Genetic Association Course

With Application to the Analysis of Sequence and Genotype Data

October 29 - November 2, 2018
Max Delbrück Center (MDC) for Molecular Medicine
Berlin, Germany


The seventh Annual Berlin Genetic Association Course will be held at the MDC in Berlin from September 17-21, 2018. The goal of the course is to teach the course participants both theory and application of methods for population based association analysis, with a concentration on the analysis of exome and whole genome sequence and genotype data.

The cost of the 5 day course is 975 EUR for researchers from an academic institution, and 1,950 EUR for individuals from private (for profit) companies. This fee covers tuition, Monday evening wine and cheese party and course related expenses (handouts, etc.) but not room, board or meals. Inexpensive housing is available for course participants at the MDC and nearby hotels.

Emphasis in this course is on strategies for genetic mapping of complex human traits. It will include theory as well as practical exercises. The exercises will be carried out using a variety of computer programs (PLINK, GenABEL, MACH, UNPHASED, EIGENSTRAT, Variant Association Tools (VAT), SEQPower and R, etc.) and with pencil and paper. The emphasis of this course is analysis of population based whole genome and exome data including genotype and sequence data.  TOPICS include: Association analysis of qualitative and quantitative traits; single marker and haplotype analysis; analysis of whole genome association study data; complex trait rare variant association analysis of next generation sequence data; data quality control for genotype and next generation sequence data; haplotype reconstruction; tagSNP selection; controlling population admixture (genomic  control, principal components analysis, etc); imputing genotype data from sequence and genotype data; detecting gene x gene and gene x environmental interactions; power and sample size estimation for both genotype and rare variant data; permutation (estimating empirical p-values); and false discovery rate (FDR). The organizers and instructors for the course are Suzanne Leal (Baylor College of Medicine) and Michael Nothnagel (University of Cologne).

For additional information on the Genetic Association Course please contact Suzanne Leal:

Application Deadline May 1, 2017

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Click here for photos and data from Genetic Association Course – Berlin: September 2016

Click here for photos and datasets from Analysis of Next Generation Sequence Data for Complex Traits Course – Berlin: July 2016

Click here for photos and datasets from the Analysis of Next Generation Sequence Data Mendelian Traits Course – Berlin: September 2015

Click here for photos and datasets from the Genetic Association Course – Berlin: June 2015

Click here for photos and datasets from the Analysis of Next Generation Sequence Data Complex Traits Course – Berlin: March 2015

Click here for photos and datasets from the Next Generation Sequence Data Analysis Course – Berlin: June 2014

Click here for photos and datasets from the Genetic Association Course – Berlin: March 2014

Click here for photos and datasets from the Genetic Association Course – Berlin: June 2013

Click here for photos and datasets from the Basic Gene Mapping Course – Berlin: November 2012

Click here for photos from the Genetic Association Course – Berlin: July 2012

Click here for photos from the Basic Gene Mapping Course – Berlin: November 2011

Click here for photos from the Genetic Association Course – Berlin: July 2011           

Click here for photos from the Basic Gene Mapping Course – Berlin: October 2010

Click here for photos from the Genetic Association Course – Berlin: May 2010

Click here for photos from the Basic Gene Mapping Course – Berlin: November 2009

Click here for photos from the Basic Gene Mapping Course – Berlin: July 2008           

Click here for photos from the Basic Gene Mapping Course – Berlin: July 2007

Click here for photos from the Basic Gene Mapping Course – Berlin: July 2006

Click here for photos from the Basic Gene Mapping Course – Berlin: July 2005

Click here for photos from the Basic Gene Mapping Course – Berlin: July 2004

Click here for photos from the Basic Gene Mapping Course – Berlin: July 2003