Causal Inference and Outcome-Wide Studies - Online Course

ABSTRACT

This seminar will provide an overview of the principles of causal inference and the extension of those principles to outcome-wide studies. Outcome-wide studies broaden traditional approaches to assessing the causal effects of an exposure using confounding control, but over numerous outcomes rather than a single outcome. Methodological topics addressed in the workshop will include:

• Temporal and confounding control principles for causal inference.
• Sensitivity analysis metrics, such as the E-value, to evaluate robustness or sensitivity of effect estimates to potential unmeasured confounding.
• Approaches to handle multiple testing.

We will also discuss some of the advantages of outcome-wide designs over more traditional studies of single exposure-outcome relationships including:

• Results that are less subject to investigator bias.
• Greater potential to report null effects.
• Greater capacity to compare effect sizes.
• A tremendous gain in the efficiency for the research community.
• A greater policy relevance.
• A more rapid advancement of knowledge.

We’ll discuss both the practical and theoretical justification for outcome-wide longitudinal studies, as well as the pragmatic details and limitations of their implementation. Outcome-wide designs, incorporating the principles of causal inference, have the potential to more rapidly advance our knowledge within the social and biomedical sciences.

Prerequisites: Knowledge of linear and logistic regression. Some familiarity with principles of causal inference is desirable but not required.

This Distinguished Speaker Series seminar will consist of three hours of lecture and Q&A, held live* via the free video-conferencing software Zoom.

*The video recording of the seminar will be made available to registrants within 24 hours and will be accessible for four weeks thereafter. That means that you can watch all of the class content and discussion even if you cannot participate synchronously.

Closed captioning is available for all live and recorded sessions. Captions can be translated to a variety of languages including Spanish, Korean, and Italian. For more information, click here.