ASA Princeton-Trenton Chapter 2017 ASA Traveling Course

Dear fellow statisticians,

The ASA Princeton-Trenton chapter host the 2017 ASA traveling short course:

Adaptive Designs: Overview, Hurdles, and Examples

Instructor: Professor Christopher Coffey, University of Iowa

When: Thursday, November 09, 2017, from 09:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Where:

East Lecture Hall, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

675 Hoes Lane West,

Piscataway, NJ 08854

Registration Fee:

Regular registration: $65; student/retiree: $30

Note that refreshments and a lunch buffet are included in each registration, and parking is complimentary and available in Lots A, B & C. Event Parking signage will be at the entrance to Lots A, B & C.

This is a great opportunity for learning and networking. We look forward to seeing you at this exciting event.

Shou-En Lu

President, ASA Princeton-Trenton Chapter

Course Abstract: In recent years, there has been substantial interest in the use of adaptive or novel randomized trial designs. Adaptive clinical trial designs provide the flexibility to make adjustments to aspects of the design of a clinical trial based on data reviewed at interim stages. Although there are a large number of proposed adaptations, all generally share the common characteristic that they allow for some design modifications during an ongoing trial. Unfortunately, the rapid proliferation of research on adaptive designs, and inconsistent use of terminology, has created confusion about the similarities, and more importantly, the differences among the techniques. Furthermore, the implementation of adaptive designs to date does not seem consistent with the increasing attention provided to these designs in the statistical literature. This workshop will attempt to clarify some of the confusion surrounding the use of these methods, as well as provide examples where they have been used in the past. The workshop will be structured in two parts:

• The first part of the course will provide some clarification on the topic and describe some of the more commonly proposed adaptive designs. It will also focus on some specific barriers that impede the use of adaptive designs in the current environment, and will discuss future work that is needed in order to ensure that investigators can achieve the promised benefits of adaptive designs.
• The second part of the course will provide a more in-depth discussion of the theory and implementation of adaptive designs in real-world settings. The presenter will draw from several recent examples of studies implementing adaptive designs, and will address the strengths and weaknesses of the approaches used. This part of the course will also summarize the results of a couple of recently completed surveys to assess the interest and attitudes of the clinical trials community in general with respect to the use of adaptive designs.

About the instructor: Dr. Christopher S. Coffey is Professor of Biostatistics and Director of the Clinical Trials Statistical and Data Management Center at the University of Iowa College of Public Health. He received his PhD in biostatistics in 1999 from the University of North Carolina, is a Fellow of the Society for Clinical Trials, and is a 2016 Fellow of the American Statistical Association. His research interests include linear models, power analyses, sample size re-estimation, adaptive designs, and comparative effectiveness trials. He is nationally recognized for his methodological contributions to the design and analysis of clinical trials as well as his leadership in the coordination and conduct of clinical trials in neuroscience, cardiology, and other disease areas. He has given short courses on adaptive trials to the Society for Clinical Trials, FDA, and other professional organizations.