Biostatistics 666: Main Page
Objective
Gene mapping studies aim to study the relationship between genetic variation and susceptibility to human disease. These studies can be used to elucidate the biochemical basis of medically interesting traits leading to knowledge that will, ultimately, help us improve treatment and management of human disease.
Biostatistics 666 is a Masters level course that introduces many of the numerical methods and concepts useful for these types of study.
Target Audience
Students in Biostatistics 666 should be confortable with simple algebra and, ideally, have previous exposure to maximum likelihood. Most students registering for the course are Master or Doctoral students in Human Genetics, Bioinformatics or Biostatistics.
Scheduling
Classes are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursdays, 8:30 - 10:00 am.
The following review sessions and written assessments are planned:
- Review of the first half of the material, March 9.
- Assessment for the first half of course material, March 11.
- Review of the second half of the material, April 13.
- Assessment for the second half of the course material, April 15.
Class Notes
Biostatistics 666: Introductory Lecture - PDF
Biostatistics 666: Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium - PDF
Biostatistics 666: Linkage Disequilibrium - PDF
Biostatistics 666: Introduction to the Coalescent - PDF
Biostatistics 666: Modeling Variation in the Coalescent - PDF
Biostatistics 666: Modeling Recombination and Migration in the Coalescent - PDF
Biostatistics 666: Advanced Coalescent, Changing Population Size - PDF
Biostatistics 666: Advanced Coalescent, Computation with the Coalescent - PDF
Biostatistics 666: Maximum Likelihood Allele Frequency Estimation - PDF
Biostatistics 666: Introduction to the E-M Algorithm - PDF
Biostatistics 666: Haplotype Estimation - PDF
Biostatistics 666: Haplotype Association Tests - PDF
Biostatistics 666: Association Tests in Structured Populations - PDF
Biostatistics 666: Linkage Tests for Pairs of Individuals - PDF
Biostatistics 666: The Possible Triangle Constraint - PDF
Biostatistics 666: Multipoint Analysis in Sibling Pairs - PDF
Biostatistics 666: Relationship Checking - PDF
Biostatistics 666: The Lander-Green Algorithm - PDF
Biostatistics 666: Applications of the Lander-Green Algorithm - PDF
Biostatistics 666: Variance Component Analyses - PDF
Problem Set Solutions
Office Hours
Office hours are Mondays at 3pm.
Standards of Academic Conduct
The following is an extract from the School of Public Health's Student Code of Conduct [1]:
Student academic misconduct includes behavior involving plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, falsification of records or official documents, intentional misuse of equipment or materials, and aiding and abetting the perpetration of such acts. The preparation of reports, papers, and examinations, assigned on an individual basis, must represent each student’s own effort. Reference sources should be indicated clearly. The use of assistance from other students or aids of any kind during a written examination, except when the use of books or notes has been approved by an instructor, is a violation of the standard of academic conduct.
In the context of this course, any work you hand-in should be your own.
Course History
This course is typically taught every year.
Goncalo Abecasis taught it in the following academic years:
- 2001/2002 (jointly with Jeff Long)
- 2002/2003
- 2003/2004
- 2004/2005
- 2005/2006
- 2006/2007
- 2009/2010
He is currently teaching it in the 2009/2010 academic year. For previous course notes, see [Goncalo's older class notes].