Statistical Genetics Methods Workshop

描述（由申请人提供）：自1987年以来，已经在比利时鲁汶和科罗拉多州博尔德举办了21次关于双胞胎和家庭研究方法的国际研讨会。我们提议于2008年夏天在比利时鲁汶举行“双胞胎和家庭研究方法论21周年国际研讨会”的科学会议，以纪念首届研讨会的21周年。这将是评估以往讲习班有效性和规划今后讲习班内容和形式的适当时机。周年纪念讲习班的主要目标是：1)汇集在过去20年中为至少3个讲习班作出贡献的教员，他们是统计遗传方法培训方面的专家；2)由数据分析领域的世界领导者提供最先进的演讲（可能包括动手实践的部分）。主题将包括评估和表型，基础和高级遗传流行病学，连锁和关联研究，以及单倍型定位和全基因组关联研究的最新进展；3)举办关于统计遗传学“过去、现在和未来”的研讨会；4)促进不同专业领域专家之间的讨论，5)促进新的合作。讲习班的教员是发展新的统计方法的领导者，这些方法是解决在遗传信息研究中收集的数据数量和复杂性增加所必需的。周年纪念研讨会将集中讨论新颖的研究方法。这些因素将为教师和研究人员提供参与的强烈动机。大量的研究正在收集大量关于遗传和环境因素的高质量数据，这些因素可能对肥胖、精神失常和药物滥用等常见健康问题的易感性负责。揭示这些因素所需的统计方法正变得越来越复杂，为了充分利用这些数据集，各种学科的研究人员需要接受培训。这个讲习班将提供这种培训，并为今后的教学和协作会议确定有希望的领域。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Since 1987, twenty-one International Workshops on the Methodology of Twin and Family Studies have been held in Leuven, Belgium and Boulder, Colorado. We propose to hold a scientific meeting 'The Twenty-First Anniversary International Workshop on the Methodology of Twin and Family Studies' in the summer of 2008 in Leuven, Belgium on the twenty-first anniversary of the inaugural workshop. This will be an opportune time to assess the effectiveness of past workshops and to plan the content and format of future workshops. The primary objectives of the anniversary workshop are to: 1) bring together the faculty who have over the past 20 years contributed to at least 3 workshops and who are experts in training of statistical genetic methodology; 2) provide state-of- the-art presentations (which may include hands-on practical components) by world leaders in data analysis. Topics would range from assessment and phenotyping, to basic and advanced genetic epidemiology, linkage and association studies, and the latest advances in haplotype mapping and whole genome association studies; 3) present a symposium on 'the past, present and future' of statistical genetics; 4) promote discussions between the experts of the different specialty areas and 5) stimulate new collaborations. The workshop faculty members are leaders in the development of new statistical methods, which are required to address the increase in quantity and complexity of data being collected in genetically informative studies. The anniversary workshop will focus on novel research methods. These factors will provide both faculty and researchers a strong incentive to participate. A large number of studies are collecting large amounts of high-quality data on genetic and environmental factors that may be responsible for susceptibility to common health problems such as obesity, psychiatric disorders and substance abuse. The statistical methods required to unravel these factors are becoming increasingly complex and researchers in a wide variety of disciplines need training in order to make the most of these data sets. This workshop will provide that training and identify promising areas for future didactic and collaborative meetings.