Hi all,
Our next Research IT Reading Group <https://wikihub.berkeley.edu/display/istrit/Research+IT+Reading+Group> topic will be: Cloud-based Simulation to Optimize Study Design and Analysis for Health Impacts, Th 30 July / noon / 200C Warren Hall When: Thursday, July 30th from noon - 1pm Where: 200C Warren Hall, 2195 Hearst St (see building access instructions below). Event format: The reading group is a brown bag lunch (bring your own) with a short ~20 min talk followed by ~40 min group discussion. Presenters - Jennifer Ahern, PhD, MPH is Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Chancellor's Professor of Public Health - Scott Zimmerman, MPH is a Research Data Analyst 3 in the Ahern Research group, Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health - Ellie Colson, MPH is a Research Data Analyst 3 in the Ahern Research group, Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health We will describe our work building a cloud-based simulation tool for Public Health analyses that users can use to identify the optimal study design and analysis combination for a specific program or policy. Epidemiologists, public health professionals, government agencies and non-profits will be able to use the system to rigorously plan studies and data analyses for the evaluation of policies and programs. === Please review the following prior to the 7/30 meeting: ⇒ Project Overview Poster <https://wikihub.berkeley.edu/download/attachments/117015181/SER%20simulator%20poster%20v3.pptx?version=1&modificationDate=1437681719718&api=v2> presented at the 2015 BIDS Data Science Faire <http://bids.berkeley.edu/events/bids-spring-2015-data-science-faire> and the 2015 Society for Epidemiologic Research Conference <https://epiresearch.org/annual-meeting/2015-meeting/> provides a 1-page overview of the project background, and example results. ⇒ Recommended Background Papers: The choice of study design and analysis approach for health effect assessments has been informed by general frameworks, including those outlined in the papers below, that discuss pros and cons of different designs and analyses for the examination of health impacts of non-randomized policies and programs. While these frameworks provide useful broad guidelines, our project aims to improve study quality by incorporating rigorous quantitative assessment of which specific design and analysis combination is best to answer the scientific question of interest, given characteristics of the program and potential biases. - Bonell et al. (2011) “Alternatives to randomisation in the evaluation of public health interventions: design challenges and solutions” J Epidemiol Community Health; 65:576-581. <https://wikihub.berkeley.edu/download/attachments/117015181/bonell%20-%20alternatives%20to%20ransomization%202011.pdf?version=1&modificationDate=1437681719694&api=v2> - Cousens et al. (2011) “Alternatives to randomisation in the evaluation of public-health interventions: statistical analysis and causal inference” J Epidemiol Community Health; 65:582-587. <https://wikihub.berkeley.edu/download/attachments/117015181/cousens%20-%20alternatives%20to%20randomisation%202011.pdf?version=1&modificationDate=1437681719706&api=v2> ⇒ To secure computational resources for the early stage of the project we applied for, and were awarded, grants with Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services; additional resources used include the campus institutional cluster called Savio, available through the BRC Faculty Computing Allowance <http://research-it.berkeley.edu/services/high-performance-computing/faculty-computing-allowance>. Our applications to the cloud providers are included here: - Azure grant proposal <https://wikihub.berkeley.edu/download/attachments/117015181/Azure%20Grant%20Application%20Final.docx?version=1&modificationDate=1437681719681&api=v2> - AWS grant proposal <https://wikihub.berkeley.edu/download/attachments/117015181/AWS%20grant%20proposal.docx?version=1&modificationDate=1437681719667&api=v2> === Warren Hall access: For those who do not have keycard access to the building, please take the elevator to the second floor (stairwell door requires keycard). Before noon, let the receptionist know you're joining the Reading Group in 200C and s/he will let you in and show you the way. After noon, look for a sign next to the (closed) receptionist window to the right as you exit the elevators. We'll post a note with a phone number that you can call or text, and someone will come out to open the locked doors.
