Key Activities and Initiatives

Methods Bootcamps:

Bootcamps give Chapter Members the opportunity to learn from experts (within the Penn faculty and beyond) about different epidemiology / biostatistical methods and techniques, with the goal of expanding past the theories taught in the classroom to the practicalities of using these methods in real data.

In-person and virtual Bootcamps have spotlighted the theory and practical application of:

• Propensity Score Matching
• Mixed Methods
• Inverse Probability Weighting
• Introduction to Machine Learning
• High-Dimensional Propensity Score Analysis

Upcoming Bootcamps will include series focused on:

• Imputation of Missing Data
• Marginal Structural Models
• Reprises of the Bootcamps from Past Years

Pharmacoepidemiology Salons/Brown Bag Lunch Speaker series:

These Salons are a lunchtime speaker series, where leaders in pharmacoepidemiology from government, industry, and academia are invited to meet and share insights from their current jobs and overall career paths with our Chapter Members in a causal environment over lunch.

Inter-Chapter Collaborations and Events:

Recognizing the global move towards virtual events, we have been working towards building bridging programming with distant Chapters, allowing our Members to take part in our partner ISPE Chapters’ innovative programs, as well as provide opportunities for Members from other Chapters to join-in to our Methods Bootcamps and Brown Bag Lunch Speaker Series. 

Field Trips:

We are progressing plans for trips to local industries and governmental agencies, where Chapter Members have opportunities to get hands-on experiences and perspectives about different career opportunities in pharmacoepidemiology.  Past field trips have included highly informative visits with the FDA, specifically the Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology (OSE) housed within the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.