Analysis of mechanisms
Modern mediation analysis for basic, clinical and epidemiological research in diabetes and endocrinology
Welcome to the course
Welcome to the course on Modern Mediation Analysis!
This is a 3-day course sponsored by the Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy. The course will take you through the realm of mediation analysis, starting with the traditional approach, then dive into causal mediation analysis and modern mediation analysis. Lastly, we will introduce a different approach more suitable for omics-type data taking a network analysis approach.
Note, this is the first time we run this course. Thus, there will be some mistakes here and there. Please let us know so we can improve for next time.
Overall learning outcomes
To provide participants with the knowledge, tools and skills to implement modern mediation analysis for investigation of disease mechanisms.
The more specific learning outcomes include:
- Explain the theoretical concepts and statistical methods regarding traditional and modern mediation analysis applied to basic, clinical and epidemiological research on diabetes and endocrine diseases
- Perform traditional, causal and modern mediation analysis using R software
- Present results from mediation analysis according to the current mediation analysis reporting guidelines
- Interpret results from mediation analysis and suggest relevant sensitivity analyses for mediation analyses
- Discuss the strengths, limitations and assumptions of traditional, causal and modern mediation analysis
The target audience
PhD students and postdocs conducting research within the field of basic science, clinical, and epidemiological studies on diabetes and endocrinology, that are planning to conduct mediation analysis or that are interested in widening their analysis toolkit.
Prerequisites
Knowledge about linear and logistic regression and experience using R.
Schedule
Over the 3 days we will combine lectures with code-along sessions, group work, discussions and networking activities.
| Time | May 28 |
|---|---|
| 8.30-9.00 | Registration and getting started |
| 9.00-10.15 | Introduction to the course and the topic (DI, OS) |
| 10.15-10.30 | Coffee break |
| 10.30-12.00 | Traditional mediation analysis (JZ) |
| 12.00-13.00 | Lunch |
| 13.00-14.30 | Causal mediation analysis: introduction (DI, OS) |
| 14.30-15.00 | Coffee break |
| 15.00-16.00 | Group work + Reflections (OS, DI) |
| 16.00-16.15 | Coffee break |
| 16.15-18.00 | Participants presentations in speed-dating format |
| Time | May 29 |
|---|---|
| 9.00-10.15 | Recap from yesterday + Causal mediation analysis: estimation (DI) |
| 10.15-10.30 | Coffee break |
| 10.30-12.00 | Causal mediation analysis: Estimation (cont.) (DI) + Causal mediation analysis: survival outcomes (JZ) |
| 12.00-13.00 | Lunch |
| 13.00-14.30 | Causal mediation analysis: Sensitivity analyses (OS) + Reporting guidelines (DI) |
| 14.30-15.00 | Coffee break |
| 15.00-16.00 | Modern mediation analysis - part 1 (NH) |
| 16.00-16.15 | Coffee break |
| 16.15-18.00 | Group work + Reflections (DI, OS) |
| 18:30 | Social activity |
| 20:30 | Dinner at Food Club Aarhus |
| Time | May 30 |
|---|---|
| 9.00-10.15 | Recap from yesterday + Modern mediation analysis - part 2 (NH, ID) |
| 10.15-10.30 | Coffee break |
| 10.30-12.00 | Modern mediation analysis - part 3 (NH, ID) |
| 12.00-13.00 | Lunch |
| 13.00-14.00 | Modern mediation analysis - part 4 (NH, ID) |
| 14.15-15.00 | Integrating Study Designs with Omics Data (CW) (open lecture, Steno Thursday) |
| 15.00-15.30 | Code-along with NetCoupler (CW, JZ) |
| 15.30-16.00 | De-brief, evaluation (15.30-16.00) (OS) |
- There will be served coffee and tea in the break and a sandwich for lunch
- On day 1 in the afternoon, there will be a networking activity. We will do a speed-dating introduction to each other’s research projects, whether you plan to use mediation analysis and what you hope to learn from this course.
- On day 2 in the evening, we will all go for a dinner in the city of Aarhus. The dinner is a buffet at Food Club Aarhus, Aaboulevarden 30, Aarhus C
- We will have a social activity before the dinner. This is optional and all are also welcome to join the dinner later.
- On day 3, the lecture on approaches for omics-type data, this lecture will be combined with a Steno Thursday Global, which will be open to all to attend and will be streamed online as well
- If you are interested in more networking with the speakers and want to learn more about their research, there will be a networking session and a Precision Medicine Network meeting on Friday May 31. Please let us know, if you want to join ASAP.
- Please be aware that the areas outside the lecture theater is a public space where people who go to the diabetes clinic also are. Be mindful of them.
Building the course
The course material was created using Quarto to write the lessons and create the book format, GitHub to host the Git repository of the material, and GitHub Actions with Netlify to create and host the website. The original source material for this course is found on the steno-aarhus/mediation-analysis-course GitHub repository.
Re-use and licensing
The course is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License so the material can be used, re-used, and modified, as long as there is attribution to this source.
Acknowledgements
The Danish Diabetes Academy and Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus sponsored the course.