Spring 2024 STAT 35510

Course: STAT 35510

Title: Statistical Algorithms for Single-Cell Omics and Related Techniques

Instructor(s): Jingshu Wang

Teaching Assistant(s): TBA

Class Schedule: Sec 1: MW 1:30 PM-2:50 PM in Ryerson 178

Description: Single-cell sequencing is a revolutionary technique that allows the analysis of the genetic information within individual cells, providing unprecedented insights into cellular heterogeneity and diversity. This course aims to offer a comprehensive overview of the cutting-edge quantitative methods employed in analyzing single-cell sequencing data. Designed for graduate students with a statistical/quantitative background, the course requires no prior knowledge of biology or experience in analyzing genetics data. We will start with a gentle introduction to basic biological concepts relevant to understanding the data, coupled with a concise overview of single-cell sequencing technologies such as single-cell RNA-seq, single-cell ATAC-seq, spatial transcriptomics, CITE-seq, Perturb-seq, and more. Then, we will discuss common types of computational analyses, such as visualization, denoising, clustering, trajectory analyses, data integration, transfer learning, and the alignment of multi-omics data. A special emphasis will be placed on exploring deep learning models that have been designed for various tasks analyzing single-cell sequencing data. We will also address statistical considerations that arise, including appropriate distributional assumptions on the data, distribution-free tests, "post-estimation" inference, and causal inference.