Professor Julian Higgins stands as a preeminent authority in evidence synthesis methodology, currently serving as Professor of Evidence Synthesis in the Population Health Sciences department at Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol. He previously held distinguished positions including Chair in Evidence Synthesis at the University of York and Programme Leader at the Medical Research Council Biostatistics Unit in Cambridge, where he also directed the UK Human Genome Epidemiology Network Coordinating Centre. His academic journey began with undergraduate studies in mathematics at Durham University in 1992, followed by a diploma in mathematical statistics from the University of Cambridge in 1993, culminating in a PhD in applied statistics from the University of Reading in 1997 with his thesis on Exploiting information in random effects meta-analysis. This rigorous mathematical foundation established him as a leading methodologist who has transformed evidence-based healthcare through statistical innovation.
Professor Higgins has made seminal contributions to the methodological framework of evidence synthesis, developing widely adopted statistical tools including the I-squared statistic for quantifying heterogeneity across studies and pioneering a Bayesian approach to network meta-analysis that revolutionized how researchers compare multiple interventions. His extensive methodological scholarship encompasses over 150 papers on review methodology and more than 60 applied systematic reviews, along with co-authoring foundational texts such as Introduction to Meta-analysis and co-editing the definitive Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions since 2003. The I-squared statistic alone has become a standard metric reported in virtually all meta-analyses worldwide, fundamentally changing how researchers assess and interpret heterogeneity in evidence synthesis. With a Google Scholar H-index exceeding 170 and recognition as a Highly Cited Researcher annually since 2015, his methodological innovations have established rigorous standards for evaluating evidence across medical and health research.
As a founding trustee and Past-President of the Society for Research Synthesis Methodology, Professor Higgins has shaped the direction of evidence-based medicine through leadership in professional organizations and development of critical reporting guidelines including PRISMA and STREGA. His exceptional contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors including the Ingram Olkin Award for distinguished lifetime achievement in 2016, the Frederick Mosteller Award for distinctive contributions to systematic reviewing in 2010, and multiple Thomas C. Chalmers Awards from Cochrane. Appointed an NIHR Senior Investigator in 2018, he continues to advance methodological innovation through his co-direction of the NIHR Bristol Evidence Synthesis Group and leadership of the Bristol Appraisal and Review of Research group. His ongoing work developing risk-of-bias assessment tools and refining approaches to individual participant data meta-analysis ensures his continued influence on the highest standards of evidence synthesis in health research worldwide.
