Multiple comparison issues in the design and analysis of studies of DNA Microarray Gene Expression Profiles

Richard Simon

DNA microarrays are a powerful new technology for measuring the level of expression of genes on a genome-wide basis. DNA microarrays are used in a wide variety of experiments with varying objectives. This talk will provide a brief introduction to the biology and technology of DNA microarrays and will highlight several kinds of experimental objectives that are commonly encountered. I will discuss multiple comparison issues arising in these objectives and the stringency of multiple comparison control appropriate for the context of DNA microarray based studies. I will provide an overview of approaches that have been proposed for dealing with multiple comparison issues in the design and analysis of studies using DNA microarrays and identify methods that I have found useful in such studies.