Causal inference

Workshop on causal inference with competing events

Code for the workshop held at the Society of Epidemiologic Research conference, 2022 and 2023

Target trial emulation for the study of social determinants in dementia research

I presented this talk in the Symposia: “Specifying and emulating target trials to estimate causal effects of complex exposures”, at the Society for Epidemiologic Research Conference 2023, held in Portland, OR, USA.

Considering questions before methods in dementia research with competing events and causal goals

Studying causal exposure effects on dementia is challenging when death is a competing event. Researchers often interpret death as a potential source of bias, though bias cannot be defined or assessed if the causal question is not explicitly specified.

Invited Commentary: Conducting and Emulating Trials to Study Effects of Social Interventions

All else being equal, if we had 1 causal effect we wished to estimate, we would conduct a randomized trial with a protocol that mapped onto that causal question, or we would attempt to emulate that target trial with observational data.

Hypothetical blood-pressure-lowering interventions and risk of stroke and dementia

I presented this work in the session of Early identification and prevention of brain disorders at the Society for Epidemiologic Research Conference, 2020. The work from this presentation has been published at the European Journal of Epidemiology, more information here.

Emulating a target trial of statin use and risk of dementia using cohort data

Objective: Observational data can be used to attempt to emulate a target trial of statin use and estimate analogues of intention-to-treat and per protocol effects on dementia risk. Methods: Using data from a prospective cohort study in the Netherlands, we conceptualized a sequence of “trials” in which eligible individuals ages 55–80 years were classified as statin initiators or noninitiators for every consecutive month between 1993 and 2007 and were followed until diagnosis of dementia, death, loss to follow-up, or the end of follow-up.

Looking at competing events through a different lens in dementia research: Examples from the Rotterdam Study

I presented this work in the session of SCR4-29 - Public Health: Innovative Methods In ADRD Research at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on July, 2020. I co-chaired this virtual session.

Looking at competing events through a different lens in dementia research

I presented this work in the Selection Session at MELODEM’s first virtual Annual Meeting on July 2020. The manuscript of this work is in process.