Current Courses
Applied Phylogenetics Workshop
Dates: 2010-03-06 ~ 2010-03-13
Regression and Classification Tree Workshop
Dates: 2010-04-12 ~ 2010-04-14
Regression (continuous data) and Classification Trees (ordinal data) are types of decision tree learning allowing for classifying patterns in complex datasets and are becoming increasingly popular method in evolutionary and ecological research, e.g. extinction risk and body size evolution. The ultimate goal of these approaches is to create a model that predicts the value of a target variable based on several input variables. These approaches differ from traditionally multivariate analyses and clustering. A tree functions in an hierarchical arrangement; data flowing "down" a tree encounter one decision at a time until a terminal node is reached. A particular variable, and only one at a time, enters the calculation only when it is required at a particular decision node. In contrast, in multivariate analyses and clustering all critical variables are input, often yielding complex and uninterpretable results.“Decision trees are popular because they represent information in a way that is intuitive and easy to visualize, and have several other advantageous properties. Preparation of candidate predictors is simplified because predictor variables can be of any type (numeric, binary, categorical, etc.), model outcomes are unaffected by monotone transformations and differing scales of measurement among predictors, and irrelevant predictors are seldom selected. Trees are insensitive to outliers, and can accommodate missing data in predictor variable” Elith et al. (2008, J. of Animal Ecology. The a 3-day workshop will be held at NESCent in the spring by Richard Cutler (Utah State University). The course will provide both theory and applied analytical/software training. The end result is that participants should be provided with a toolkit to utilize regression/classification trees in their own research.
GMOD Summer School - Americas
Dates: 2010-05-06 ~ 2010-05-09
GMOD is the Generic Model Organism Database project, a collection of open source software tools for creating and managing genome-scale biological databases. You can use it to create a small laboratory database of genome annotations, or a large web-accessible community database. GMOD tools are in use at many large and small community databases.
Evolution 2010: A Workshop for Educators
Dates: 2010-06-21 ~ 2010-06-23
Evolution is a unifying theme in biological science. This course is designed to provide an overview of key evolutionary concepts and explore cutting-edge topics in evolutionary biology for instructors at the high school and introductory college level. Evolutionary biologists and educators at NESCent (The National Evolutionary Synthesis Center) will present topics with an emphasis on recent developments and practical applications. The scientific content will be supported by hands on classroom activities, pedagogy demonstrations and information about teaching resources. In addition, participants will learn about NESCent's Evolution Across the Curriculum initiative and contribute to the national conversation on this approach to teaching biology.
Paleobiology Database Intensive Workshop in Analytical Methods
Dates: 2010-07-07 ~ 2010-08-10
In 2010 the workshop will be held at Macquarie University in Sydney. It will begin on 7 July, following the Third International Paleontological Congress, and continue through 10 August. It will be supported primarily by the Paleontological Society and NESCent.
Topics will include biochronology, community paleoecology, diversity curves, speciation and extinction, phylogenetics, phenotypic evolution, and morphometrics. Both simulation modelling and data analysis methods will be employed. Training will combine lectures and labs. Participants will be given hands-on instruction in programming using R and taught to use other analytical software. In addition to the workshop coordinator, each week a new instructor will be present. The instructors are expected to be John Alroy, Gene Hunt, Tom Olszewski, David Polly, and Pete Wagner.
Computational Phyloinformatics
Dates: 2010-08-05 ~ 2010-08-17
The course will provide a hands-on instruction in phyloinformatics using Perl (BioPerl and Bio::Phylo) and SQL (Postgres, NCBI, TreeBASE). This year, Computational Phyloinformatics will be traveling to BGI-Shenzhen. The BGI is China's top genomics institutes and is a leader in large-scale genome sequencing, efficient bioinformatics analyses, and innovative genetic health care research. Please consult the BGI education page.
