Centre for Epidemiological and Clinical Research Design, Analysis and Integration
at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research
To add value to epidemiological and clinical research assisting in design, implementation, analysis and interpretation.
Many clinical researchers have creative research questions relevant to their field of clinical and scientific expertise but lack the skills or experience to convert those ideas into a competitive research grant application, a sound ethics application, a rigorously implemented research study, a powerfully and validly analysed dataset, and a research publication that would be competitive in a high ranking journal.
There are many research consumers in government, industry and advocacy groups. They use research to influence policy and strategy. However, some lack the skills to fully evaluate the quality of, and interpret the implications of, epidemiological and clinical research data.
Our Centre provides the skills, tools and expertise necessary to fill the gaps in clinical research groups and in the users of clinical and epidemiological research data.
For those planning to undertake research, our Centre can provide the following services:
- Assistance in formulating a structured, answerable research question and in selecting the appropriate research design.
- Assistance in detailed aspects of research design including the development of a research protocol for epidemiological or clinical research studies.
- Assistance with preparation of an ethics application.
- Assistance with formulation of a study budget.
- Formulation of the data analysis plan.
- Estimation of sample size and power.
- Development of data collection instruments (interview schedules, questionnaires, paper or electronic CRFs).
- Preparation of a randomisation schedule (including complex randomisation designs).
- Construction of study database.
- Advice on all aspects of the implementation of field studies.
- Various levels of support for data analysis ranging from advice and interpretation to actual implementation of data analysis and preparing material for publication.
- Advice on the structure of a manuscript reporting the study findings.
- Review of grant applications and manuscripts prior to submission.
- Assistance in responding the reviewers’ comments.
For those wanting assistance in policy formulation, based on evidence in the fields of respiratory and sleep medicine, our institute can perform the following tasks:
- Systematic review, evaluation and synthesis of evidence relevant to the policy issue.
- Formulation of policy options that are consistent with the available evidence.
- Review of policy proposals in the context of available evidence.
- Clinical researchers, hospital or university-based
- Government departments and agencies
- Small to medium sized bio-technology and pharmaceutical companies
- Medico-legal services: patents etc
We will meet with you for one hour initially (at no cost) to discuss your ideas and your needs. If required, we will be happy to sign a confidentiality agreement prior to such a meeting. During and after this meeting we can reach an agreement on the types of services that you may require. This decision can be flexible and may change over time.
After this we will charge for our services on an hourly basis. The hourly charge will depend on which of the Centre’s staff are involved in working on your project.
Clinical Professor Guy Marks is a respiratory physician and epidemiologist with a strong focus on research methodology. He has been an NHMRC Practitioner Fellow since 2001 and has been successful with 14 NHMRC project grants and one ARC Linkage grant since 1992.
Professor Marks is also a chief investigator with the NHMRC Centre for Clinical Research Excellence in Respiratory and Sleep Medicine and the Australian Sleep Health Clinical Trials Network (an NHMRC Enabling Grant). He has been a project leader in the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Asthma since 1999. He has published 108 peer-reviewed journal articles reporting original research findings, is an associated editor of one international journal and is a regular reviewer for several national and international journals and granting agencies.
Professor Marks can talk the language of clinical researchers, help them to clarify their research questions and to select and refine the appropriate research design. He can help researchers hone their grant applications and their manuscripts to maximise the chances of success.
Woolcock Institute of Medical Research
Att: Prof Guy Marks - Epidemiology Services
PO Box M77
Missenden Road NSW 2050
Australia
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