Department of Biostatistics Seminar/Workshop Series

Model-robust Inference for Continuous Threshold Models

Youyi Fong, PhD Associate Member, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Affiliate Associate Professor, Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington

Threshold regression models allow the relationship between the outcome and a covariate of interest to change across a threshold value in the covariate. Continuous threshold regression models may provide a useful summary of the association between outcome and the covariate of interest because they offer a balance between flexibility and simplicity. Motivated by collaborative works in studying immune response biomarkers of transmission of infectious diseases, we study hypothesis testing and estimation of continuous threshold models with particular attention on inference under model misspecification. The methods are illustrated with real data examples from the HIV-1 immune correlates studies.