Students

STAT8830 – Statistical Methods in Bioinformatics

2026 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor
Nino Kordzakhia
nino.kordzakhia@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
Room 639, Level 6, 12 Wally's Walk
Consult iLearn
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MBiotech or GradDipBioTech or MBiotechMCom or MConsBiol or GradDipConsBiol or GradDipResFSE or GradCertResFSE
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit introduces the statistical and probabilistic concepts that are the basis for the study of bioinformatics. Topics include an introduction to probability and conditional probability, probability distributions, sampling distributions and an introduction to Markov processes. Particular attention is paid to how they relate to specific applications in the field of bioinformatics. A basic understanding of calculus will be an advantage.

Learning in this unit enhances student understanding of global challenges identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) Good Health and Well Being; Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Communicate the knowledge of fundamentals of Probability and Statistics using specific terminology.
  • ULO2: Use relevant terminology and describe the distribution functions and characteristics of some discrete and continuous random variables.
  • ULO3: Evaluate probabilities of events, expected values andvariances of random variables.
  • ULO4: Apply statistical and probabilistic modelling approach to genetic data.
  • ULO5: Apply fundamental principles of statistical data analysis.

General Assessment Information

Requirements to pass the unit

Achieve a total mark equal to or greater than 50% across all assessments.

Attendance and participation

We strongly encourage students to actively participate in all learning activities. Regular engagement is crucial for your success in this unit, as these activities provide opportunities to

- enhance your understanding of the material

- collaborate with peers

- and receive valuable feedback from instructors

to assist in completing the unit assessments.

Your active participation is essential for the successful completion of the unit.

Late Assessment Submission Penalty

  • 5% penalty per day: If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days.

Example 1 (out of 100): If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100.

Example 2 (out of 30): If you score 27/30 but submit 1 day late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.

  • After 7 days: Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0.
  • Short Extension:
    • Automatic short extension: Some assessments are eligible for automatic Short Extension. You can only apply for an automatic short extension before the due date.

Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration. You can find the requirements for applying for Special Consideration HERE.

  • ASSESSMENTS WHERE LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED:

Assignment    - YES, Late Submission Penalty applies; Short Extension applies.

Test                    - NO, unless Special Consideration is Granted. This assessment is NOT eligible for a Short Extension.

Practical Test    - NO, unless Special Consideration is  Granted. This assessment is NOT eligible for a Short Extension.

 

Special Considerations

The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment. If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the assessments in this unit on time, please inform the convenor and submit a Special Consideration request through https://connect.mq.edu.au.

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Assignment 25% No 22/03/2026 Individual Yes Open
Test 25% No 2026-04-20 Individual No Observed
Practical test 50% No 2026-06-01 Individual No Observed

Assignment

Assessment Type 1: Problem-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 18 hours
Due: 22/03/2026
Weighting: 25%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

Reinforce and apply skills learned in computer labs through data analysis.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply fundamental principles of statistical data analysis.

Test

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 18 hours
Due: 2026-04-20
Weighting: 25%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

This is a paper based mid-semester test. Further information will be provided in the iLearn site of the unit.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Use relevant terminology and describe the distribution functions and characteristics of some discrete and continuous random variables.
  • Evaluate probabilities of events, expected values andvariances of random variables.
  • Apply statistical and probabilistic modelling approach to genetic data.

Practical test

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 24 hours
Due: 2026-06-01
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

The task is designed to examine data analysis and R output interpretation skills taught in the unit.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Communicate the knowledge of fundamentals of Probability and Statistics using specific terminology.
  • Apply fundamental principles of statistical data analysis.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • Academic Success for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

Week 1 classes

  • two-hour lecture

Week 2-12 classes

  • two-hour lecture each week
  • one-hour SGTA each week

​​​​​​​iLearn

All unit-related materials including lecture notes, SGTA's, and instructions for assessment tasks and administrative updates, will be published on iLearn.

Software:

The statistical software R will be used. This is a free software environment for statistical computing and graphics and can be downloaded from the  website

http://www.r-project.org/

Texts and materials:

There is no required textbook for this unit.

Recommended  reference sources:

  1. W. P. Krijnen Applied Statistics for Bioinformatics using R, 2009: http://cran.r-project.or g/doc/contrib/Krijnen-IntroBioInfStatistics.pdf
  2. S. Draghici Statistics and Data Analysis for Microarrays Using R and Bioconductor. Chapman & Hall/CRC Mathematical and Computational Biology, 2nd Edition, 2012

Methods of Communication

We will communicate with you via your university email and through announcements on iLearn

Enquiries to the unit convenor can be sent via the contact email on iLearn or through your university email account.

Students can access the iLearn page by logging on at https://ilearn.mq.edu.au. Students must log in regularly to read the Announcements and access the teaching material.

Unit Schedule

Study

Weeks

Lecture Topics

 

W1

 

Introduction

 

W2

 

Discrete random variables and their characteristics

W3 - W5

 

 

Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE);

 

Departures from HWE; Statistical testing of HWE.

 

W6 

 

HWE for X-linked loci.

Recess

  

W7 - W9

27 April  (MON)

Public  Holiday

Continuous random variables: Uniform, Normal (Gaussian), and t (Student) distributions

 

W10-W11

Hypothesis testing and its applications

W12

Markov Chains and their applications

W13

 Practical Test

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes from Previous Offering

To enable students more time to focus on learning, understanding, and reflecting on the content of the unit we have revised the assessment structure as follows.

There are now only three assessments:  one assignment, a mid-session test, and a practical test.

The activities in the unit are designed to enhance your understanding of the content and support the completion of assessments.

Unit information based on version 2026.02 of the Handbook