Mon 7/25/2016 |
8:00-8:15 |
Registration |
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8:15- 8:45 |
Welcoming & Introductory remarks |
Allison & Fontaine |
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8:45- 9:00 |
Attendee introductions |
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Module 1: Introduction to Basic Language, Terms, and Concepts in Statistics and Design. |
9:00-9:45 |
Intro to Statistical Inference (mainly frequentist, with a little Bayesian; covariate and propensity score adjustment, etc.) |
David Redden |
 |
9:45-10:00 |
BREAK |
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10:00-10:45 |
Intro to Energy Balance and Laws of Thermodynamics |
Diana Thomas |
 |
10:45-11:30 |
Study Designs & Quantifying Effect and Association Size |
Christopher Haddock |
 |
11:30-12:30 |
LUNCH |
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Module 2: Conventional Observational Studies: Advantages, Limits, and Best Practices |
12:30-1:15 |
Best Practices – Ethical Use, Hill’s Guidelines, Negative Controls, Meta-Analysis, Public Data Availability, etc. |
Douglas Weed |
 |
1:15-1:45 |
Advantages |
Emily Levitan |
 |
1:45-2:15 |
Limits I – Theory: Bias and Confounding |
Dominick Alexander |
 |
2:15- 2:30 |
BREAK |
|
2:30-3:30 |
Interactive Activity - Causal inference on BMI change and mortality in humans. |
Tapan Mehta & Hailey Banack |
|
3:30-4:00 |
Limits II – Empirical: Evidence & Cases Studies of Confirmation and Non-Confirmation of Observational Study- Generated Hypotheses |
Andrew Brown |
 |
4:00-5:00 |
Moderated Discussion and Wrap-up |
6:30 |
Dinner – Short Course meet & greet (voluntary) |
Tue 7/26/2016 |
Module 3: Randomized Controlled Experiments – I |
9:00-9:10 |
Theory: Potential Outcomes |
David B Allison |
|
9:10-10:00 |
Methods for Randomization (including cluster randomization, stratified, choice of allocation ratios, adaptive, etc.) |
Scarlett Bellamy |
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10:00-10:45 |
Power & Sample Size Calculation |
Charity Morgan |
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10:45-11:15 |
Choice of Control Condition based on Hypothesis and Anticipated Claims |
Kevin Fontaine |
|
11:15-11:30 |
BREAK |
|
11:30-12:00 |
Controlling for Expectancy and Non-Specific Effects |
Adam Leventhal |
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12:00-1:00 |
LUNCH |
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Module 4: Randomized Controlled Experiments – II |
1:00-1:45 |
Interactive Activity Mini-Debates:
“ITT vs On Study” and “Replication crisis vs Not” |
Gary Cutter |
 |
George Howard |
 |
1:45-2:30 |
Practical Challenges: Measurement Error, Missing Data, Assumption Violations, etc. |
Diane Catellier |
 |
2:30-2:45 |
BREAK |
|
2:45-3:45 |
Ethical Issues in RCEs |
Theodore K. Kyle |
 |
3:45-4:15 |
Procedural Elements: Trial Registration, Reporting Guidelines |
Andrew Brown |
 |
4:15-4:45 |
Large Simple Trials & Cluster Randomized Trials |
J Michael Oakes |
 |
4:45-5:30 |
Moderated Discussion and Wrap-up |
|
6:30 |
Dinner – Short Course meet & greet (voluntary) |
Wed 7/27/2016 |
Module 5: Quasi Experiments |
9:00- 9:15 |
Quasi-experiments – Their Importance in Evaluating Changes That Occur |
Matthew Maciejewski |
 |
9:15- 10:35 |
Design & Analysis |
Matthew Maciejewski |
10:35-10:50 |
BREAK |
|
10:40-11:15 |
Ethical Issues |
Greg Pavela |
 |
11:15-12:00 |
Real World Case Studies |
Nir Menachemi |
 |
12:00-1:00 |
LUNCH |
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Module 6: Natural Experiments |
1:00-1:45 |
Theory & Concepts |
Ed Gregg |
|
1:45-2:15 |
Interactive Activity – Pavela, Fontaine, Goldsby |
David Allison moderator |
|
2:15-3:00 |
Packet Randomized Experiments: Adoption Example |
Greg Pavela |
 |
3:00-3:45 |
Analysis |
Bisakha Sen |
 |
3:45-4:00 |
BREAK |
|
4:00-4:45 |
Practical and Ethical Issues in Accessing Natural Randomization |
Ed Gregg |
 |
4:45-5:30 |
Moderated Discussion and Wrap-up |
|
6:30 |
Dinner – Short Course meet & greet (voluntary) |
Thu 7/28/2016 |
Module 7: Genetically Informed Designs – Unmeasured Genotype Approaches |
9:00-9:45 |
Co-Twin and Sibling Control Designs |
Matt McGue |
 |
9:45-10:45 |
Structural Equation Modeling of Twin and Family Data to Assess Causal Effects. |
Michael Neale |
 |
10:45-11:00 |
BREAK |
|
11:00-11:45 |
Study of Behavioral Phenotypes of Obesity in Children: Ethical Considerations |
Tanja Kral |
 |
11:45-1:00 |
LUNCH |
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Module 8: Genetically Informed Designs – Measured Genotype Approaches |
1:00-1:30 |
Linkage and TDT Methods: Special Cases of Packet Randomization and Utility in Testing Fetal Sire Effects |
David Allison |
 |
1:30-2:30 |
Interactive Activity – prepare for Friday roundtable |
David Allison & Kevin Fontaine |
|
2:30-3:15 |
Methodological issues in Testing for Gene by Environment or Gene by Behavior Interaction |
Ruth Loos PhD |
 |
3:15-3:30 |
BREAK |
3:30-4:15 |
Social, behavioral, and ethical issues |
Diane Tucker |
 |
4:15-4:45 |
Real World Case Studies - Causal Inference and Counterfactuals in Obesity Research: Obesity and the Gut Microbiome. |
Andrew Heath |
 |
4:45-5:30 |
Moderated Discussion and Wrap-up |
|
6:30 |
Dinner – Short Course meet & greet (voluntary) |
Fri 7/29/2016 |
Module 9: Mediating and Moderating Variables |
9:00-9:45 |
Conceptual Models (the mediator moderator distinction, environmental, behavioral, psychological, physiological, and molecular mediators and moderators) |
Francesca Filbey |
 |
9:45-10:30 |
Testing in General Linear Models |
Amanda Fairchild |
 |
10:30-10:45 |
BREAK |
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10:45-11:30 |
Testing in Structural Equation Models |
Michael Neale |
 |
11:30-12:00 |
Real Life Examples & Ethical Issues |
Amanda Fairchild |
 |
12:00-1:00 |
LUNCH |
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Module 10: Group Roundtable Preparation, Presentation & Discussion |
1:00 - 3:00 |
Group Roundtable Preparation |
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3:00-5:00 |
5 Roundtable Groups Presentations (10 minutes each) Followed by Discussion |
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5:00-5:10 |
Closing Remarks |
David Allison & Kevin Fontaine |
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