IMPRS Events 2015

Monday: Lectures and practical application Jon Wright: The conceptual context of characterizing multivariate phenotypes, genotypes and functional units Niels Dingemanse: The evolutionary ecology of multivariate phenotypes Dirk Metzel: A comparison of Bayesian vs Frequentist vs approaches in statistics Alastair Wilson: Multivariate quantitative genetics. Partitioning correlations within vs. between individuals, and between-individual correlations in G and PE. Implementation of exploratory factor analysis in multivariate mixed models. Modelling platform: ASREML/R or MCMCglmm Geir Bolstad: Demonstration of R-package “evolvability” - tools for understanding multivariate genetic variation and effects on rates and directions of evolution Tuesday: Lectures and practical application Yimen Araya-Ajoy: Multi-level multivariate phenotypic variation (i.e. within vs. between individuals) Geir Bolstad: Analyses of allometry; Random regressions in ontogenetic allometry, relationships between ontogenetic, static, and evolutionary allometry. Ned Dochtermann: Multivariate hypothesis testing: when to use confirmatory factor analysis vs. PCA, path analyses and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) Wednesday: excursion Thursday: Student Introductory Presentations + Working on own data Friday: Working on own data + Student presentations of preliminary results Speaker Prof. Jonathan Wright, Dr. Geir Hysing Bolstad, Dr. Thor Harald Ringsby and Dr. Irja Ratikainen (Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology), Prof. Ned. A. Dochtermann (North Dakota State University), Dr. Alastair Wilson (University of Exeter), Prof. Dr. Dirk Metzler (Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich), Prof. Niels J. Dingemanse, PhD-candidate Yimen Araya-Ajoy (Max Planck Institute for Ornithology) [more]

This is an introductory course to students planning to analyse genomic sequence data. The course will familiarize with some tools and websites characteristically used in genome analyses with a focus on steps downstream computer-intense genome assembly and read mapping, e.g. extraction of information from a genome browser, read coverage and expression difference calculations, SNP calling and annotation, scans for selection signatures, Linux and R for txt-file manipulations, etc.. Far from being complete, the course aims to provide a starting point for own idiosyncratic sequence projects. Participants need to install Linux (e.g. in Virtualbox) and R (e.g. as R-studio) on their computers, but we will also provide a few installed computers in our seminar room. [more]

day 1: 2-3 Short inputs depending on participants projects short presentation of participants projects day 2 and 3: guided work on own project day 3: presentations of projects prerequisite for participation basic knowledge in statistics, participation in at least 2 of the Modules 1 – 3. Participants bring their own data. They are requested to send a short description of their projects to the teachers at least one week before the start of the workshop. [more]

This two-day workshop enables life scientists to to write clearly and with impact! The participants learn how to construct a “take-home” message that tells the story of their research, choose words that communicate their science clearly, and structure their paper into a flowing narrative. [more]

Telmo Pievani (U Padova): Sharing Discoveries: New Frontiers and Projects in Communication of Science / Henning Krause (Helmholtz Association): Research Communication 2.0 / Carin Bondar (‘Biologist with a Twist’; independent writer & presenter): Sex, Science and Storytelling: The Art of Effective Communication / Kees Moeliker (Improbable Research / Natural History Museum Rotterdam): The Duck, his Mate and (other) Improbable Research / Daniel Mertens (Schillermertens): “Silent Post” - Scientific Communication / besides presentations from the IMPRS faculty and PhD candidates and award of the "Best Student Paper". [more]

The teaching week addresses the new IMPRS students to give an insight into the different labs and research groups, their research focus and methods, and to give the new students the opportunity to get to know each other, exchange experiences and to discuss possible collaboration with other labs. The teaching week is obligatory for all incoming graduate students, everybody else interested is warmly welcome to join! In 2015, research groups and labs from the MPIO Seewiesen will present their research topics and methods, in a mixture of lectures, experiments, and tours through their facilities. 26.09.15 "Intro in our IMPRS" by the IMPRS coordinator Mäggi Hieber Ruiz; 28-30.09.15 presentation of the research groups; 28.09.15 "Student life: hurdles and difficulties that can arise during a PhD", by the PhD candidates; 29.09.15 presentation of the Officers for Equal Opportunity + for Conflict Management; 29.09.15 workshop "Scientific Ethics + Integrity" by the MPIO Ombudsperson Henrik Brumm; 01-02.10.15 workshop "Mastering your PhD" by Valeska Russo, ProSciencia. [more]

The workshop aims to support PhD students during their first big research project. Generally a PhD student is well adapted to conduct his/her research but encounters difficulties with i.e. time management, lack of coordination/cooperation with others, insecurities if and how to ask for support and is maybe also not prepared to fulfil the different roles which are expected by him/her. This workshop will strengthen the management and communication skills of the participants and help them to deal with unexpected and frustrating situations. Participants will learn management and communication skills by: - defining goals and objectives in a smart way - planning their workload with efficiency and effectiveness - being clear about their different roles during a PhD project - improving their collaboration ability - learning techniques for a successful delegation. First day: Planning a project: Setting goals + Time management Introduction to project management, Defining aims and objective according to SMART principle, Planning and Structuring the workload of a project, Using time management to be more efficient, Defining different roles Second day: Delegation and communication Dealing with the supervisor, Successful delegation, How to prevent and avoid risks, How to deal with stress and frustration, Communication exercises Dr. Valeska Russo holds a PhD in inorganic Chemistry. After 10 years as project manager and trainer at Siemens and Nokia Siemens Networks, she started to teach project management and science related soft skills for PhD students, Postdocs and young group leaders in 2009. She focuses on management, communication and presentation and also teaches methods of awareness and stress reduction to reach a good work-life balance. [more]

Regular German classes to practice and improve your German with the guidance of a professional instructor: Thursdays, 14:30-16:00! [more]

Day 1: Introduction to R (work with console and editor, read data, save data, basics in programming R, graphics); Basics in statistics (refreshing descriptive statistics (mean, sd, se, median, quartiles), hypothesis testing, classical statistical tests using R) Day 2: Introduction to simple linear models using R (One-way/two-way ANOVA, simple linear regression, ANCOVA, R lm function / General Linear Models) [more]

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TARGET GROUP: This workshop targets PhD students and Post-doctoral fellows who have taken Conference Presentation part I, and who wish to further improve their presentation skills and focus in particular on the context of conferences. OBJECTIVES: This is an activity-based training is led by a theatre professional whose expertise is in helping the speaker effectively communicate the importance and relevance of the work and the core message in the talk. This course aims to focus on further development and special focus of key communication skills in the context of conferences. DESCRIPTION: This one-day course provides a limited number of participants who have already taken the workshop “Conference Presentation”, the opportunity to deliver a typical conference presentation and focus on the key aspects of conference presentation challenges. Attention will also be given to structural elements and language dynamics for improving overall speech and communication. The session will also include dealing with question and answer sessions as well as other peripheral details involved in the overall conference experience. CONTENTS IN BRIEF: • Engaging the audience in one’s talk • Affirming the strengths and individual style of the speaker • Improving body language • Effectively promoting oneself • Develop strong tactics for effective communication • Dealing with challenging Q&A sessions. METHODS: • Voice and body techniques • Partner work/role-play • Language practice and analysis • Trainer PPT input • Improvisation, videotaping and feedback • Tailored training for individual participants needs. [more]

In this three-day course we will give you a concise introduction on general acoustics and how to analyze sound. More specifically, we will focus on how bats perceive their world through echolocation and point out distinctive features of the ultrasound realm. You will apply your new knowledge using a very powerful sound analyses program, SASLab Pro. [more]

day 1: LM Linear Regression, multiple Regression ANOVA, ANCOVA (least-square method, parameterisation, interactions, tests (marginal and sequential), model selection, model assumptions, predictions, introduction to Bayesian data analysis); day 2: LME linear mixed models (maximum likelihood, restricted maximum likelihood, random and fixed effects, likelihood ratio test / bootstrap, random slopes-random intercept models, evt. further model types depending on the participants wishes); day 3: LME (model matrix, simulating posterior distributions of model parameters, predictions, posterior probabilities of hypotheses, preparing data for work on own data); day 4: work on own data and presentations. Prerequisite for participation: Basic knowledge in R programming is required. Particularly, it is assumed that you are familiar with working with the R Console and an editor, reading the data and producing the most common graphics (histogram, scatterplot, boxplot). [more]

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