SC1: Stochastic Models in Mathematical Genetics
(Michaelmas Term, 2018)
NEWS UPDATE:
Solutions to problem sheets
1 and 2 (part C) and sheet 1 (MSc) are now posted. There is an MSc class next
week (week 5; Thursday 4-5pm, LG01) to cover the early problems.
Simon Myers (myers@stats.ox.ac.uk).
Here you
will find links to the course materials. These include notes, and the problem
sheets. Notes for weeks 1-4 are now posted – those for later weeks are also
posted but subject to edits!
Problem
sheet solutions are posted after the relevant class.
In addition,
below there is a list of book references, and for selected lectures, a
bibliography. The books are not essential – we will cover the syllabus and
examinable material in lectures, but they do give a helpful, different view to
some of the material and also contain additional practice problems.
Material is
linked to below, approximately assigned to specific
lectures (lectures 1-8 cover weeks 1-4, etc). Note
though that the timing varies slightly, so I recommend downloading a bit ahead
of time.
If you have any questions about the course, spot mistakes (it happens every year!), or have problems downloading material, please email me at the above address.
Notes on lectures 1-8 (gene genealogies and the coalescent: pdf)
Notes on lectures 1-8 (gene genealogies and the coalescent: ppt)
Notes on lectures 9-13 (recombination
and the ARG: ppt)
Notes on lectures 14-16 (natural
selection: pdf)
Notes on lectures 14-16 (natural
selection: ppt)
Bibliography for recombination
material (weeks 5-7) (pdf)
Guidance: Of the book references, Wakeley is particularly good for the coalescent material (weeks 1-4) and the coalescent with recombination material (weeks 5-7), and Durrett for the selection/diffusion material (chapter 7; weeks 7-8) as well as the coalescent material (chapter 3, weeks 1-7). The Hein book has extensive good discussion of methods for identifying recombination events from data (week 5).
You can also find notes for this course used in some previous years here:
Graduate opportunities
Oxford is one of the leading institutions in the world for research into both theoretical and applied statistical genetics, with researchers engaged in such research based both within the Department of Statistics, and at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, among other Oxford departments. Oxford-led research has produced groundbreaking insights into disease risk, population history and biology in humans and in a host of other species. If you are interested in postgraduate research in this area in general, please email me to ask about opportunities!