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The Department sponsors a
biweekly seminar series during the academic year on topics of epidemiologic
interest. Speakers include Michigan State University faculty, Michigan
Department of Community Health public health professionals or invited
guests from around the nation or, occasionally, overseas.
The seminar is open to all members of the MSU community, and unless otherwise
noted, takes place at 4:00 p.m. on alternate Thursdays at the following
location: C102 East Fee Hall (Patenge Room) unless noted.
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February 11
Dan Nicolae, Ph.D.
Department of Statistics
University of Chicago
Patenge Room, C102
East Fee Hall
“Set-level Analyses for Genome-wide
Association Data”
In the
setting of genome-wide association
studies, we propose a method for
assigning a measure of significance to
pre-defined sets of markers in the
genome. The sets can be genes,
conserved regions, or groups of genes
such as pathways. Using the proposed
methods and algorithms, evidence for
association between a particular
functional unit and a disease status can
be obtained not just by the presence of
a strong signal from a SNP within it,
but also by the combination of several
simultaneous weaker signals that are not
strongly correlated. This approach has
several advantages. First, moderately
strong signals from different SNPs are
combined to obtain a much stronger
signal for the set, therefore increasing
power. Second, in combination with
methods that provide information on
untyped markers, it leads to results
that can be readily combined across
studies and platforms that might use
different SNPs. Third, the results are
easy to interpret, since they refer to
functional sets of markers that are
likely to behave as a unit in their
phenotypic effect. Finally, the
availability of gene-level p-values for
association is the first step in
developing methods that integrate
information from pathways and networks
with genome-wide association data, and
these can lead to a better understanding
of the complex traits genetic
architecture. |
Spring Semester
Seminar Schedule
January 14
Shannon Manning
Department of Pediatrics
Michigan State University
“Molecular epidemiology of group B
Streptococcus”
Patenge Room, C102 East Fee Hall
January 28
Nigel Paneth, M.D.
Department of Epidemiology
Michigan State University
“Why John Snow still matters to modern
epidemiology”
Patenge Room, C102 East Fee Hall

Video
Available
February 11
Dan Nicolae, Ph.D.
Department of Statistics
University of Chicago
“Set-level Analyses for Genome-wide Association
Data”
Patenge Room, C102 East Fee Hall
February 25
Olga Basso
NIEHS
“Birth-weight-specific mortality curves: Are
appearances deceiving?”
Patenge Room, C102 East Fee Hall
March 18
Jeff Murrary
Division of Neonatology
University of Iowa
Patenge Room, C102 East Fee Hall
April 8
Anna Maria Siega-Riz, Ph.D.
Department of Epidemiology & Department of
Nutrition
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
“The effect of maternal obesity on childhood
weight status: An exploration of possible
mechanisms using the data from the Pregnancy,
Infection and Nutrition Study”
E4 Fee Hall
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