The MRC Biostatistics Unit (BSU), at the University of Cambridge, provides a unique and stimulating environment that results in world-leading biostatistics research. The Medical Research Council has had a statistical unit since its inception in 1913. Over one hundred years on, the BSU is one of the largest groups of biostatisticians in Europe. It is a major centre for research, training and knowledge transfer, with a mission ‘to advance biomedical science and human health through the development, application and dissemination of statistical methods’. BSU’s critical mass of methodological, applied and computational expertise provides a unique and stimulating environment of cutting edge biostatistics, striking a balance between statistical innovation, dissemination of methodology and engagement with biomedical and public health priorities.