Date:	Thursday, November 19, 2009
Time:	1:00-2:30 p.m.
Location:	MAK D-1-129
Speaker:	David Boss & Mark Mcilduff
	GVSU Biostatistics Masters students
Subject:	An Internship Experience at Grand Rapids Medical Education Research Center and Kent County Health Department
Organization:	GRMERC and Kent County Health Department

Abstract:

David will discuss his internship experience from last summer at GRMERC.  He worked on a study that involved a possible relationship between prostate cancer and male pattern baldness.  The study involved some in-depth biology, epidemiology, and statistics- mostly logistic regression.  There will be discussion on the processes involved, the background of prostate cancer and baldness, the history of this possible relationship, the results of the study, and the challenges that he faced.

Marks presentation will cover his internship through GRMERC. He worked with the Kirkhof College of Nursing on a project funded by the Administration on Aging. The presentation will include a background of the study, the analysis used for this project, and a discussion of the results they found. Statistical analysis to be discussed includes regression and repeated measures. The challenges that Mark faced over the summer will also be covered.

Mark and David will also discuss their ongoing internship at the Kent County Health Department.  They examined the attendance history of schools before and after closings due to influenza to look for evidence that closing schools helps prevent the spread of the virus.  They will talk about the statistical methods used in this study, which include basic ANOVA and linear regression techniques.  Also, there will be discussion of the processes they used and the challenges they faced.