This course will give students exposure to analyzing data from basic science experiments, clinical trials and observational studies. The exercises, using real data, will be coordinated with the lectures in Biostatistics 541 using the methods and concepts presented to analyze these data sets.

After students have been introduced to statistical computing and given sufficient training in a statistical language such as SPLUS or R, they will have a weekly project to discover the power of the statistical methods presented in the weekly materials and to practice those skills.

SIBS students will also be introduced to the field of bioinformatics and its intersection with biostatistics. Many of the algorithms that are used in bioinformatics are based on statistical methods but modified to be applied to extremely large data sets such as that from microarray analysis.