Gong Tang

Contributions to Public Health

• Missing data are prevalent in practice and standard methods, such as likelihood-based and estimating equation-based ones, usually require modeling of the missing-data process via parametric models. Unfortunately, misspecification of missing-data models often yield biased estimates and wrongful conclusions. I aim to develop robust statistical methods for analysis of data with missing values.
  • Tang G, Little RJA, Raghunathan TE. Analysis of Multivariate Missing Data with Nonignorable  Nonresponse. Biometrika. 2003; 90(4):747-764.
  • Tang G, Little RJA, Raghunathan TE. Proceedings of the Second Seattle Symposium in Biostatistics: Analysis of Correlative Data. Lin D, Heagerty PJ, editors. New York: Springer-Verlag; 2004.
• Principal stratification provides a framework for causal inference with intermediate outcomes and an avenue for investigators to truly understand how treatment efficacy is reflected by the intermediate outcome. Standard approaches require either strong assumptions or sensitivity analyses. I am interested in identifying the principal causal effects through empirical estimates.
• I have developed nonparametric regression with order restrictions to facilitate the causal inference method.
  • Tan X, Abberbock J, Rastogi P, and Tang G. Identifying Principal Stratum Causal Effects Conditional on a Post-treatment Intermediate Response. Proceedings of the First Conference on Causal Learning and Reasoning, PMLR 2022, 177:734-753.
• Since 2001, as a protocol statistician at the Biostatistical Center for the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP), I have worked with breast cancer surgeons and medical oncologists to develop protocols for several phase III breast cancer treatment trials. Our published reports on those studies changed how breast cancer patients are treated.
  • Swain SM, Tang G, Geyer CE Jr, Rastogi P, Atkins JN, Donnellan PP, Fehrenbacher L, Azar CA, Robidoux A, Polikoff JA, Brufsky AM, Biggs DD, Levine EA, Zapas JL, Provencher L, Northfelt DW, Paik S, Costantino JP, Mamounas EP, Wolmark N. Definitive results of a phase III adjuvant trial comparing three chemotherapy regimens in women with operable, node-positive breast cancer: the NSABP B-38 trial. J Clin Oncol. 2013 Sep 10;31(26):3197-204.
  • Bear HD, Tang G, Rastogi P, Geyer CE Jr, Robidoux A, Atkins JN, Baez-Diaz L, Brufsky AM, Mehta RS, Fehrenbacher L, Young JA, Senecal FM, Gaur R, Margolese RG, Adams PT, Gross HM, Costantino JP, Swain SM, Mamounas EP, Wolmark N. Bevacizumab added to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. N Engl J Med. 2012 Jan 26;366(4):310-20.
• In 2003, I worked as the primary statistician with Drs. Soonmyung Paik and Steve Shak to develop 21-gene panel assay, Oncotype DX®, for node-negative, estrogen receptor–positive, and tamoxifen-treated breast cancer patients based on the earlier NSABP B-20 study. Our studies and approach in clinical assay development have been exemplified by the National Cancer Institute and Dr. Francis Collins as how personalized medicine can affect patient outcomes.
  • Paik S, Tang G, Shak S, Kim C, Baker J, Kim W, Cronin M, Baehner FL, Watson D, Bryant J, Costantino JP, Geyer CE Jr, Wickerham DL, Wolmark N. Gene expression and benefit of chemotherapy in women with node-negative, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2006 Aug 10;24(23):3726-34.
  • Paik S, Shak S, Tang G, Kim C, Baker J, Cronin M, Baehner FL, Walker MG, Watson D, Park T, Hiller W, Fisher ER, Wickerham DL, Bryant J, Wolmark N. A multigene assay to predict recurrence of tamoxifen-treated, node-negative breast cancer. N Engl J Med. 2004 Dec 30;351(27):2817-26.