The Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and the Centre for MEGA
Epidemiology at the Melbourne School of Population Health are hosting a
short course "Introduction to Meta-analysis in Stata" in Melbourne on
2nd/3rd August 2010. The course will feature Professor Jonathan Sterne
from Bristol University ( www.epi.bris.ac.uk/staff/jsterne.htm)

The course will provide an introduction to systematic reviews and the
quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis) of results from several studies
that address a set of related research hypotheses. Participants will
learn to implement the methods presented through a series of practical
computing exercises in Stata.

The target audience is epidemiologists, biostatisticians and other
health researchers with strong quantitative skills and substantial
experience in biostatistical analysis including familiarity with
multivariable regression methods. During computing practical session
participants will be provided with computing code, solutions and
assistance from tutors. It will be assumed that participants are
familiar with using Stata.

Note there is an early-bird discount for participants registering before
Monday June 14th.

Information about current and previous workshops and conferences

previous conferences and workshops

Statistical Modelling and Inference Conference
to celebrate Murray Aitkin's 70th birthday

This conference celebrated Murray Aitkin's 70th birthday and was also a celebration of statistical modelling and inference: the current and future state, as well as Murray's involvement and contributions to these fields

9 November, 2009: University of Queensland, Advanced Epidemiology and Biostatistics Summer School

1) Longitudinal data analysis: 9am Wednesday 9 December -12noon Friday 11 December, 2009.

2) Introduction to spatial epidemiology: 9am Monday 14 December- 12noon Wednesday, 16 December, 2009.

3) Bayesian spatial modelling: 1pm Wednesday 16 December - 5pm Friday 18, December, 2009.

When: 23-27 November, 2009
Where: School of Public Health, The University of Sydney
Website: www.health.usyd.edu.au/future/profdevelopment/intro-analysis-linked-data.php

This 5-day short course introduced the topic of the analysis of linked data at an introductory to intermediate level. It acquainted health services researchers, clinical practitioners and managers with the theory and skills needed to analyse linked health data. The modular structure of the course provided participants with a theoretical grounding on each theme, followed by a hands-on practical exercise in our computer lab each day, using de-identified linked NSW data files.

Learning objectives:
On completion of this short course participants were able to:
•    understand the theory of data linkage methods and features of comprehensive data linkage systems, sufficient to know the sources and limitations of linked health data sets, and in particular those for NSW;
•    apply epidemiological principles to the design of studies using linked data;
•    construct numerators and denominators for the analysis of disease trends and health care utilisation and outcomes;
•    assess the accuracy and reliability of data sources;
•    check data linkages and assure the quality of the study process, e.g. consistency of definitions, missing data;
•    list the issues to be considered when analysing large linked data files;
•    write syntax to prepare linked data files for analysis, derive exposure and outcome variables, relate numerators and denominators and produce results from statistical procedures.

Cost:
Cost for the short course was $2430 including GST.
Discounts are available for a group of participants from the same institution or organisation, as follows:
3-4 participants: 10% discount;
5 or more participants: 20% discount.
The full course fee must be paid by 9 November 2009. Cancellation after this date will incur a fee of $100 per participant for administration.

The Young Statisticians Conference 2009 was held on 25th and 26th September 2009 at the University of Technology in Sydney (UTS). Speakers included Dr Louise Ryan, Chief, CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences, Professor John Croucher, Macquarie Graduate School of Management, Macquarie University and Dr Chris Barnes, Australian Institute of Sports Performance Analysis.

3rd Australian and New Zealand Stata Users Group Meeting

Date: Thursday 5 Nov 2009

Venue: The University of Sydney The Darlington Centre

Keynote speaker: Roberto G. Gutierrez

This meeting involved structured thematic sessions on novel usage of Stata for analysis of biostatistics, econometric, psychological data etc. Stata developers from US will host a "wishes and grumbles" session

Analyzing Complex Survey Data Using Stata
Introduction to Stata Programming and Mata Matters

for more information visit www.survey-design.com.au/anzsugm1.html

July 2008

Australian Statistical Conference 2008

The BCA hosted a day of this conference (Wed 2 July) with a full program of invited speakers on biostatistics, including Professor Simon Thompson of the MRC Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge (U.K.) and Dr Miguel Hernán, Harvard School of Public Health.

ASC08 Conference website

BCA alumni presentations from the Biostistics Day:

Alumni 1
Alumni 2

The 6th Australian Biostatistics Workshop:

Graphs for Causal Inference in Epidemiology

Date: 6 July

Location: Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

The BCA joined with the Australasian Epidemiological Association (AEA) and Statistical Society of Australia to organise this workshop, immediately preceding the AEA/PHAA annual conference. The presenters at the workshop were Miguel Hernán and Sonia Hernández-Díaz of the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard University School of Public Health

2008 Population Health Congress Joint Scientific Meetings of the AEA, AFPHM, PHAA, and AHPA

Held on 6-9 Jul 2008 at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

August 2007

The 5th Australian Biostatistics Workshop:
"Multilevel Modelling"

The BCA and the Australasian Epidemiological Association (AEA, www.aea.asn.au ) held a one day workshop in Multilevel Models in Hobart on Sunday 26th August 2007 , immediately preceding the 2007 Joint Scientific Meetings of AEA/IEA-Western Pacific Region in Hobart, 26-29 August 2007. Click here to view the presentations (pdf).

The principal speaker was Professor Alastair Leyland, who heads the program on Measuring Health, Variations in Health and the Determinants of Health at the MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at the University of Glasgow, UK. His recent research has focussed on inequalities in mortality in Scotland and he is one of the principal investigators on the National Evaluation of Sure Start. Professor Leyland has extensive research program in the application of multilevel modelling to health data, and has given a number of training courses on this topic with colleagues in Europe. Further details can be found at professor Leyland's website:

www.msoc-mrc.gla.ac.uk/staff.php?staffID=AL

During his visit to Hobart Professor Leyland was also a plenary speaker at the Joint Scientific Meetings of AEA/IEA-Western Pacific Region.

The workshop began with an introduction to multilevel data structures, fitting multilevel models and interpreting the results. The afternoon was devoted to example applications of multilevel modelling in epidemiology, including some invited presentations from local speakers. There was a session demonstrating software for multilevel modelling and a discussion session later in the day.

Dec 2003

The 4th Australian Biostatistics Workshop:

A 2-day BCA Workshop was held at the University of Melbourne on Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 October.

Presentations