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Welcome to Biostatistics for Laboratory Scientists

Course Title: Introductory Statistics for Laboratory Scientists

Course Description: BBSP 710 introduces basic concepts of statistics in the experimental biological sciences to 2nd year+ graduate students. Emphasis is on mastery of common statistical skills and familiarity with advanced analytical skills, with emphasis on mastery of graphing and statistical analysis using GraphPad Prism. Sample topics include experimental design, hypothesis testing, inferential statistics, power, correlation and regression. No previous background in statistics is required, but access to multiple devices and a stable internet connection is required.

Course Objectives (Learning Outcomes): The objectives of this course are to provide graduate students in biomedical research programs familiarity with proper experimental design and basic biostatistics concepts for laboratory scientists, and to learn how to use GraphPad Prism for graphing and data analysis. By the end of the course, students should understand the principles of experimental design, be familiar with basic statistical methods (and how they are applied), and know how to graph and analyze data sets similar to those produced in their thesis laboratory.

Learning Objectives: By the end of the course, participants will be able to…

  1. Demonstrate basic understanding of the conceptual background behind statistical tests and assess appropriateness of for chosen analysis data sets (participation, tutorials)
  2. Apply foundational experimental principles and statistical knowledge to design experiments that address the research questions (participation, tutorials, final project)
  3. Select applicable statistical tests to perform analyses, interpret results, and represent statistical findings accurately (tutorials, final project)
  4. Author effective statistical methods, results, and discussion sections (display results effectively in text and graphically) (tutorials, final project)
  5. Evaluate study design, analysis, and interpretation by providing constructive feedback through the peer-review process (final project, peer review)

Prerequisites: No previous background in probability or statistics is required, nor is experience with statistical computing. Students are required to have GraphPad Prism (licensing fee required) installed on their laptop computers and activated before the start of the course. Download GraphPad Prism from UNC software acquisition (software.unc.edu). The cost for a 1-year license is ~$30 (license renewal date – Nov 30). Students must also have a Poll Everywhere account associated with their UNC email address (participation points).

Note: This course focuses on basic practical applications using Graphpad Prism software – we do not cover training using other statistical platforms (e.g., R, SAS) but there are excellent supplemental training options (HSL Hub workshops/series; Odum Institute; BIOS 610).

Course Format: Lectures on statistical concepts, Tutorials, & Prism workshops 

Effective Term: Fall 2025

Course Units/Hours (Virtually): 2 credit hours; course meets Tuesday/Thursday 11:00a – 12:15p (synchronous interactive meetings via Zoom)

NOTE: First class begins Tuesday, September 2, 2025 (see Fall 2025 syllabus for details)