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PM516A — Biostatistical Consulting (Foundations)

Spring 2026
Monday 5:00 - 6:00pm

Welcome!

PM516A introduces the principles and practice of biostatistical consulting.

This course focuses on developing the communication, analytic judgment, and professional skills necessary to work effectively with non-statistician collaborators.

Students will engage in structured consultation exercises and work in small groups with an investigator on a real research problem.

Course Emphasis

The primary goals of PM516A are:

  • Practice conducting structured consultations
  • Translate research questions into defensible analysis plans
  • Perform comprehensive initial data analysis
  • Identify common statistical pitfalls
  • Communicate results clearly to non-statisticians
  • Reflect on professional identity and ethical responsibility

Primary Activities

The Weekly Content page contains information on pre- and in-class activities. While there are usually no submission requirements for pre-class content, it does serve to prepare students for activities in the live session.

These weekly activities consist of the following:

  • Weekly readings and short preparatory exercises
  • In-class role-play and applied discussion
  • Iterative consultations with real consequences
  • Structured workshops and reflection

The course culminates in a formal team presentation to the investigator.

Who Should Take This Course?

This course is especially useful for:

  • MS students in Biostatistics and Epidemiology who want to practice implementing the skills they have learned in a real-world environment.
  • Students in MS or PhD programs who want additional experience collaborating with investigators and analyzing data.
  • Clinical investigators who want to gain perspective on the biostatistician's role in research.

Contact

I am currently co-director of the SC-CTSI biostatistics core, and have over 20 years experience with data analysis, research design, and statistical consulting. I'm excited to have you in this course and to help facilitate connections to the broader Keck research community.

Trevor Pickering
Office: SSB 202W
Email: tpickeri@usc.edu