STA / GLHLTH 198L

Introduction to Global Health Data Science

How do we know smoking “causes” cancer? Is it true that cereal marketed to children is more likely to be placed on lower shelves? How can we summarize and visualize thousands or millions of observations at once? This course provides a rigorous introduction to health data science using current applications in biomedical research, epidemiology, and health policy. Using the R programming language, students will conduct reproducible data exploration, visualization, and analysis in Quarto. Students will interpret and translate results for interdisciplinary researchers and critically evaluate data-based claims, decisions, and policies.

No prior statistics or programming background is necessary or expected.

Course info
Lecture M/W 3:05 PM Social Sciences 139
Lab-01: Cooper, Derek F 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM Perkins LINK 071 (Classroom 5)
Lab-02: Helen, Piotr F 1:25 - 2:40 PM Perkins LINK 071 (Classroom 5)

Instructional team
Instructor   Yue Jiang Th 11 - noon; 2 - 3 Old Chem 208A
Teaching Assistant   Cooper Ruffing Su 2 - 4 Old Chem 203B
Teaching Assistant   Derek Cho T 10 - noon Old Chem 203B
Teaching Assistant   Helen Chen M 9 - 11 (AM) Old Chem 203B
Teaching Assistant   Piotr Suder M 4:30 - 6:30 Old Chem 203A
Header: The image in the header of this site is from John Snow's map of cholera cases. Using this visualization, Snow was able to demonstrate the spatial association of cholera cases with a water pump at Broad Street. He successfully communicated these statistics to disable the contaminated pump and also demonstrate that cholera was transmitted through water, not air.