This module aims to provide students with knowledge and critical understanding of standard and advanced quantitative statistical methods within the context of epidemiological and clinical research in humans.

This module is a practical, skills-focused course designed to develop your ability to design, critically analyse, interpret and report the findings of a complex research project in a health-related topic. A large part of the module is structured around a scenario of an outbreak investigation, applying methodologies appropriate for complex surveys and observational cohort/case-control studies. The module will also examine methodologies relevant for randomised controlled clinical trials, as well as applications to spatial analysis and to meta-analysis used for evidence synthesis. The module will concentrate on the practical application of different experimental design strategies and on the interpretation of the results of statistical analysis methodologies, rather than on any detailed mathematical derivations.

Teaching sessions typically comprise an introductory presentation describing a specific type of study design or statistical methodology, a linked period of student-directed learning with staff available for consultation, a group discussion and a period of directed self-study based on the material covered in the session.

To prioritise the practical application of skills and concepts, the module is in part based around an outbreak scenario where students design an investigation and analysis plan, and students learn using hands-on practical learning.  For the scenario, you will be given access to a large data set that mimics the inhabitants of a fictitious community in a tropical country and will be asked to design projects to address a series of research questions relating to tropical health issues in humans. You will then select an appropriate number of individuals from the data set and analyse the data using standard statistical computer packages such as EpiInfo, SPSS and/or R.

Through completion of the scenario students will learn and apply skills in:
1. The design of health surveys, including the development of sampling frames, selection of (random / representative) samples, sample size calculations, stratification, as well as assessing for sources of sampling or measurement bias.
2. Design issues for the conduct of observational epidemiological studies, concentrating primarily on cohort, case-control and analytical survey study designs.
3. Designing an analysis plan to consider bias, collinearity and confounding. Statistical methods used to determine risk estimates and create explanatory and predictive models.
The module will also develop understanding of design issues and statistical analytical methods for the other health research designs, including the conduct of interventional randomised controlled trials (RCTs), spatial analysis and use of Geographical information Systems, meta-analysis for systematic reviews, and other common methods to analyse count data and survival data.