Course details
- It is a 2 credit course running in segments 1-4 of Aug-Nov '2025-26
- Schedule and venue: Slot-D (Mon 12h00-12h55, Tue 09h00-09h55, Fri 11h00-11h55) in LHC-12
- Discussion hour: TBA
- Evaluation: 3E -
1218 Aug (10%), 02 Sep (20%), 22 Sep (20%), 13 Oct (30%), Short project (20%)
Course contents
Experimental observations in biomedical engineering and clinical trials often contain a degree of error and uncertainty. The objective of this course is to familiarise students with different statistical tools to understand, describe and analyse these uncertainties and help in better experimental design. The topics covered in the course will also be demonstrated in the lab component of the course using Python or R. Even though the course does not have any pre-requisite students are expected to be comfortable with numbers. The tentative course contents are
- Data types and their representation, descriptive statistics, measures of variability
- CLT, Types of errors, Sample vs population,
- Hypothesis testing, p-value, statistical power and sample size
- t-test, chi-square test, ANOVA, non-parametric tests, normality test
- Statistics in clinical trials - Contingency tables, sensitivity and specificity
- linear regression, mixed modelling approaches, Logistic regression
References
- Biostatistical Analysis by Jerrold Zar
- Medical Statistics by Kirkwood and Sterne
Problem sets
Reading materials
Python/R scripts, datasets etc.
- Classroom experiment to check the effect of counting backwards on walking (collected data, R script for analysis)
- Inroduction to R and data summary (R script, Anscombe's quartet)
- Central Limit Theorem demonstraion using Python (Python script)
Course logistics and policies
- Assignments: The course has no assignments. Instead, practice problems will be given at regular intervals. Students are not expected to submit the answers to these problems
- Answers/solutions to the practice problems will not be provided. Students are encouraged to utilise the discussion hour to discuss the problems if they want to.
- Exams: There are four exams scheduled (roughly) at the end of each segment. See above for dates.
- In exams, you can bring one A4 (or equivalent) sheet of paper with anything hand-written on it. Each student is supposed to bring their own hand-written sheet. Any exchange of this material between studnts will be considered usage of unfair means. You cannot use any other material, including books, photocopies, eelctronic materials, etc., during exam.
- Attendance: Attendance will be marked in each class but it will not contribute to the evaluation.
- Missing exams: On missing an exam due to a medical emergency you will be allowed to write a make-up exam on producing a medical certificate from the institute health center. Missing an exam due to any other reason (including being away for any extra-curricular activities) will result in no marks.
- The use of unfair means, including but not limited to plagiarism or copying, is strictly prohibited. Any violation will result in strict disciplinary action, including zero marks and/or reporting to academic authorities as per institute policy.
Some suggestions
- The best way to follow the course is to work out the details of the topics discussed in each class by yourself after the class.
- There will be one discussion hour each week for clarification of doubts and practice problems. Take advantage of that.
- You have to take the practice problems seriously and solve them on your own. In case you are facing difficulty, you can come and meet the instructor during the discussion hour