Expert Comments on Available Evidence
The DEPRESSD Project
A Unique and Rigorous Data Platform for Depression Screening Research
Name: Zelalem Negeri
Email: zelalem.negeri@mail.mcgill.ca
Position: Postdoctoral Fellow
Biography:
Dr. Negeri is a Mitacs Accelerate Postdoctoral Fellow at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, and the department of epidemiology, biostatistics and occupational health, McGill University, under the supervision of Drs. Andrea Benedetti and Brett Thombs. He completed his Ph.D. in Statistics from McMaster University in 2019. He also obtained his MSc. in Statistics degree in 2015 from McMaster. During his graduate studies at McMaster University, he worked as a teaching and research assistant and was a member of the “Graduate Student Ambassadors” in the Faculty of Science at Master University. He had gained teaching experience while serving as a graduate assistant and visiting lecturer at Dilla University and Paradise Valley University College, respectively, in Dilla, Ethiopia. He has also served as a guest lecturer at McGill University. His research interest focuses on developing and applying statistical methods for health research with an emphasis on the meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies.
AWARDS:
- Mitacs Accelerate Postdoctoral Fellowship, Mitacs Accelerate ($55,000/year, 2020-2021)
- Best poster presentation (2nd place), McGill University, Montreal, QC, 2020
- Research Scholarship, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, 2015 – 2019
- Graduate Scholarship, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, 2015 – 2019
- Tuition Reduction Award, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, 2017– 2018
- International Excellence Award, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON,2017 – 2018
- International Excellence Award, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, 2015 – 2016
- Graduate Scholarship, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, 2014 – 2015
- Graduate Research Scholarship, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2013 – 2014
- Japan Scholarship for Outstanding Students in Developing Countries, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,
2010 – 2011
COURSE TAUGHT:
Lecturer for undergraduate-level course STAT 201 – Introduction to Statistics (Fall 2011, N students 50+; Winter 2012, N students 70+), Department of Statistics, Dilla University, Dilla, Ethiopia.
Guest Lecturer for a graduate-level course EPIB 629 – Knowledge Synthesis (Fall 2019, N students 9; Fall 2020, N students 13), Department of epidemiology, biostatistics and occupational health, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 1.5-hour lecture on “Statistical aspects of meta-analysis.”
PUBLICATIONS:
Levis B, Negeri Z, Sun Y, Benedetti A, Thombs BD, for the DEPRESsion Screening Data (DEPRESSD) EPDS Collaboration. “Accuracy of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for Screening to Detect Major Depression among Pregnant and Postpartum Women: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Individual Participant Data.” BMJ, In Press.
Negeri Z.F. and Beyene J. (2020). “Robust bivariate random-effects model for accommodating outlying and influential studies in meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies” Statistical Methods in Medical Research; 29(11):3308-3325.
Negeri Z.F. and Beyene J. (2020). “Skew-normal random-effects model for meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) studies.” Biometrical Journal; 62(5):1223–1244.
Negeri Z.F. and Beyene J. (2020). “Statistical methods for detecting outlying and influential studies in meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies.” Statistical Methods in Medical Research, 29(4):1227 – 1242.
Levis B, Benedetti A, Ioannidis J, Sun Y, Negeri Z, He C, Wu Y et al. (2020). “Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores do not accurately estimate depression prevalence: individual participant data meta-analysis.” Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. 2020 Jun; 122:115-128.e1.
Levis B, Sun Y, He C, Wu Y, …, Negeri Z, Fischer FH, Benedetti A, Thombs BD, and the DEPRESsion Screening Data (DEPRESSD) PHQ Collaboration. (2020). Accuracy of the PHQ-2 Alone and in Combination With the PHQ-9 for Screening to Detect Major Depression: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA. 323(22):2290–2300.
Wu Y, Kwakkenbos L, Henry RS, …, Negeri ZF, …, Benedetti A, Thombs BD. Validation of the COVID-19 fears questionnaires for chronic medical conditions: A scleroderma patient-centered intervention network COVID-19 cohort study. Journal of Psychosomatic Research.2020 Oct 8:110271.
Brehaut E, Neupane D, Levis B, …, Negeri Z, …., A Benedetti, BD Thombs (2020). Depression prevalence using the HADS-D compared to SCID major depression classification: An individual participant data meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 110256.
Negeri Z.F., Shaikh M and Beyene J. (2018). “Bivariate random-effects meta-analysis models for diagnostic test accuracy studies using arcsine-based transformations.” Biometrical Journal, 60(4):827 – 844.
Lehrnbecher T., Robinson P.D., … Negeri Z.F., Beyene J., … Sung L. (2016). “Galactomannan, Beta-D-Glucan and PCR-Based Assays for the Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Disease in Pediatric Cancer and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”. Clinical Infectious Disease, 63(10):1340 – 1348.
ORAL PRESENTATIONS:
Negeri ZF, Levis B, Wu Y, Thombs BD, Benedetti A and the DEPRESSED PHQ Collaboration. Latent class models for individual participant data meta-analyses of diagnostic test accuracy studies with imperfect reference standards. 27th Cochrane Colloquium. Toronto, Ontario, Canada, October 2020. (cancelled due to COVID-19).
Levis B, Negeri ZF, Sun Y, Benedetti A, Thombs BD, and the DEPRESSD EPDS Collaboration. Screening for depression in pregnant and postpartum women: an individual participant data meta-analysis of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. 27th Cochrane Colloquium. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. October 2020. [cancelled due to COVID-19].
Levis B, Sun Y, He C, Wu Y, Krishnan A, Bhandari PM, Neupane D, Imran M, Brehaut E, Negeri ZF, Fischer FH, Benedetti A, Thombs BD, and the DEPRESSD PHQ Collaboration. Screening for depression with the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) alone and in combination with the PHQ-9: individual participant data meta-analysis. 27th Cochrane Colloquium. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. October 2020. [cancelled due to COVID-19].
Negeri ZF, Levis B, Benedetti A, Thombs BD, and the DEPRESsion Screening Data (DEPRESSD) PHQ Collaboration. Accuracy of the PHQ-9 for Screening to Detect Major Depression: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Individual Participant Data. In Wu Y (Chair). Addressing challenges in evaluating depression screening tool accuracy via individual participant data meta-analysis (Symposium). 9th Interdisciplinary Conference in Psychology (ICP). Ottawa, Canada. May 2020. (presented virtually due to COVID-19).
Negeri ZF, Levis B, Wu Y, Thombs BD, Benedetti A and the DEPRESSED PHQ Collaboration. Latent class models for individual participant data meta-analyses of diagnostic test accuracy studies with imperfect reference standards. 2020 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM). Philadelphia, USA. August 2020. (presented virtually due to COVID-19).
Negeri Z.F. and Beyene J. Statistical Methods for Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Test Accuracy Studies: Concepts, Methods and Applications. Statistics Seminar, Addis Ababa University. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. January 2019.
Negeri Z.F., and Beyene J. Bivariate random-effects model for accommodating outlying and influential studies in meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies. Statistics Seminar, McMaster University. Hamilton, ON, Canada. April 2019.
Negeri Z.F., and Beyene J. Bivariate random-effects model for accommodating outlying and influential studies in meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies. Biostatistics Seminar, McGill University. Montreal, QC, Canada. October 2019.
Negeri Z.F. and Beyene J. Statistical methods for detecting outlying and influential studies in meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies (DTAs). 15th HEI Research Day, McMaster University. Hamilton, Canada. March 2018.
Negeri Z.F., Shaikh M, and Beyene J. Bivariate Random-Effects Meta-Analysis Models for DTA Studies Using Arcsine-Based Transformations. 44th Conference of the Statistical Society of Canada. St. Catharines, Canada. May 2016.