SIBS 2008 Syllabus
A joint program of the Department of Statistics at North Carolina State Universityand the Duke Clinical Research Institute.
This is the tentative 2008 syllabus.
On most days (Mon-Fri), instruction will be in the form of lectures, special presentations, and group panel discussions in a morning session from 10:00 am - noon. In the afternoon session from 1:30 pm - 3:30pm, students will engage in "hands-on" activities including learning to use statistical software, data analyses, and computer simulation exercises.
Each week will feature a field trip related to issues of importance to biostatistics. Bus transportation will be provided.
Following common statistical practice, students will be randomized into teams of 2-3. During the first week of the program, each team will be assigned a project involving data from a real study carried out by Duke Clinical Research Institute or other research institutions. Over the course of the program, teams will become familiar with the data and, using techniques learned in class, carry out analyses to address the questions from the study. Teams will present their results during the last week of the program.
On weekends, we will take several "fun" field trips to attractions in the Triangle area and beyond. Field trips are given below are representative and are subject to change.
| Week 1 | ||
| Sun-6/8 | Arrival, registration, and opening dinner and social | |
| Mon-6/9 | AM | Introduction to SIBS and "How I became interested in statistics:" Personal histories of some SIBS instructors |
| PM | Clinical Research and the PURSUIT Trial (an example of a large clinical trial, discussed by the lead physician investigator) | |
| Tue-6/10 | AM | Randomized trials vs. observational studies |
| PM | Descriptive statistics and probability | |
| Wed-6/11 | AM | Probability, continued |
| PM | Introduction to SAS statistical software | |
| Thu-6/12 | AM | Population, sample, and sampling |
| PM | Field trip to DCRI (Meet with biostatisticians, tour the Duke campus) | |
| Fri-6/13 | AM | Hypothesis testing, estimation, and confidence intervals |
| PM | Random sampling on the computer | |
| Sat-6/14 | PM | Trip to North Carolina Coast, Wrightsville Beach |
| Week 2 | ||
| Mon-6/16 | AM | Hypothesis testing, estimation, and confidence intervals, continued |
| PM | Using statistical software for hypothesis tests | |
| Tue-6/17 | AM | Sample size and power |
| PM | Sample size calculation in practice | |
| Wed-6/18 | AM | Introduction to clinical trials: Randomization, sample size, conduct of trials, and the intent-to-treat principle |
| PM | Designing a clinical trial and planning the statistical analysis | |
| Thu-6/19 | AM | Introduction to clinical trials: Randomization, sample size, conduct of trials, and the intent-to-treat principle, continued |
| PM | Lab 6 continued: Designing a clinical trial and planning the statistical analysis | |
| Fri-6/20 | AM | From lab to patient : Statistics in drug development |
| PM | Field trip to GlaxoSmithKline (Tour, presentations by GSK biostatisticians) | |
| Sat-6/21 | AM/PM | Durham Bulls Baseball game |
| Week 3 | ||
| Mon-6/23 | AM | Associations among variables and introduction to linear regression analysis |
| PM | Using statistical software for estimating associations and regression analysis | |
| Tue-6/24 | AM | Introduction to multiple linear regression |
| PM | Using statistical software for multiple linear regression analysis | |
| Wed-6/25 | AM | Introduction to logistic regression analysis |
| PM | Using statistical software for logistic regression analysis | |
| Thu-6/26 | AM | Research ethics and human subjects protections in clinical trials |
| PM | Human subjects protections training | |
| Fri-6/27 | AM | Missing data and noncompliance in clinical trials |
| PM | Field trip to SAS Institute (tour, presentations by SAS statisticians and developers) | |
| Sat-6/28 | AM/PM | Trip to Emerald Pointe Water Park (Greensboro) |
| Week 4 | ||
| Mon-6/30 | AM/PM | What causes heart disease? Introduction to observational studies and confounding |
| PM | Observational studies and confounding, continued | |
| Tue-7/1 | AM | Time-to-event data and staggered study entry |
| PM | Analyzing time-to-event data using statistical software | |
| Wed-7/2 | AM | Time-to-event data, continued |
| PM | Analyzing time-to-event data using statistical software | |
| Thu-7/3 | AM | Regression analysis for time-to-event data -- the proportional hazards (Cox) model |
| PM | Proportional hazards regression analysis using statistical software | |
| Fri-7/4 | PM | Happy Fourth of July! Trip to fireworks display at North Carolina State Fairgrounds |
| Sat-7/5 | AM/PM | No field trip this weekend! |
| Week 5 | ||
| Mon-7/7 | AM | When should a clinical trial be stopped? An introduction to early stopping and interim monitoring of clinical trials |
| PM | Preparing for a career in biostatistics - graduate study | |
| Tue-7/8 | AM | Introduction to longitudinal studies |
| PM | Using statistical software to analyze longitudinal data | |
| Wed-7/9 | AM | Screening for disease and statistics |
| PM | TBA | |
| Thu-7/10 | AM | Field trip to DUMC Adult Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiac Catheterization Lab |
| PM | Field trip to DUMC Adult Diagnostic and Intervnetional Cardiac Catheterization Lab | |
| Fri-7/11 | AM | Presentation skills and Powerpoint |
| PM | Free lab period to work on projects! | |
| Sat/Sun-7/12/13 | AM/PM | Free weekend to work on projects! |
| Week 6 | ||
| Mon-7/14 | AM | Life in the genomic age and the role of biostatistics |
| PM | Tour of the NCSU Bioinformatics Research Center | |
| Tues-7/15 | AM/PM | No class: Preparation for student team project presentations |
| Wed-7/16 | AM/PM | No class: Preparation for student team project presentations |
| Thu-7/17 | AM/PM | Student team project presentations, followed by farewell dinner |
| Fri-7/18 | AM | Evaluation and wrap-up |
| PM | Ready to head home! | |