340.706.11
Methods and Applications of Cohort Studies

Location
East Baltimore
Term
Summer Institute
Department
Epidemiology
Credit(s)
2
Academic Year
2012 - 2013
Instruction Method
TBD
Start Date
Monday, June 25, 2012
End Date
Friday, June 29, 2012
Class Time(s)
M, Tu, W, Th, F, 1:30 - 5:00pm
Auditors Allowed
No
Available to Undergraduate
No
Grading Restriction
Letter Grade or Pass/Fail
Course Instructor(s)
Ali Abraham
Contact Name
Alison Abraham
Frequency Schedule
Every Year
Prerequisite

Intermediate-level courses in both epidemiology and biostatistics and some familiarity with data analysis software packages.

Description
Discusses definition and basic characteristics of cohort studies; graphical methods in epidemiology; methods to estimate and compare incidence rates, including Poisson regression; methods for the analysis of disease-free and survival times; estimation and testing of relative hazards (Cox regression) and of relative times (parametric regression); regression trees for the analysis of prognostic markers; parametric survival analysis and taxonomy of hazards functions using generalized gamma models; methods to nest case-control and case-cohort designs in cohort studies; random effects models for longitudinal data; and the role of cohort studies in evaluating interventions and in guiding public policy. Methods will be illustrated using cohort studies in which faculty have been directly involved. Prerequisite: Intermediate-level courses in both epidemiology and biostatistics and some familiarity with data analysis software packages.
Learning Objectives
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
  1. Describe the principles for the design and conduct of cohort studies
  2. Estimate and compare incidence rates, and times-to-event via relative hazards and relative times
  3. Apply analytic methods to data from large, long-term and multicenter cohort studies coordinated by the instructors’ research team
  4. Appreciate the role of cohort studies for the characterization of natural history of diseases; for evaluation of interventions and for guiding public policy
Instructor Consent
No consent required
Special Comments

Students who have successfully completed 340.728: Methods and Applications of Cohort Studies should not enroll in this course