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Ben Carter

Professor Ben Carter

Professor of Medical Statistics

Research interests

  • Biomedical and life sciences
  • Neuroscience

Biography

I joined King’s College London in October 2016. Previously, I was based in Cardiff University where I led the Masters in Public Health programme and contributed to research for the Centre for Trials research. Prior to this role, I was a research fellow at the Cancer Research Clinical Trials Unit in Birmingham University. I hold a BSc in Statistics from Reading University, MSc in Medical Statistics from Southampton University (2001) and PhD from Reading University (2005). Throughout the early part of my career, I worked in the pharmaceutical Industry with GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, and Quintiles. Currently, I am the affiliated lead for the King's Clinical Trials Unit’s Mental Health Statistics Group at King's Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience. I am also the methodological lead and Senior Statistician to 12 studies with collaborators based at King's, King’s College Hospital, Cardiff University, and Glasgow University.  

Research Interests:

  • I lead a group who explore the impact of technology and devices in children.  
  • I have a long standing interest in the methodology that underpin cluster randomised controlled trials. 
  • Methods that underpin synthesis for systematic reviews of non-randomised controlled studies  

Teaching:

I lead the “Statistics, Epidemiology and research methods” module, which is worth 30 credit for the MSc in Clinical Neuroscience. I also supervise MSc and undergraduate projects.  

Expertise and Public Engagement:

  • Regular contributor to expert opinion articles in various national and international newspapers  
  • Public speaker on the impact of technology on the mental and physical health of children and young adults 
  • Cochrane Dermatology Group Statistics Editor 

    Research

    People walking
    Mental Health & Neuroscience Clinical Trial Statistics Group

    The Mental Health & Neuroscience Clinical Trial Statistics Group leads on the design, conduct and reporting of clinical trials in mental health.

    iStock-887303144
    DISCOVER research group

    The DISCOVER research group is investigating effective and accessible forms for adolescent mental health interventions.

    Secondary school
    Brief Educational workshops in Secondary Schools Trial (BESST)

    A clinical trial designed to understand whether the DISCOVER workshop programme can positively impact the mental health of 16-18-year-old sixth-form students.

    Project status: Ongoing

    trials-methodology-research-group-cropped-1903x558
    Trials Methodology Research Group

    The Trials Methodology Research Group is focussed on improving the design, conduct and analysis of clinical trials for the benefit of participants, researchers, and others who use the evidence to make decisions about healthcare.

    est-1-in-4-children-young-people-have-problematic-smartphone-usage-hero
    Social media, Smartphone Use and Self-Harm in Young People (3S-YP) study

    The rise in self-harm has been linked to increasing use of social media and internet technology among young people.

    Project status: Ongoing

    pexels-anna-shvets-4226219-min
    ATTENS Project

    The ATTENS Project explores the potential of eTNS in improving symptoms, cognitive performance and the functioning of the brain in children with ADHD.

    Project status: Ongoing

    Pink heart banner
    Learning from Lives and Deaths - people with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR)

    The latest annual LeDeR report in collaboration with our academic partners on behalf of NHS England.

    sickle-cell-blood-780x450
    REDRESS trial

    REDRESS is a clinical trial researching the use of stem cell transplant (also known as bone marrow transplant) to treat people with severe sickle cell disorder.

    Project status: Ongoing

    News

    Teens with problematic smartphone use are twice as likely to have anxiety – and many are eager to cut down

    Two new studies of smartphone habits in teenagers have identified links between problematic smartphone use (PSU) and depression, anxiety and insomnia. The...

    Teens with problematic smartphone use twice as likely to have anxiety

    Self-harm and digital technology overuse in young people with lived mental health experience

    New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London, in partnership with YoungMinds – the UK’s leading...

    Phone call

    Day workshop in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy effectively reduces depression in 16-18 year olds

    The Brief Educational workshops in Secondary Schools Trial found a day-long CBT course is an effective means of improving young people's mental health.

    BESST-iStock-641755290

    £3.2m funding to test the ADVANCE-D Programme for men with substance use problems serving community sentences for partner abuse

    The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has awarded £3.2 million funding to principal investigator, Professor Gail Gilchrist (King’s College London)...

    Violence and abuse

    £1.45million awarded for EDEN Project, a trial exploring ketamine for depression with anorexia nervosa

    King’s researchers have been awarded the funds the MRC Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme to run a randomised controlled feasibility trial of oral ketamine...

    Someone talking to a professional

    New framework aims to unlock the potential for social media research into young people's mental health

    Research led by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London proposes a new framework to empower young people in...

    Social media apps on phone - by adem ay - 780x440

    2021 LeDeR report into the avoidable deaths of people with learning disabilities

    The 2021 LeDeR report, which seeks to investigate and learn from the avoidable deaths of people with a learning disability in England, was published today.

    Arms and hands of someone looking over a lake

    Landmark trial of NHS staff reveals promising solution to improve mental health

    New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London has found that the mental health and wellbeing of...

    Phone

    Vax now or vax later – what do parents think of mandatory vaccination?

    New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London has assessed parental preference for a mandatory...

    vaccines hero

    Dr Brendon Stubbs receives NIHR Fellowship

    Dr Stubbs was awarded the five year fellowship for research in persistent pain and serious mental illness.

    Brendon Stubbs 780x440

      Research

      People walking
      Mental Health & Neuroscience Clinical Trial Statistics Group

      The Mental Health & Neuroscience Clinical Trial Statistics Group leads on the design, conduct and reporting of clinical trials in mental health.

      iStock-887303144
      DISCOVER research group

      The DISCOVER research group is investigating effective and accessible forms for adolescent mental health interventions.

      Secondary school
      Brief Educational workshops in Secondary Schools Trial (BESST)

      A clinical trial designed to understand whether the DISCOVER workshop programme can positively impact the mental health of 16-18-year-old sixth-form students.

      Project status: Ongoing

      trials-methodology-research-group-cropped-1903x558
      Trials Methodology Research Group

      The Trials Methodology Research Group is focussed on improving the design, conduct and analysis of clinical trials for the benefit of participants, researchers, and others who use the evidence to make decisions about healthcare.

      est-1-in-4-children-young-people-have-problematic-smartphone-usage-hero
      Social media, Smartphone Use and Self-Harm in Young People (3S-YP) study

      The rise in self-harm has been linked to increasing use of social media and internet technology among young people.

      Project status: Ongoing

      pexels-anna-shvets-4226219-min
      ATTENS Project

      The ATTENS Project explores the potential of eTNS in improving symptoms, cognitive performance and the functioning of the brain in children with ADHD.

      Project status: Ongoing

      Pink heart banner
      Learning from Lives and Deaths - people with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR)

      The latest annual LeDeR report in collaboration with our academic partners on behalf of NHS England.

      sickle-cell-blood-780x450
      REDRESS trial

      REDRESS is a clinical trial researching the use of stem cell transplant (also known as bone marrow transplant) to treat people with severe sickle cell disorder.

      Project status: Ongoing

      News

      Teens with problematic smartphone use are twice as likely to have anxiety – and many are eager to cut down

      Two new studies of smartphone habits in teenagers have identified links between problematic smartphone use (PSU) and depression, anxiety and insomnia. The...

      Teens with problematic smartphone use twice as likely to have anxiety

      Self-harm and digital technology overuse in young people with lived mental health experience

      New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London, in partnership with YoungMinds – the UK’s leading...

      Phone call

      Day workshop in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy effectively reduces depression in 16-18 year olds

      The Brief Educational workshops in Secondary Schools Trial found a day-long CBT course is an effective means of improving young people's mental health.

      BESST-iStock-641755290

      £3.2m funding to test the ADVANCE-D Programme for men with substance use problems serving community sentences for partner abuse

      The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has awarded £3.2 million funding to principal investigator, Professor Gail Gilchrist (King’s College London)...

      Violence and abuse

      £1.45million awarded for EDEN Project, a trial exploring ketamine for depression with anorexia nervosa

      King’s researchers have been awarded the funds the MRC Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme to run a randomised controlled feasibility trial of oral ketamine...

      Someone talking to a professional

      New framework aims to unlock the potential for social media research into young people's mental health

      Research led by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London proposes a new framework to empower young people in...

      Social media apps on phone - by adem ay - 780x440

      2021 LeDeR report into the avoidable deaths of people with learning disabilities

      The 2021 LeDeR report, which seeks to investigate and learn from the avoidable deaths of people with a learning disability in England, was published today.

      Arms and hands of someone looking over a lake

      Landmark trial of NHS staff reveals promising solution to improve mental health

      New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London has found that the mental health and wellbeing of...

      Phone

      Vax now or vax later – what do parents think of mandatory vaccination?

      New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London has assessed parental preference for a mandatory...

      vaccines hero

      Dr Brendon Stubbs receives NIHR Fellowship

      Dr Stubbs was awarded the five year fellowship for research in persistent pain and serious mental illness.

      Brendon Stubbs 780x440