December 26, 2016

What is Biostatistics?

Math?

Graphs?

Biostatistics

  • Theoretical mathematics: building blocks for other researchers
  • Applied math: use math to solve a problem like building an estimator
  • Biostatistics; using stats with biological data

Brain imaging

Environmental Statistics

Genomics

Activity trackers

Data Science overview

Cleaning data

One type of clean data: tidy data

You'll learn Stata

use afg_worldbank_2016.dta
twoway (scatter SPRURTOTLZG Year), /*
    */ title(Rural population growth over time) /*
    */ subtitle(Afghanisthan)

Modern biostatistician

  • Participates in the experimental design, that is the question the team wants to answer
  • Is a full participant in the research
  • Learns how to clean data
  • Models the data given the question of interest
  • Contributes in interpreting the data and suggesting the next steps

Communicating results

  • Understand the main concepts so you can explain them: means understanding why we chose a particular method
  • Proper graphics
  • Interpretation of the results

Dr. McGready

Lets take a look at how John McGready introduces biostatistics

  • Open lecture 1 of the course Statistical Reasoning I

Exercise

Divide in two teams and come up with a 2 minute overview of Biostatistics. Imagine that you will record a 2 minute video to get students excited about your Biostatistics course.

Jeff Leek Data Analysis intro

Slides license