79204 - Biometrics and Design of Experiments

Learning outcomes

The aims of this course are to explain the factors of biological variability and fundamental analysis methods in biostatical research.

Course contents

BIOMETRIC

The biometric of human populations. The evolutive meaning of biological variability. Components of biological variability and their probabilistic nature. Statistical and probabilistic laws of genetic inheritance. Statistical foundations of allelic and genotypic population structure: the equilibrium theorem and departure from his assumptions. Measures, models and stochastic meaning of evolutive processes. Genetic epidemiology.

 

Statistical variability and biomedical research. Statistical aspects of the biomedical research. The statistical measure of clinical events. The analysis of the experimental samples. Statistical significance: a discussion of the most used statistical tests. Bayesian approach to the clinical strategy.

 

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

1 Experiments with a single factor (8 hours)
-The analysis of variance in the fixed effects model
-Statistical analysis and parameters estimation
-Model adequacy checking
-Regression model
-The random effects model (variance components)
-Statistical analysis and components estimation
-Randomized complete block design
-Exercises with R
2 Factorial Designs (4 hours)
-Experiments with two fixed factors
-Analysis of variance and regression model
-The complete randomized design
-Exercises with R

3 The 2^k factorial design (12 hours)
-The 2² design
-The 2³ design
-The general 2^k design
-A single replicate of the 2^k design
-The addition of center points to the 2^k design
-Exercises with R

4 Random Effects Models (6 hours)
-Measurement system analysis
-Exercises with R

Readings/Bibliography

Russel P.J., I-genetica, Edises, 2007

D.C. Montgomery, Progettazione e analisi degli esperimenti, McGraw-Hill, 2005

Teaching methods

Lectures

Lab session

Assessment methods

The exam aims at testing the student's achievement of the learning outcomes related to the knowledge of the basic tool for the analysis of the genetic and environmental variability of biometric characters, for the statistical analysis of biomedical data, the knowledge of the design of experiments methodology and the ability to design factorial experiments in practical cases.

The oral exam for the Biometrics module focuses on questions concerning topics described and discussed during the lectures.

The exam for the Design of the Experiments module is written, and it contains 3 or 4 exercises to complete in two hours. During the exam it is not allowed to consult textbooks or notes.

The overall evaluation is based on the average of the outcome of the Biometrics and Design of the experiments modules and is expressed in marks out of 30. However, the final mark of the course will be awarded only if sufficiency has been reached in each of the two modules.

Teaching tools

PC, video projector

Office hours

See the website of Rossella Miglio

See the website of Michele Scagliarini

See the website of Luca Monti