NIH-funded short courses at IU 2024

Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington is partnering with the U.S.M.A. West Point Military Academy, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas Children's Research Institute to bring you short courses in the fields of obesity, mathematics, and causal inference. Both courses are meant to familiarize participants with the language, techniques, and case applications found in the field. The courses also strive to create collaboration among early investigators and researchers from different disciplines. 

We are reaching out to officially invite you or any of your colleagues you think interested to join us for one or both of our in-person NIH-funded short courses this summer 2024. Please find detailed information below pertaining to each course.

The Mathematical Sciences in Obesity Research
Dates: Monday, July 8 to Friday July 12, 2024
Format: In person at the B1G Ten Conference Center (Rosemont, IL)

Course description:
The mathematical sciences including engineering, statistics, computer science, physics, econometrics, psychometrics, epidemiology, and mathematics qua mathematics are increasingly being applied to advance our understanding of the causes, consequences, and alleviation of obesity. These applications do not merely involve routine, well-established approaches easily implemented in widely available commercial software. Rather, they increasingly involve computationally demanding tasks, use and development of novel analytic methods and software, new derivations, computer simulations, and unprecedented interdigitation of two or more existing techniques. Such advances at the interface of the mathematical sciences and obesity research require bilateral training and exposure for investigators in both disciplines.

Strengthening Causal Inference in Behavioral Obesity Research
Dates: Monday July 29 through Friday August 2, 2024
Format: In person at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (Little Rock, AR)

Course description:
Identifying causal relations among variables is fundamental to science. Obesity is a major problem for which much progress in understanding, treatment, and prevention remains to be made. Understanding which social and behavioral factors cause variations in adiposity is vital to producing, evaluating, and selecting intervention and prevention strategies. In addition, developing a greater understanding of obesity's causes requires input from diverse disciplines including statistics, economics, psychology, epidemiology, mathematics, philosophy, and behavioral or statistical genetics. However, applying techniques from these disciplines does not involve routine well-known 'cookbook' approaches. Rather, an understanding of the underlying principles is required so that the investigator can tailor approaches to specific and varying situations.

Apply today! Spaces are limited to encourage engagement among participants and with course faculty, so apply soon! Persons of all genders, race/ethnicities, and ability/disability are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Please email Cynthia Herrera Alley (cherrera@iu.edu) with any questions.

We look forward to seeing you this summer! 

Sincerely, 
David B. Allison, Ph.D., Indiana University
Andrew Brown, Ph.D., University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children's Research Institute
Diana Thomas, Ph.D., USMA West Point Military Academy
Kevin Fontaine, Ph.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham