New statistical methods for causal inference 24. – 27. November 2014
Literature:
The course is based on handouts from the teachers. As a preparation for the course one may e.g. consult the book on Causal Inference which is being developed by Miguel Hernán and James M. Robins at Harvard University. The finished parts of this is freely available on the Internet. The course is independent of this book, but the material in the book gives a useful background.
Teaching facilities:
The course takes place at the University of Oslo, at the buildings Domus Medica (DM) and Domus Odontologica (DO).
Teachers:
Professor Odd O. Aalen, Department of Biostatistics, IMB (course leader)
Associate professor Jon Michael Gran, Department of Biostatistics, IMB
Associate professor Kjetil Røysland, Department of Biostatistics, IMB
Senior researcher Hein Stigum, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Associate professor Theis Lange, University of Copenhagen
Monday 24. November
Location: Store auditorium A1.1001, DO
08.30-09.00: Registration (Information desk, 1st floor, Domus Medica, close to Lille Auditorium)
09.00-12.00: Introduction to causal graphs (DAGs). Speaker: Stigum.
12.00-13.00: Lunch break
13.00-16.00: Analyzing DAGs with examples and exercises. Speaker: Stigum.
Tuesday 25. November
Location: Lille auditorium A1.1004, DO
08.30-09.30: Analyzing DAGs with examples and exercises. Speaker: Stigum.
09.45-10.30: What is causality? Some general concepts. Speaker: Aalen.
10.45-12.30: Understanding direct and indirect effects. Speaker: Aalen.
Location: Nye auditorium 13, DM
12.30-13.30: Lunch break
13.30-14.30: Demonstrating a program for mediation. Speaker: Gran.
14.45-16.00: Causal analysis for processes – a simple introduction. Speaker: Aalen.
Wednesday 26. November
Location: Lille auditorium A1.1004, DO
08.30-12.00: Counterfactual causality, inverse probability weighting, marginal structural models. Speaker: Gran.
12.00-12.45: Lunch break
12.45-14.30: Demonstrating a program for marginal structural models. Speaker: Gran.
14.45-15.45: Counterfactual causality continued. (Gran).
Thursday 27. November
Location: Lille auditorium A1.1004, DO
08.30-11.00: Seeing vs. doing. Back-door criterion. Selection effects. Speaker: Røysland. Auditorium
11.15-12.15: Mediation – a general viewpoint. Speaker: Lange.
12.15-13.15: Lunch break
13.15-15.15: Practical mediation analysis with survival outcomes. Speaker: Lange.
15.30-16.00: Overview of the course. Closure. (Aalen).
Course exam:
A take home exam will be handed out at the end of the course. This should be solved at home and then returned within a specified deadline.