Genetic Epidemiology

This course presents fundamental concepts and methods in genetic epidemiology, with examples from genetic studies of common, complex diseases (e.g., cancer). It will provide an overview of various study designs and covers fundamental analyses, inferences, and their strengths and limitations. The course will cover the following topics: assessing genetic influences on disease (e.g., heritability); family- and population-based association study designs; candidate gene and genome-wide association studies of common and rare genetic variants; transcriptome-wide association studies; polygenic risk scores; bias due to population stratification; gene-environment interactions and epistasis; studies of diverse populations; software and web-based data resources; ethical issues in genetic epidemiology; and applications of genetic epidemiology to clinical practice and public health. Guest speakers will discuss these concepts through the lens of various diseases. The course will include a project proposal based on student's research interests. Prerequisite: introductory biostatistics or epidemiology (or by permission of the instructor).