An advanced linkage course will be held in New York from Monday through Friday, November 29-December 3, 1999.  The cost of the 5-day course is $100 (supported by a grant from the National Center for Human Genome Research).  This fee covers tuition and course related expenses (handouts, etc.) but not room and board .

The maximum number of participants is 20.  The course will take  place in the teaching room of the Weiss Building at The Rockefeller University, which is equipped with desktop PCs.  The course is wheel chair accessible. Emphasis in this course is on the analysis of complex disease traits.  It will include theory as well as practical exercises.  The exercises will be carried out using a variety of computer programs.  TOPICS include: parametric analysis of quantitative and qualitative traits; penetrance models; sib pair analysis (quantitative and qualitative traits); non-parametric method of analyzing extended family pedigree data; association studies (haplotype relative risk, transmission disequilibrium test, case-control);  models of genetic heterogeneity; using simulation studies to evaluate power and significance levels; generating genetic maps; electronic resources for gene mapping; and sequence comparison algorithms.  The instructors for the course are: David Allison, Simon Heath, Suzanne Leal, Tara Matise, Jurg Ott, Greg Schuler, Joe Terwilliger, and Dan Weeks.

Five travel stipends of $1000 each are available to eligible participants from U.S. institutions.  Eligibility requirements are: (1) sufficient background and practical experience in linkage analysis, and (2) demonstrated financial need.  Preference will be given to students and postdoctoral researchers.  To apply for such a stipend, please attach a letter of request and enclose a letter of reference and proof of student or postdoctoral status.

Knowledge of linkage analysis/statistical genetics are screening criteria for selection of participants.  Please describe your experience in detail.  We may contact you personally to discuss this with you further.

Applicants who are not experienced with the LINKAGE programs should obtain a copy of "Handbook for Human Genetic Linkage," (Terwilliger and Ott, Johns Hopkins Univ. Press) and review the sections on file format and basic linkage analysis before the course.

For additional information, please contact Katherine Montague:
email: montagk@rockefeller.edu
Tel: +1 (212) 327-7979
Fax: +1 (212) 327-7996.

Application deadline is September 1, 1999

Click here for the application form
 
Click here for course schedule