Advanced Topics in Causal Research (online)

This course offers an introduction to causal epidemiological research from a modern perspective. We begin by covering a framework and language that enables us to make a large variety of causal research goals explicit. These include goals relating to mediation, effect modification, interaction, and the effects of time-fixed or time-varying treatments.

With the foundations in place, we turn to the key obstacles on the path to reaching such research goals. Emphasis is placed on confounding and selection bias. Other sources of bias, notably missing data and measurement error are not addressed in detail. You are also introduced to directed acyclic graphs as tools to identify structural sources of bias and guide analysis.

Having described key obstacles, we address ways (other than classical multivariable regression) to overcome them, incl. propensity score analysis, inverse probability weighting and instrumental variable analysis.

Our courses are aimed at clinical researchers, nurses, general practitioners, and other health professionals who want to improve their skills in epidemiology, statistics and (clinical) research.

3 weeks, 14 hours per week

Please note, even though you can manage your own time our courses are not intended as individual education. By learning together you will gain depth in your learning process, which is very important. Therefore flexibility from students, a positive attitude towards teachers and peers and the willingness to learn together and help each other is invaluable to our courses