Delaware Chapter, ASA Dinner Meeting: October 2012 Note: Meeting location: Townsend Hall on the University of Delaware campus -- Commons Area. Townsend Hall     Speaker:   Dennis Sweitzer, PhD Principal Biostatistician Medidata Solutions Title:   Randomization: Too important to gamble with Meeting photos. Meeting slides (pdf). Meeting slides (PowerPoint). Abstract: Randomization is a central part of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) which are considered the 'gold standard' of clinical evidence. This talk is a basic introduction to the topic of randomization: It outlines how randomization is key to reducing various kinds of bias in a study; Explains several common randomization techniques; Proposes measurements of predictability and imbalance of a randomization method; And compares the performance of the methods in a series of simulations. Biography: Dennis Sweitzer, is Principal Biostatistician at Medidata Solutions providing cross-functional statistical support and development of cloud based clinical trial software systems. He has nearly 20 experience in statistics, clinical trials, data mining and simulation, including 14 years at AstraZeneca. Date: Thursday, October 18, 2012   Time: Social time -- 6:00 pm Buffet -- 6:30 pm Speaker -- 7:15 pm   Place: Townsend Hall South College Ave. University of Delaware Newark, DE   Directions/Map   Menu: (Catered by Aramark, University of Delaware Food Services)   Simply Italian Caesar Salad Broccoli with lemon zest Garlic bread Chicken Parmesan Rotini Marinara and Tiramisu   Cost: $20 for members/others, students $5, FREC students free   Reservations to:  Irina Baldycheva by Monday, Setember 15, 2012. Phone: 302-885-9136 Email: Irina Baldycheva.   Note: Please be sure to RSVP by this date. Aramark requires an accurate count of the number of plates three days prior to an event, and we pay by the plate. Return to Delaware Chapter ASA home page.