MAR 536: Biological Statistics II

Course Syllabus

Click here to download a PDF copy of the syllabus.
(
last updated 2025-02-08)

Course Schedule

This page will contain an outline of the topics, content, and assignments for the semester. Note that this schedule will be updated as the semester progresses.

[notes on changes to schedule will appear below but noted here as well]

[2025-01-25: probability review lecture moved to Thu Jan 30, subsequent changes to lecture schedule to come]
[2025-02-08: reorganization of sequence of material Feb 13 through Mar 5]
[2025-02-08: asynchronous class Feb 27, in-class project updates moved to Mar 4]
[2025-02-25: data exploration report deadline moved to Mar 4]
[2025-03-27: project update moved to Apr 3, Apr 1 more sdmTMB]
[2025-04-29: review session moved to May 1]

Week

Date

Topic

Prepare

Slides

AE

Lab

HW

Exam

Project

1

Tue, Jan 21

Introduction

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Wed, Jan 22

Lab 1 -Intro to R/RStudio

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Thu, Jan 23

Statistical rethinking, Lab 1 part II

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2

Tue, Jan 28

Data exploration, checking

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Tue, Jan 28

Due: Lab 1

✍️

Wed, Jan 29

Lab 2 - Visualizing data

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Thu, Jan 30

Probability review

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Thu, Jan 30

Due: Project topic

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3

Tue, Feb 04

Linear regression review

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Tue, Feb 04

Due: Lab 2

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Wed,

Feb 05

Lab 3 - Probability & linear modeling

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Thu, Feb 06

Likelihood

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4

Tue, Feb 11

Generalized Linear Models

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Tue, Feb 11

Due: Lab 3

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Wed. Feb 12

Lab 4 - Data wrangling & model summaries

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Thu, Feb 13

GLMs II (logistic regression)

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Thu, Feb 13

Due: Project description

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5

Tue, Feb 18

Due: Lab 4

✍️

Wed, Feb 19

Resampling methods, cross-validation

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Thu,

Feb 20

Lab 5 - Simulation

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6

Tue, Feb 25

Due: Lab 5

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Tue, Feb 25

Non-linear models, splines

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Wed, Feb 26

Lab 6 - Iteration

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Thu, Feb 27

GAMs
ASYNCHRONOUS

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7

Tue, Mar 04

Project Updates

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Tue, Mar 04

Due: Data Exploration Report

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Tue, Mar 04

Midterm distributed

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Tue, Mar 04

Due: Lab 6

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Wed, Mar 05

Matrix Algebra review

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Thu, Mar 06

Principal Components Analysis

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SPRING

BREAK

8

Tue, Mar 18

Linear mixed effects model

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Wed, Mar 19

Lab 7 - Functions

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Thu, Mar 20

More mixed effects

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Thu, Mar 20

Due: Midterm

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9

Tue, Mar 25

Zero-inflated models

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Wed, Mar 26

UMASS IMS SYMPOSIUM

Thu, Mar 27

Spatial GLMMs

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10

Tue, Apr 01

Spatial GLMMs episode II

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Tue, Apr 01

Due: Lab 7

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Wed, Apr 02

Lab 8 - Spatial data

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Thu, Apr 03

Project updates

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11

Tue, Apr 08

Classification / Linear Discriminant Analysis

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Tue, Apr 08

Due: Lab 8

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Wed, Apr 09

Lab - project consult / Lab 9 Reporting & Quarto

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Thu, Apr 10

Trees

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12

Tue, Apr 15

ensemble methods / GAMs again

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Wed, Apr 16

Lab - project consult

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Thu, Apr 17

Cluster analysis

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13

Tue, Apr 22

Student presentations

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Thu, Apr 24

Student presentations

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14

Tue, Apr 29

Student presentations

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Thu, May 01

Course Review

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Fri, May 02

Due: Project Report

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