Being able to understand and analyse data is a fundamental part of medical research. This intensive two-week course will give you a comprehensive set of advanced skills to accurately design and interpret epidemiological data. Crucially, you will come away with the confidence to apply techniques to studies of all kinds of diseases and health challenges. Experts in their field will guide you through classical methods of statistical analysis of epidemiological studies. This includes logistic, Poisson and Cox proportional hazards regression, with practical training using Stata or R software. 

Who should attend?

This course is useful for anyone looking to increase or refresh skills in statistics and analysis of epidemiological data.

This is an advanced course. You should have a working knowledge of basic epidemiology and statistics, including familiarity with concepts such as hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, odds and risk ratios, confounding and effect modification, and statistical programming. This course requires knowledge equivalent to 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)

Please note that the course is taught using Stata, so students should have experience of using Stata or R for statistical analysis. Candidates with a background using other statistical software packages, who are self-sufficient in programming, will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Students will be supported using Stata or R in the statistical analysis computer practicals.

The course focuses on developing an understanding of the underlying assumptions and principles, on the practical application of the techniques, and on the correct interpretation of the results, rather than on the mathematics behind the methods. The methods will be illustrated through studies of the epidemiology of both infectious and non-infectious diseases carried out in a range of different countries and settings.

You should also have a good command of English.

Teaching methods

This short course is hybrid, which means you can study online or in person; in person attendance is encouraged if possible. You should expect to spend approximately 5-6 hours a day on the course. In addition to recorded lectures and private study, there will be live lectures for 1-2 hours each day and a 2-hour computer practical with tutor support. Live aspects of the course will usually be 11 am-3 pm BST. 

Additional information

Course leaflet