection that have changed policy and practice. Some examples of the trials I have had a leadership role in include the MITOX and the PREDICT trials.
I have led a number of mathematical modelling studies to assess various issues in HIV and HCV epidemics. I led three rounds of the HCV Projections Working Group between 1998 and 2006, which showed the need for rapidly increased anti-HCV treatment to reduce the long-term sequellae of HCV infection, which changed Australian treatment guidelines.
I was part of the leadership team (and sole Australian PI) that established the D:A:D study, a multi-cohort collaboration to assess the medium to long-term risks of CVD clinical endpoints. The D:A:D study has had a major role delineating the effect of antiretroviral treatment on CVD in HIV-positive patients.
I was part of the leadership teams that established the Australian HIV Observational Database (AHOD, from 1999), the TREAT Asia HIV Observational Database (TAHOD, from 2003, including a simpler, larger cohort TAHOD LITE from 2014) and the TREAT Asia Paediatric HIV Observational Database (TApHOD, from 2006). These studies have been part of the IeDEA international collaboration since 2006, and have had multiple outputs.
Data Safety Monitoring Board Membership
2007-2015 SIRFLOX Independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board Committee
2008- Australia New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group IDSMC
2008-2011 HIV Star Data Safety Monitoring Board Committee
2012-2013 PEARL study (HN152) Data and Safety Monitoring Board Committee
2012-2016 RV3-BB Phase IIb Rotavirus Clinical Trials Data and Safety Monitoring Board Committee
2016- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, UNSW Australia, Maintain Your Brain Study Data and Safety Monitoring Board
2017- TRUNCATE-TB Trial Data and Safely Monitoring Committee
2017- Malawi RV3 clinical trial
2017- Molecular Screening and Therapeutics (MoST) Program Independent Safety and Data Monitoring
Advisory Roles & Committees
1998-present: Australian HIV Observational Database Steering Committee
2003-present: TREAT Asia HIV Observational Database Steering Committee
2006-present: TREAT Asia Paediatric HIV Observational Database Steering Committee
2006-present: International Epidemiological Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) Executive Committee
2007-present: International Epidemiological Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) Cancer Working Group
2015-present: Co-convener, UNSW Biostatistics Forum
2016-present: TREAT Asia Network Steering Committee
2016-present: Chair, Higher Degrees Committee, Kirby Institute, UNSW
2016-present: Australasian HIV & AIDS Conference, Theme B organizing Committee member, ASHM
2017-present: RESPOND International HIV Cohort Collaboration Executive and Steering Committee
Invited Presentations
2018 Neurological Working Group. TREAT Asia – Think Tank on Unmet Medical Needs in HIV Care in Asia. 31 January 2018, Bangkok, Thailand.
2018 Design and analysis of non-inferiority trials. HIV-NAT Symposium, 18 January 2018, Bangkok, Thailand.
2017 Invited member of the DSMB for the RV3 rotavirus vaccine trial in Malawi
2017 Clinical trial design simulation study. Australian Pharmaceutical Biostatistics Group, 5 December 2017, The George Institute, Sydney.
2017 Research Highlights 2017. TREAT Asia Network Meeting. October 2017, Bali, Indonesia.
2016 (Chair) HIV and Cardiovascular Disease Working Group. TREAT Asia - Think Tanks on Unmet Medical Needs in HIV Care in Asia. 07 April 2015, Bangkok, Thailand.
2015 (Discussion Moderator) TREAT Asia Network Meeting. Session Title: Present and future research needs. October 2015, Bangkok.
2015 Case Studies from Asia. HIV/NAT and Multi-Regional Clinical Trials (MRCT) Center, Harvard University: DSMB Training Course. 14 January 2015, Bangkok.
My Teaching
I have a longstanding commitment to postgraduate training and capacity building. I have supervised 28 successful PhD students and I currently supervise a further three PhD candidates. Eight students (all completed) were from developing countries in the region. I have the right mix of biostatistical skills, academic leadership, and research and training experience to teach and supervise. I teach the students about basic biostatistics (including methods for analysis, introduction to Stata), and approaches to writing methods sections of proposals and manuscripts.