MCMSki II: Markov Chain Monte Carlo in Theory and Practice

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Biostatisticians play an indispensable role in the analysis of biomedical and public health data, from the study design stage all the way through to final analysis and report-writing. The development of new statistical methodology for interpretation of data from clinical, observational, and laboratory studies is a key area of biostatistical endeavor. As a result, scholarly conferences where new ideas can be exchanged are important for statistical science to move forward. The benefit of and need for attendance at such meetings by junior biostatistical researchers is particularly great, since they contribute mightily to their professional development and help "level the playing field'' with more established senior investigators. In this application, we request support for the Third International Joint Meeting of the IMS (Institute of Mathematical Statistics) and ISBA (the International Society for Bayesian Analysis), to be held in Bormio, Italy, on Wednesday, January 9, to Friday, January 11, 2008. A central theme of the conference will be Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and related methods, and applications focused on challenging problems in biostatistics. All but a token amount of the support we seek is to support the travel Expenses of junior biostatistical investigators, i.e., persons pursuing a Ph.D. or Dr.P.H. in statistics, biostatistics, or a closely related field, or who have received such a degree within the five years preceding the conference. The specific goals of the conference are to promote the continued development of biostatistical theory and applications in biomedicine and public health, with particular emphasis on cancer- and infectious disease-related research, to explore MCMC advances from theoretical and methodological points of view, as well as their use in both classical and Bayesian statistical modeling, and to encourage young researchers and students (especially those from underrepresented groups) to present their work, interact with senior colleagues, and make contact with their peers in a friendly, small meeting environment.