Target trial emulation for causal inference in observational studies

Date: 2 June 2026 

Time: 13:00–17:00 

Location: MH2 U.09.308 & MH2 U.09.309,  Floor 9, MH2 building, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway

Getting to the university from the conference hotel.

MazeMap QR code for the workshop room:

Session Responsibles: 

Leader(s): Yu-Han Chiu 

Co-leader(s): Shuyuan Yang Coordinator(s): Therese Haugdahl Nøst

Short Description: This pre-conference course introduces the target trial emulation framework, a structured approach for drawing causal inferences from observational data by explicitly designing the study as if it were a randomized trial. Participants will learn how to specify the protocol of a hypothetical target trial and then emulate that protocol using real-world data. Through applied examples and interactive discussion, the course will highlight common sources of bias in observational research (e.g., immortal time bias, selection bias, and time-varying confounding) and demonstrate how careful alignment between design and analysis can mitigate these threats. We will also discuss practical implementation strategies using longitudinal data. The course is designed for clinical researchers, epidemiologists, biostatisticians, and data scientists seeking to strengthen the rigor and transparency of causal inference in real-world evidence research. 

Learning Outcomes: By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

1. Formulate a clearly defined causal question in target trial terms;
2. Translate that question into an explicit trial protocol; and
3. Identify key design and analytic decisions necessary to validly estimate causal effects from observational data.

Program