Graduate students at Virginia Tech are taking advantage of a remodeled way to engage with Biometry, thanks to a collaborative effort led by the Center for Biostatistics and Health Data Science (CBHDS). The updated STAT 5605/5606 course goes beyond traditional lectures, weaving in modern approaches to reproducibility, collaboration, and responsible data practices.

Chris Grubb, Research Scientist at CBHDS, is helping to curate the new course. His role focuses on teaching students not just how to analyze data, but how to do it in a way that others can reliably reproduce and build upon.

“In general, most people who go into academia want to do the right thing,” Grubb explained. “They don’t want to produce science that is bad, or not reproducible, or not rigorous. They just don’t always understand how. Our goal is to show them the correct way and why it matters.”

The new Biometry course is structured around four pillars: 

  • Biostatistics: led by Alex Hanlon, guiding students through foundational biostatistics concepts and methods.

  • R Programming: led by Ben Brewer, providing hands-on training in coding, data management, analysis, and visualization to apply statistical tools in research.

  • Collaboration: led by Alicia Lozano, preparing students for team-based science by cultivating collaboration, communication, and other soft skills to work effectively across disciplines and contribute meaningfully to research teams.

  • Rigor and Reproducibility: led by Chris Grubb, reinforcing best practices for transparent, reproducible and responsible research. 

Students are expected to complete a series of four hands-on activities, each building on the last, from data cleaning and descriptive tables to full statistical analyses and communicating results. The process aims to simulate real-world research tasks and prepare students for diverse research environments.

Another timely theme being explored is the role of AI in research. While the course has not fully integrated AI-focused modules yet, the teaching team plans to emphasize responsible use.

“AI can be a powerful tool, but overdependence is a risk,” said Grubb. “We want students to understand how to use it in ways that help their work, not replace it.”

At its heart, the updated Biometry course reflects the broader mission of CBHDS: supporting health-related research through collaboration, careful design, and a commitment to rigor. 

“By making reproducibility central to how we teach, we’re giving students skills that can carry across fields,” said Grubb.

This course offers not just technical knowledge, but a foundation in scientific responsibility. And for CBHDS, it is one more way to prepare future researchers to contribute meaningfully to today’s evolving research landscape.