David L. DeMets, PhD is currently Professor and Chair of the Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Since receiving his PhD in 1970 from the University of Minnesota, he has been very active in the design, conduct, and analysis of clinical trials in several disease areas. Following a postdoctoral appointment at the National Institutes of Health (1970-72), he spent 10 years (1972-1982) at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health where he became chief of the Biostatistics Research Branch. He has co-authored a text, Fundamentals of Clinical Trials.

Dr. DeMets is a recognized international leader in statistical research and methods for the analysis of clinical trials. He has collaborated in the development of statistical methods for the sequential analysis of outcome data and the design of clinical trials. He has extensive national and international clinical trial experience and has served on and chaired numerous NIH and industry sponsored Data Safety and Monitoring Committees for clinical trials in diverse disciplines. He served on the Board of Scientific Counselors of the National Cancer Institute and Board of Directors of the American Statistical Association, as well as having been President of the Society for Clinical Trials and President of the Eastern North American Region (ENAR) of the Biometric Society. He is a fellow of the American Statistical Association, the International Statistics Institute and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dr. DeMets served on the Human Subjects Committee (1982-1987) and on the following UW committees since 1990: Ad hoc Committee on Conflict of Interest (1992-1993); Tenure Track Promotions Committee (1995-1998) and Biomedical Industry Relations Committee (1996-1998). In addition he has served on the Search Committees for: UWCCC Director (1994-1997), Associate Dean for Research (Chair) (1995-1996), Associate Dean for Administration (Chair)(1995-1996), Section of Cardiology Chief (1998-1999) and Preventive Medicine Chair (1999-2000). Graduate School committees include the Committee on Training Research Ethics (Chair) 1993-1996 & 1998-2000 and the Health Sciences Information Technology Committee 1999-2003.