Dr. John Hughes: Bayesian Filtering for Big Areal Data

    College of Public Health

    The Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Seminar Series presents: Dr. John Hughes: Bayesian Filtering for Big Areal Data. Dr. Hughes is an Associate Professor of Biostatistics at Lehigh University. Aerial (i.e., spatially aggregated) data arise in many fields, including ecology, disease mapping, bioimaging, childhood vaccination refusal, etc. Failure to account for spatial dependence in such data can compromise the quality of regression inference. Traditional aerial models can accommodate spatial dependence, but these models exhibit well-known pathologies and face serious computational challenges. In this talk, Dr. Hughes will present Bayesian spatial filtering (BSF) models, which address the challenges faced by traditional aerial models. BSF is advantageous from both modeling and computational points of view, offering improved interpretability and scalable computation. Dr. Hughes will illustrate how posterior inference for BSF models can be done easily and efficiently by using R and Stan software

    *30-minute mixer with the presenter immediately following the seminar. Light refreshments will be served.

    HYBRID SEMINAR:

    *Suitable points will be given to graduate and undergraduate students for attending