(formerly the `Methodology of Twin and Family Studies Introductory Workshop’)

MARCH 7th - MARCH 11th, 2016

The next workshop will be held in Boulder, Colorado, March 7th-11th, 2016. Much of the application programming will be based on OpenMx, developed by Dr. Michael Neale & colleagues for the flexible analysis of genetically informative data. Michael Neale serves as the Academic Director for the workshop and Sarah Medland as Associate Director. They are joined by an outstanding faculty from universities around the world.

The course will include: causes of variation; introduction to R programming; path analysis; likelihood; matrix algebra; univariate twin analysis; biometrical genetics; categorical data; between group heterogeneity; continuous heterogeneity and G x E interaction; multivariate phenotypic factor and genetic analysis; developmental models; extended twin designs; power analysis; GCTA; direction of causation and Mendelian randomization; meta-analysis of the heritability of human traits; and responsible conduct of research.

Hands-on analysis will be emphasized, employing networked notebook computers, and using OpenMx and R programming. The website for OpenMx is at: http://openmx.psyc.virginia.edu A beginner’s guide to OpenMx is at http://openmx.psyc.virginia.edu/docs/OpenMx/latest/NewBeginnersGuide.html

Participants are strongly advised to have some familiarity with R programming before attending the workshop.

Introductory material is available at http://psych.colorado.edu/wiki/doku.php?id=labs:learnr:home. For those not familiar with R, you should work through at least the first four lectures and scripts. Alternatively, take advantage of the many introductory R tutorials available online.

The registration fee is $600, payable by January 29th, 2016. Thereafter, the fee will be $700. Non-payment by February 19th, 2016, will result in your registration being dropped, and cancellations after that date will be non-refundable. Details of local arrangements, registration, and accommodation are available from the workshop secretary, Melissa Dunivant, and at: http://ibg.colorado.edu/workshop2016

An outstanding international faculty roster includes:

• Michael Neale (Academic Director), Lindon Eaves, Nathan Gillespie, Hermine Maes, Brad Verhulst. Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics. Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
• Elizabeth Prom-Wormley. Dept. of Family Medicine and Population Health, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
• Ben Neale. Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, USA
• Stacey Cherny. Genome Research Centre, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
• Meike Bartels, Dorret Boomsma, Danielle Posthuma, Conor Dolan, Michel Nivard, Abdel Abdellaoui. Amsterdam Vrije Universiteit, Netherlands
• John Hewitt (Local Host), Jeff Lessem, Matt Keller. Institute for Behavioral Genetics, Boulder, CO, USA
• Nick Martin, Sarah Medland (Associate Director). QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Australia
• David Evans. University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Australia
• Fruhling Rijsdijk. King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, United Kingdom
• Sanja Franic, Wellcome Trust Center for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
• Timothy Bates, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

Further information may be obtained from John Hewitt, or the workshop coordinator, Melissa Dunivant, IBG, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0447, USA; Telephone: 303-492-3405; FAX: 303-492-8063; E-mail: John.Hewitt@Colorado.edu or Melissa.Dunivant@Colorado.edu.

Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from socially, culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds are especially encouraged to attend. Partial financial support for US participants from these groups is available by application to the local host, John Hewitt. Please contact Melissa Dunivant for more information regarding partial financial support.

Financial support for this workshop is provided by grant MH19918 from the National Institute of Mental Health.