Overview
This two-day workshop is an initiative of the community of researchers in statistical genetics and genetic epidemiology from universities in Québec. It aims to provide training in both French and English during the summer of 2025.
Objective
The primary objective of this workshop is to familiarize participants with statistical genetics and genetic epidemiology methods. This training serves as a first step in applying, adapting, or developing these methods in their research. The workshop will also foster exchanges and collaboration among researchers working in these fields across universities in Québec.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this training, participants will be able to :
- Understand and apply genetic association methods
- Interpret findings from GWAS and genetic epidemiology studies
- Master advanced techniques for gene-environment interactions and rare variant analysis
- Use specific bioinformatics tools
Instructors
The video lectures and interactive activities will be designed and led by university professors and expert researchers in statistical genetics and genetic epidemiology:
- Alexandre Bureau (Université Laval)
- Marie-Pierre Dubé (Université de Montréal)
- Marie-Julie Favé (Concordia University)
- Simon Girard (Université du Québec à Chicoutimi)
- Audrey Grant (McGill University)
- Marc-André Legault (Université de Montréal)
- Daniel Taliun (McGill University)
- Sarah Gagliano Taliun (Université de Montréal)
- Qihuang Zhang (McGill University)
- Wenmin Zhang (Université de Montréal)
Teaching associates, including postdoctoral fellows, will also assist participants during practical activities.
Prerequisites
Participants should have basic knowledge of biostatistics.
Target Audience
This workshop is intended for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and professionals in the fields of :
- Biostatistics
- Bioinformatics
- Human genetics
- Epidemiology
Registration is limited to 30 participants
Topics Covered
The workshop will cover the following topics :
- Genetic association studies
- Molecular phenotypes in genetic epidemiology
- Gene-environment interactions
- IBD mapping and rare variant analysis
Languages
Sessions will be bilingual. Video lectures will include subtitles in both French and English.
Teaching Approach
The workshop will follow a flipped classroom model, where participants will watch instructional videos in advance. The in-person sessions will focus on active learning activities and hands-on analysis of genomic datasets.
Participants will be paired to maximize diversity in expertise (quantitative vs. biology/health backgrounds) for practical exercises while respecting language preferences.
Educational Content
Each topic will be accompanied by video lectures totaling 90 to 120 minutes of preparatory training, available on a dedicated platform three weeks before the workshop begins.
Practical exercises will use software such as PLINK, which must be installed on at least one participant’s personal computer per team. Both simulated and real datasets will be used during the activities.