Epidemiology and Food Safety Risk Analysis

Course Overview

This course is internationally regarded as the reference for professionals interested in learning the latest techniques for the quantitative modeling of epidemiology and/or food safety risks. It has been updated to incorporate more hands-on group exercises, new techniques, and case studies which will guide participants through the main steps of the development of a risk assessment model. Given the increasing popularity of the R statistical language, this course is now taught primarily using R while also including material in @RISK, allowing participants to choose between the two software to develop their exercises.

Track record of success: taught for over a decade by EpiX Analytics, this course has also been used as the basis for courses that EpiX has delivered in universities and research institutions around the globe.
Hands-on course: focus on solving real-world risk analysis problems and use of a variety of case studies to illustrate applications, good practices or mistakes to avoid.
Expert instructors: all instructors have PhDs and extensive risk analysis experience, allowing them to share their insights with course participants.
Networking: opportunity to create potential research collaborations with other participants and the instructors.

Duration: 5 days

Delivery Type: in-person

Cost: $2,995.00

One health, animal health, human/public health, microbial, antimicrobial and toxicological food safety risk analysts and risk managers who have a basic knowledge of R and/or spreadsheets. The course is also suitable for statisticians, scientists, and information technology professionals who provide input for risk assessments.

The course is designed to encourage the analyst to develop problem-solving skills through a variety of exercises and case studies. It will be useful for analysts interested in an introduction to risk assessment, as well as those with risk modeling experience wanting to further deepen their skills.

Participants are required to bring laptops loaded with a pdf reader, the R statistical language, and Palisade’s @RISK. R will be used as default for the class, but @RISK users can choose to use that platform instead

R users:

  • R is an open-source freeware that works for Windows, Max, Linux and can be downloaded free of charge from the R Project website.
  • It is recommended that participants use a code editor to facilitate the writing and storage of code: we recommend RStudio (works for Mac and Windows) or Tinn-R (Windows).
  • Participants with no prior R experience are strongly encouraged to learn the fundamentals of R programming by reviewing introductory online material such as DataCamp’s free Introduction to R.

Palisade’s @RISK users:

  • @RISK (version 7.0 or newer) with Excel is required for participants preferring to use that platform, and @RISK exercise solutions will be provided. Basic working knowledge of Excel and @RISK is important. However, no prior experience with @RISK or other simulation tools is required. Trial versions of @RISK can be downloaded from Palisade’s website. As the trial license of @RISK lasts 15 days, participants should install it only a few day before the course.

You are encouraged to prepare for the class by reviewing basic knowledge and computer commands in R or Excel depending on the tool you will be using during the class.

Course format

The course runs from 09:00 to 17:00 each day. Morning and afternoon coffee, and lunch are provided. Optional evening workshops on the first and second days allow extra time for running through example models and exercises.

Free ModelAssist

ModelAssist is a comprehensive risk analysis training reference and is free of cost. This reference tool provides an in-depth explanation of all of the risk analysis concepts, techniques and methods introduced in this course and greatly complements the course material. ModelAssist can be downloaded or accessed directly from our website.

Teaching Philosophy

All of our courses aim to help the participants understand risk analysis from the bottom-up, which is achieved through a relaxed, informal and interactive environment, using plenty of examples and hands-on exercises where students apply and adapt what they have learned.

Social Events

Our training courses provide an opportunity to develop or extend your professional network. We therefore arrange optional fun, interactive social events which take advantage of local attractions, cuisine, and culture. All social events are included in the course fee.

Lodging and Transportation

Course participants must arrange their own accommodation. However, we will be happy to provide information and alternatives for your travel arrangements. After you complete your registration form, please let us know that you will need our help.

Registration Discounts

Please contact us to obtain a code for the discounts below, or to discuss a special rate when registering 5 or more people. Discounts for groups of 3 or 4 people are applied automatically at registration. Discount rates cannot be combined.

* Early registration – 10% off registration (register and pay 30 days before course start date)
* Government/Academic – 5% off registration (Proof of eligibility requested after registration)
* Student – 25% off registration (Proof of eligibility requested after registration)
Use our contact form if you are interested in a course not currently in our schedule.