Irina Dinu, PhD, BSc
Contact
Professor, School of Public Health
- idinu@ualberta.ca
- Phone
- (780) 492-8336
- Address
-
3-278 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy
11405 87 Ave NWEdmonton ABT6G 1C9
Overview
About
My research focus is to develop biostatistical tools for analysis of microarray data.
The microarray technology measures expression profiles of tens of thousands of genes in a single assay. This new technology has brought tremendous promise to clinical and biological sciences by allowing technology-driven explorations of disease markers and pathways that were previously unthinkable. It also comes with data-analytic challenges due to the complexity and high dimensionality of its data.
I am collaborating with scientists at the Glenrose Hospital in the area of outcomes / health services research. I am interested in collaborating with public health sciences researchers and practitioners by providing biostatistical methodological rigors in the design, conduct, analysis, and reporting of their work.
Degrees
PhD (Statistics), University of Alberta, 2005
BSc (Mathematics), University of Bucharest, Romania, 1999
Awards
Postdoctoral Fellowship Research award, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, 2005-2007
F.S. Chia Ph.D. Scholarship Research award, University of Alberta, 1999-2003
Announcements
Currently accepting MSc students.
Courses
SPH 519 - Biostatistics I
An introduction to elementary biostatistical methods used to analyze epidemiologic data. Topics will include analysis of 2 x 2 tables, nonparametric methods, linear regression, analysis of variance, direct and indirect standardization, and analysis of censored data. Prerequisite: Introductory statistics course or consent of Instructor. Note: Credit may not be obtained for both PHS 598 and SPH 519.
SPH 536 - Engagement for Public Health Action
Our perceptions and interpretations of what is good for society are at the core of public health's mission but, as you can imagine, every individual has their own opinion about what is good. How do we motivate and engage people with such diverse attitudes and opinions in the dialogue that leads to public health action? Coupled with a deep dive into the philosophical underpinnings of meta-ethics, normative ethics, epistemology and ontology, this course helps students understand why public health is not as straightforward as one might expect. How different worldviews and ways of knowing shape concepts of ethics and values and, ultimately, understandings of what is good, are considered from normative, Indigenous, and other non-Western perspectives. This foundational work supports experiential learning opportunities where students are paired with organizations and professionals to gain insights into practices and experiences of engagement for public health action. SPH 536 is a required course for the degree of Master of Public Health in General Public Health. Prerequisite: SPH 530. Corequisites: SPH 562, SPH 535, or consent of instructor.
Scholarly Activities
Research - Statistical methods for biomarker discovery based on complex high-dimensional biological data
Co-principal Investigator
funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Featured Publications
Dinu, I., Chen Y., Burstyn, I.
Open Environmental Sciences. 2010 January;
Dinu I, Potter JD, Mueller T, Liu Q, Adewale AJ, Jhangri GS, Einecke G, Famulsky KS, Halloran PF, Yasui Y.
Briefings in Bioinformatics. 2008 January; 10 (1):24-34.
Atallah J, Dinu I, Joffe A, Sauve RS, Dyck J, Ross DB, Rebeyka IM, Robertson CMT.
Circulation. 2008 January; 118 (14):1410-8