STATS 771 Topics in Biostatistics 1

Below description edited in year: 2008

Points: 15

Prereqs: No knowledge of basic biology will be assumed in this course, and the required concepts will be taught as part of the class. Familiarity with linear models (STATS 330) and statistical theory (STATS 310) is expected, although a brief overview of the fundamentals of each area will be given. Experience with statistical software such as S-plus, R or Matlab is also required, and students may find taking STATS 782 in semester 2 an advantage.

For Advice: Stéphane Guindon (Email: s.guindon@auckland.ac.nz | extn: 82755)

Taught: Second Semester City

This course aims to teach students how to design and analyze gene expression and gene-mapping experiments, skills which are in high demand by biotechnology, bioinformatics and pharmaceutical companies throughout the world. The first half deals with statistical gene-mapping, i.e., the detection of associations between traits (such as diseases) and genetic markers for the purpose of determining which genes are involved in influencing trait values. The second half focuses on the statistical analysis of microarray data and the methods that are used to make sense of the expression levels of thousands of genes measured in various experimental conditions.

This course shows how important biological questions can be tackled using standard statistical approaches, including multivariate analyses, clustering methods, resampling procedures and stochastic process modelling. No knowledge of basic biology will be assumed in this course, and the required concepts will be taught as part of the class.

This course is intended for postgraduate statistics students and students pursuing a B.Sc.(Hons) degree in Bioinformatics, but will also be accessible to biology students with some knowledge of statistics.

Disclaimer:
Although every reasonable effort is made to ensure accuracy, this information for the course year (2008), is provided as a general guide only for students and is subject to alteration. All students enrolling at the University of Auckland must consult its official document, the University of Auckland Calendar, to ensure that they are aware of and comply with all regulations, requirements and policies.