August 10 – August 15, 2025
We are accepting applications for the 21st conference on the application of modern psychometric and statistical methods in cognitive aging research. We are planning an in-person conference at Granlibakken Conference Center at Tahoe City, CA for August 10-15, 2025, with a virtual workgroup report and wrap-up session a few months later.
Theme: Integrating findings from multiple data sources is essential for advancing research on cognitive aging and dementia. However, inconsistencies in measurement across studies and restrictions on data access often create major barriers to evidence synthesis. This workshop will explore innovative strategies to overcome these challenges, focusing on two key approaches: data harmonization and synthetic data generation. This workshop will introduce practical tools for combining data from different studies, even when the measurements are not identical. We will cover techniques to make data from different sources more comparable (harmonization) and ways to generate realistic but artificial datasets (synthetic data) to help researchers overcome barriers related to privacy, missing measures, and statistical power. These approaches can improve data sharing and support stronger, more inclusive research on cognitive aging. With increasing computational power, the ability to simulate, synthesize, and harmonize data has become an essential skill for dementia research. This workshop will provide hands-on training in these techniques, using real-world datasets.
Proposed Work Groups and Analyses: We will have groups addressing the following common challenges:
Work Group 1: Measurement Error in Mediation Modeling when imperfect neuroimaging or neuropathology measures are used as mediators
Work Group 2: Simulations for Power Calculations to estimate data needs to fulfill NAPA research goals on ADRD prevention
Work Group 3: Data Quality and Covariance Structure preservation when applying canned modules to create synthetic data from existing cohorts
Work Group 4: Outcome Crosswalk via a Third Dataset to combine evidence from multiple studies using different assessments of the same cognitive construct
Work Group 5: Outcome Crosswalk Using Other Predictors to combine evidence from multiple studies using different assessments of the same cognitive construct
Meeting logistics. There will be four full conference days that will include 1 day of didactic presentations and 3 days of small workgroups that actively pursue data analyses related to the conference theme. This will be an intense 4-day experience in which all on-site attendees actively interact. It will be important to be present all four days to maximize your learning experience and the experiences of others in your workgroup.
The didactic parts of this conference will be available online to anyone interested in attending. Workgroups will be in-person and limited in size, with a competitive application process for selection. Applications are encouraged from individuals at all career stages, including graduate students, post-docs, and faculty at junior, mid, and senior levels. Expertise in psychometrics, statistics, or other quantitative sciences is not required; we seek participants with a strong commitment to cognitive aging research. We aim to bring together attendees with varied topical and methodological expertise to foster collaborative learning. No prior experience with data harmonization or synthetic data is required. This workshop is designed to introduce these concepts through hands-on training, real-world examples, and small group collaboration. Early-career researchers, including graduate students and postdocs, are especially encouraged to apply. We are especially interested in individuals from different experience levels and scientific backgrounds who will gain new skills to apply in their future research.
Registration fees. There will be a registration fee for those who attend in person – $100 for graduate students and postdoctoral trainees and $200 for all others. There will be no charge for online participation in didactic sessions, but online participants will be required to register.
The deadline for submitting applications to participate in workgroups is Friday, February 28, 2025. Notification of acceptance will occur by Friday, April 4, 2025.
To submit an application to attend the 2025 meeting, please complete the REDCap application form at: https://mrprcbcw.hosts.jhmi.edu/redcap/surveys/?s=EH98XTX9RP3DJ88N. This application includes uploading a pdf format version of your current CV or NIH biosketch.