HAD5316H

HAD5307H – Introduction to Applied Biostatistics

At the end of the course, the student will be able to develop a complex analysis plan to answer a clinical research question, to carry out the analyses using the statistical package SAS, to verify the appropriateness of the analyses based on the findings, and to report and interpret the results. In particular, the student will be able to:i) understand the purpose of regression analysis, and be able to differentiate between various forms of regression including linear, logistic, poisson, and Cox-proportional hazards regressionii) understand the requirements for each regression method and be able to adjust the methods to account for or examine: – clustering within data structure/sampling frame – hierarchical structures within data – repeated-measures and longitudinal data iii) be able to evaluate the validity of the results from each type of regression based on statistical criteria iv) understand different methods for variable selection in regression models v) be able to interpret and present the results from each type of regression model in a manner that is meaningful to clinicians and applied health scientists

Homework assignments 30% – Group assignments involving data analysis, reporting, and interpretationMid-Term assignment 30% – Individual, take-home assignment in which students will be required to obtain data, develop a research question provide a preliminary analysis plan, and provide preliminary statistics and a written reportFinal assignment 40% – Individual, take-home assignment in which students will complete their analytic plan from the Mid-Term assignement and provide a complete written report in manuscript format