Online Course – 4th Edition
September 13th-17th, 2021
Scholarship available – Deadline August 15th, 2021
REGISTRATION IS CLOSED
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Online live sessions Monday from 15:00 to 18:00, and Thursday to Friday from 10:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 18:00 (Madrid time zone).
The response to both natural and artificial selection critically depends on the additive genetic variances and covariances underlying the traits subject to selection. As a consequence, understanding the genetic basis of complex morphological, life-history, physiological, ornamental and behavioural traits is crucial if we are to understand their evolutionary potential, and the evolutionary process in general.
Quantitative genetics uses the phenotypic resemblance among related individuals to infer the role of genes and the environment in shaping phenotypic variation. Depending on the species, we can use data obtained from breeding experiments under controlled conditions (e.g. insects, plants), or from individual-based monitoring programs in the wild (e.g. birds and mammals). Especially the latter has benefited greatly from the application of animal model methodology, originally developed in animal breeding to identify individuals of high genetic merit. By simultaneously using the resemblance among all individuals in the pedigree, these methods provide more precise and accurate estimates of genetic and non-genetic variance components (heritabilities and genetic correlations). Furthermore, they allow for the estimation of individual-level genetic effects (breeding values), and thereby the inference of evolution.
In this course we will cover everything from basic quantitative genetic theory and statistics to advanced mixed model-based approaches. You will learn how to estimate genetic variances and covariances in wild and captive populations, and how to test for evolutionary change. Along the way, you will be exposed to a range of general statistical methods (including generalised and mixed models), the R packages MCMCglmm and ASReml-R in particular. Furthermore, we will discuss a number of landmark papers that have put the concepts and methods covered during the lectures and practicals into practice to address fundamental evolutionary questions. You are strongly encouraged to bring your own data (if you have them), which you will be able to work on during the course and which will allow you to put the theory into practice.
The course consists of a total of twelve lectures of varying length. These have been pre-recorded to accommodate participants in different time zones and to create some resilience in the case of internet connectivity issues. In addition to the lectures, there are five practicals. You will work on these individually, but help will be available via Slack. We will discuss the lectures and practicals during live Q&A sessions on Zoom.
Graduate or postgraduate degree in any Biosciences discipline. All participants must have a personal computer (Windows, Macintosh), with webcam if possible, and a good internet connection.
While some knowledge of R (e.g. importing and manipulating data) is required, you do not need any previous experience with quantitative genetics and animal models.
September 13th-17th, 2021
Online live sessions Monday from 15:00 to 18:00, and Thursday to Friday from 10:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 18:00 (Madrid time zone).
27 hours
23 hours of online live lessons, plus 4 hours of recorded lessons.
This course is equivalent to 1 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) at the Life Science Zurich Graduate School.
The recognition of ECTS by other institutions depends on each university or school.
English
Places are limited to 14 participants and will be occupied by strict registration order.
Participants who have completed the course will receive a certificate at the end of it.
Click here to see the full Program
You can check the list of Ambassador Institutions. If you want your institution to become a Transmitting Science Ambassador please contact us at communication@transmittingscience.com
Discounts are not cumulative and apply only on the Course Fee. We offer the possibility of paying in two instalments (contact the course coordinator).
5 % Discount
Former participants will have a 5 % discount on the Course Fee.
20 % Discount
20 % discount on the Course Fee is offered for members of some organizations (Ambassador Institutions). If you want to apply to this discount please indicate it in the Registration form (proof will be asked later).
40 % Discount
Unemployed scientists living in the country were the course will be held, as well as PhD students based in that country without any grant or scholarship to develop their PhD, could benefit from a 40 % discount on the Course Fee. If you want to ask for this discount, please contact the course coordinator. That would apply for a maximum of 2 places and they will be covered by strict inscription order.
Transmitting Science started in 2012 to manage specialized courses and workshops we were already organizing within our own partnerships. Up to date, we have already run more than 120 advanced courses in different topics related to Life Sciences.
All the courses are self-financed with participant’s fees and we strive to keep the fees to the minimum necessary for running them.
Our courses cover a wide range of research methods and are aimed at postgraduate students, postdoctoral researchers and established academics from all over the world.
