Toward Clearer Questions in Mendelian Randomization Studies

Speaker:

Sonja Swanson, ScD
Associate Professor (UHD) and Principal Investigator of Causal Inference, Department of Epidemiology
Erasmus Medical College

Abstract:

Mendelian randomization studies are increasingly being used to study causal effects, though often the causal question under study is not clearly defined. Here, we will discuss some specific well-defined causal questions and describe how articulating clearer questions can guide Mendelian randomization design and analysis.

Short bio:

Sonja Swanson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. She is the Principal Investigator for the Causal Inference Group, and she serves as an Editor for Epidemiology and the European Journal of Epidemiology. Her methodological research focuses on improving the use and transparency of methods for estimating causal effects in epidemiology, with particular attention to Mendelian randomization and other instrumental variable methods.