Statistical Genetics Methods Workshop

描述（申请人提供）：自1987年以来，在比利时鲁汶和科罗拉多博尔德举行了21次关于双胞胎和家庭研究方法的国际研讨会。我们建议在2008年夏天在比利时鲁汶举行一次科学会议“双胞胎和家庭研究方法21周年国际研讨会”。这将是评估以往讲习班的效果和规划今后讲习班的内容和形式的一个适当时机。周年研讨会的主要目标是：1）汇集过去20年来至少为3个研讨会做出贡献的教师以及统计遗传学方法培训专家; 2）由世界领先的数据分析专家提供最先进的演示文稿（可能包括动手实践部分）。主题将从评估和表型，到基础和先进的遗传流行病学，连锁和关联研究，以及单倍型作图和全基因组关联研究的最新进展; 3）提出关于统计遗传学的“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）刺激新的合作。研讨会的教师是领导者在新的统计方法，这是需要解决的数量和复杂性的增加正在收集的数据在遗传信息研究的发展。周年研讨会将重点放在新的研究方法。这些因素将为教师和研究人员提供强烈的参与动机。大量研究正在收集大量关于遗传和环境因素的高质量数据，这些因素可能导致易患肥胖、精神疾病和药物滥用等常见健康问题。解开这些因素所需的统计方法变得越来越复杂，各个学科的研究人员都需要培训才能充分利用这些数据集。该讲习班将提供这种培训，并为今后的教学和合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.