Ecology has yet to embrace causal inference, yet most questions in ecology are causal. Despite the common use of terms that imply causation, such as "shapes," "drives," or "impacts," many studies shy away from directly acknowledging their causal ambitions. This avoidance not only obscures the true intent of research but also underpins a broader challenge within the field's approach to science. Ecology heavily relies on observational data, and so the necessity for robust causal inference becomes paramount. However, causal methods are also needed for non-randomized experiments. We critique the predominance in ecology of scientifically-empty statistical procedures that lack scientific clarity and value. We advocate for a shift towards explicit causal inference, arguing that understanding causality is not confined to randomized controlled trials but can also be enriched through observational data when paired with rigorous causal inference methodologies. The paper elucidates the common pitfalls in ecological studies, such as …

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The IQCB seminar series “Under the Hood” provides a forum for scientists at all career levels to present the technical side of their research. Talks are aimed at an audience interested in the methods, algorithms, and programs used to address a specific research question. “Under the Hood” talks stimulate lively discussions among researchers facing similar computational challenges in their research, lead to transfer of technical knowledge and ideas and promote collaboration.

“Under the Hood” Seminar with

Dr. Juha Karjalainen from the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland and Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

I’ll present the FinnGen public-private partnership project that has enabled us to discover previously unknown genetics from the analysis of 500,000 individuals. The presentation will cover the project setup, the health registries and data, research results, computational aspects, and the larger context of global biobank genetics research.

Link to Agenda

IMB-IQCB Seminar with Dr. Heiko Runz from the Heidelberg/Mannheim Health + Life Science Alliance, EMBL Heidelberg.

The seminar is hosted by Prof. Dr. Christof Niehrs and Prof. Dr. Peter Baumann.

Please register here https://forms.office.com/e/DfFiB4zWRm. Registration will close on 16th January at 9 AM.

Link to Program

The IQCB seminar series “Under the Hood” provides a forum for scientists at all career levels to present the technical side of their research. Talks are aimed at an audience interested in the methods, algorithms, and programs used to address a specific research question. “Under the Hood” talks stimulate lively discussions among researchers facing similar computational challenges in their research, lead to transfer of technical knowledge and ideas and promote collaboration.

“Under the Hood” Seminar with

Dr. Hristo Todorov from the Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Mainz