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.

Class Notes

Biostatistics 666: Introductory Lecture - PDF

Biostatistics 666: Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium - PDF

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

He is currently teaching it in the 2009/2010 academic year. For previous course notes, see [Goncalo's older class notes].