Cph 4510 Biostatistics

CPH 4510: Biostatistics

Course Description:

Biostatistics provides an introduction to selected topics in statistics as they apply to biological and health issues. In discussing different forms of biological/medical/health data and the tools used to analyze them, students learn how to describe the central tendency and variation in data. They also unpack the relationship between sample statistics and population values (i.e. inference) and are introduced to concepts such as hypothesis testing, power analysis, study design, and sampling approaches.

Required Textbook and Materials:

The main required textbooks for this course are listed below, and can be readily accessed using the provided links. There may be additional required/recommended readings, supplemental materials, or other resources and websites necessary for lessons; these will be provided for you in the course’s General Information and Forums area, and throughout the term via the weekly course Unit areas and the Learning Guides.

Software Requirements/Installation:

No special requirements.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes:

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Select from, use and interpret results of, descriptive statistical methods effectively.
2. Select from, use, and interpret results of, the principal methods of statistical inference and design.
3.  Communicate the results of statistical analyses accurately and effectively.
4. Recognize and give examples of different types of data arising in public health and clinical studies and discuss the ethical use of such data.

Course Schedule and Topics:

This course will cover the following topics in eight learning sessions, with one Unit per week. The Final Exam will take place during Week/Unit 9.

Week 1: Unit 1 – Introduction to Quantitative Measures

Week 2: Unit 2 – Measures of Central Tendency and Variability

Week 3: Unit 3 – Uncertainty in Measurements

Week 4: Unit 4 – Probability Distributions

Week 5: Unit 5 – Sampling and Hypothesis Testing

Week 6: Unit 6 – Comparing Two Means in Dependent and Independent Samples

Week 7: Unit 7 – Comparison of Proportions & Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)

Week 8: Unit 8 – Correlation and Regression

Week 9: Unit 9 – Course Review and Final Exam