Nicola Alder graduated from Cardiff University in 2002 with a BSc(Hons) in Mathematics and then completed an MSc in Medical Statistics at the University of Leicester.

She joined the Centre for Statistics in Medicine (CSM), Oxford in November 2003 and since then has provided statistical support and consultancy to the local NHS (Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire). She is also trial statistician for a number of randomised controlled trials in the fields of paediatrics (Child Anxiety Trial, MaCh) and psychiatry (BALANCE).   She also does statistical consultancy for the Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine (CCVTM) and is a research advisor for the South Central RDS.  Her main areas of interest are cluster trials and meta analysis.