Advanced Course in Epidemiological Analysis

We are still accepting applications for this course

Course Outline

Statistical methodology for the design and analysis of epidemiological studies is a fast-changing field. Participants in this intensive two-week course will be given a thorough grounding both in classical methods of analysis and in the more advanced regression techniques. Participants will gain practical experience of data analysis using the computer package Stata. Various aspects of study design will also be considered.

Who Should Apply?

Applicants should already have a working knowledge of basic epidemiology and statistics. The course is taught in Stata and we require students to have experience of statistical analysis using Stata (for example, linear regression). The course is designed primarily for those working, or planning to work, on epidemiological research projects. The emphasis will be on developing an understanding of the underlying assumptions and principles, on the practical application of the techniques and on the correct interpretaion of the results, rather than on the mathematical derivation of the methods. The methods will be illustrated through studies of the epidemiology of both infectious and non-infectious diseases, conducted in both developed and in developing countries.

Applicants should have a good command of English and a working knowledge of basic epidemiology and statistics, equivalent to a familiarity with the contents of introductory textbooks such as:
"Epidemiology in Medicine" by C H Hennekens and J E Buring
(Little Brown & Company, 1987)
"Essential Medical Statistics" by B Kirkwood & J Sterne
(2nd Edition, Blackwell Science Ltd, 2003)

Teaching Methods and Course Materials

The course will be taught by members of the Department of Epidemiology & Population Health of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The School is well known as a leading international centre for epidemiological research. Staff have considerable experience in the design and analysis of epidemiological studies both in developed and in developing countries.

Course Content

The course makes use of the STATA package throughout. The topics to be covered will include:

o Measures of disease frequency and exposure effects
o Confounding and interaction
o Classical methods of analysis for cohort studies
o Classical methods of analysis for case-control studies
o Unconditional logistic regression
o Poisson regression for cohort studies
o Survival analysis and proportional hazards regression
o Practical issues in study design and analysis
o Conditional logistic regression for case-control studies
o Meta-analysis
o Clustering of data in epidemiological studies
o Strategies of analysis.

Teaching will be through lectures, discussions and practical sessions. There will be a strong emphasis on practical exercises involving participants in the use of computer software to analyse illustrative data-sets from a variety of epidemiological studies.

Comprehensive course notes will be given to participants at the beginning of the course. The following books will also be available for purchase during the course, if in print:

"Statistical Models in Epidemiology" by D Clayton & M Hills

"Survival Analysis: A Practical Approach" by D. Machin, Y. B. Cheung, M. Parmar

"Essential Medical Statistics" by B Kirkwood & J Sterne

" Statistical Methods in Cancer Research" by N E Breslow & N E Day
Volume 1: Analysis of case-control studies
Volume 2: The design and analysis of cohort studies

There will be no examination. A certificate of attendance will be issued to those completing the course. Approximately 60 participants will be accepted. Discounts for purchase of the Stata Software have been arranged for course participants.

Methods of assessment

There is no formal assessment but at the conclusion of the course, a certificate of attendance will be provided.

Course fee and accommodation

The course fee is £2,000. The fee covers participation in the course, course materials, tea and coffee and the course dinner, but excludes travel costs, accommodation and other meals. The full course fee must be paid in advance by 23 July 2010. If the course fee is to be paid on the candidate's behalf, please send a letter from the sponsors no later than 23 July 2010 to confirm this. Otherwise the applicant will be held responsible for payment.

The School cannot provide accommodation for participants. A list of hotels and other accommodation located in the vicinity of the School can be supplied on request to the Registry. Lunch is available from the School Refectory, and there is a large choice of restaurants and coffee-shops in the vicinity of the School.

Please return a completed application form along with an equal opportunities form to:

Registry, LSHTM, 50 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3DP, UK, Tel: +44 (0)20 7299 4648

Alternatively, by fax:

Fax: +44 (0)20 7323 0638

Or email: shortcourses@lshtm.ac.uk

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is committed to improve global health through its programme of short and full-time postgraduate study.

To download last years Course Leaflet please click here. (2010 leaflet coming soon).