620-382 Biostatistics

620-371. Students with a good result in one of 620-202, 620-204 or 620-270 may be granted permission to enrol by the Head of Department.

This subject introduces a range of methods and concepts used in the design of studies for the biological sciences, and the analysis of the resultant data. The emphasis of the course is on understanding how, why and when the various methods should be used rather than on a detailed theoretical development. Students will develop an understanding of a range of important statistical methodology relevant to the biological sciences and its practical implementation.

Topics selected from issues in study design: designed experiments versus observational studies, randomisation, blocking, stratification, matching, confounding, sample size, practical issues in randomised controlled trials; statistical aspects of diagnostic tests, including sensitivity and specificity, positive and negative predictive values, receiver operating characteristic curve; design of surveys and analysis of survey data; analysis of categorical data: logistic regression, log-linear models, multi-way contingency tables, collapsibility, structural zeros; survival analysis: Kaplan-Meier estimates, parametric models, non-parametric models; repeated measure: variance components, random effects models, random coefficients models, autoregression models, parametric growth curves; and bioinformatics: an introduction.

Up to 50 pages of written assignments and a 3-hour end-of semester written examination;