Instructor: Colette L. Picard
Offered: Winter 2027. Offered every other week, with 6 meetings plus 1 organizational meeting at the beginning (spanning 12 weeks).
Schedule: 3 hours, every other week. Each class will focus on a specific paper or case study.
Time and location: Exact dates/times TBD, at St. George campus.
Weight: One module (0.25 FCE)
Enrollment: Limited to 20 graduate students
Description: This course is intended to give graduate students an introduction to the use of statistical analysis in molecular biology and genomics research. We will use a series of case studies, based on published papers, to illustrate common statistical problems that researchers in this field will encounter and to explore the best ways to approach these problems. The course aims to build statistical intuition and critical evaluation skills. Each class will involve a background lecture, brainstorming and groupwork in small groups, and group presentations, and interactive discussion. (Details subject to change)
Evaluation: Each class will involve students working in small groups to evaluate one aspect of the current case study. One person from each group will briefly their group’s findings during class, and then the entire class will participate in discussion. Each student is expected to participate in all discussions and to be the speaker representing their group at least twice throughout the module. As a final project, students will prepare a writeup of their own case study, including both questions and solutions, to illustrate concepts learned in the course. These can be based on either their own projects or a published paper. Students will present their final projects in small groups and get feedback from both their peers and the instructor.
Grading breakdown:
25% class participation during open discussions
15% presenting group findings to the class
10% outline of a case study for final project (written, due to instructor during 5th class)
50% case study for final project (written report due at the end of the module, following the format of those used in class; includes presentation of project to group and critique of other students’ projects)
*Details subject to change
Prerequisites: Familiarity with basic algebra and R are recommended.
Reading materials: Reading materials will be provided two weeks before each class.
Last updated on June 24th, 2026