The Clinical Research Curriculum is a series of evening courses designed to promote clinical research expertise among clinical investigators at the fellow and faculty level. The classes are open to all clinical researchers at the UT Houston Medical School and, as space allows, to researchers from affiliated institutions. A certificate of completion will be issued to participants who enroll in the curriculum, attend most or all of the classes, and successfully complete the homework assignments and tests. Participants are eligible for free services from the Research Design and Analysis Support Service. Successful completion of this Clinical Research Curriculum will qualify for 10 credit hours toward the Master's Degree Program in Clinical Research at the Medical School.
These courses are given in a revolving 2-year schedule with the understanding that participants may begin the curriculum in either year 1 or year 2.
(classes held every Wednesday from 5-6:30 pm, MSB 2.135, except as noted)
(8/29/07 at 4:00-5:00 pm)
This lecture is given every year and provides an overview of the clinical research curriculum program, insights into the opportunities for young clinical investigators, and suggestions on getting started in clinical research.
This course provides a basis for an understanding of the concepts and methodological skills necessary for designing and interpreting observational studies. These include validity (random error, bias and confounding), measures of disease occurrence and impact, measures of association, reliability and generalizability, causal inference, and critically reviewing evidence. See class schedule from previous cycle.
This course prepares the student to design and analyze randomized trials of medical interventions. Covered topics include basic study design, recruitment, randomization, masking, data collection and quality control, participant adherence, sample size considerations, data monitoring and analysis, and meta-analysis. See class schedule from previous cycle.
This seminar will cover the principles and pragmatic realities of academic career advancement/promotion. Successful senior faculty will offer advice for participants at the fellow and junior faculty levels.
This course begins with an overview of healthcare financing, access to care, quality of care, and health policy. Subsequent classes will focus on: conceptualization of healthcare quality (including the classic “structure, process, and outcome” framework) and safety; quality of care measurements; risk adjustment; and introductions to survey research and qualitative research.
In this problem-based course, each student is expected to build a clinical research proposal in his/her field of interest. Each week, students are asked to present the appropriate parts of their protocols to facilitate the discussion of successive stages in study design. This course is run in small group sessions (10-12 students per group) to facilitate active participation and interaction.
This course begins with a review of common grammar problems and solutions that utilize readily available resources and cover the essential goals of scientific writing and presentation: clarity, succinctness, and consistency. Subsequent sessions provide detailed and specific recommendations for manuscript and grant preparation. See class schedule from previous cycle.
This is a hands-on laboratory course. Each student is expected to complete computer-based exercises that demonstrate skills in searching databases, managing data, and analyzing data sets. Software packages used in the course include internet-based searching programs, and PC-based spreadsheet, database, statistics software packages. Download course modules.
(classes held every Wednesday from 5-6:30 pm, MSB 2.135, except as noted)
(to be scheduled)
This lecture is given every year and provides an overview of the clinical research curriculum program, insights into the opportunities for young clinical investigators, and suggestions on getting started in clinical research.
This course begins with an overview of descriptive statistics and provides students with the tools to perform univariate analyses using parametric and non-parametric methods for paired and unpaired designs. Emphasis is placed on choosing appropriate tests, evaluating assumptions for the tests, understanding the limitations of statistical tests, and appropriate interpretation of test results. Survival analysis and multiple regression techniques are introduced to familiarize the student with the availability and limitations of these tests. See course overview and schedule from previous cycle.
In this course, the students have an opportunity to learn rules of evidence and demonstrate critical evaluation of the medical literature. Students will be expected to demonstrate these concepts and skills by appraising the evidence in their areas of clinical research interest. This critical appraisal of existing evidence will be used to determine fruitful areas for new investigation. See course overview and schedule from previous cycle.
This seminar outlines how the NIH application and review processes work with an emphasis on strategies that investigators can use to navigate this system.
This course introduces the fundamental ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice and applies these principles to clinical research involving human subjects. The use of unproven therapies, the use of placebos, the consent process, institutional review board submission and review processes, conflict of interests, and the costs of clinical research are covered. See class schedule from previous cycle.
This course is an overview of the clinical research that bridges basic science and patient-based research. Topics include pharmaceutical research, genetic research, gene therapy, and genomics. See class schedule from previous cycle.
In this problem-based course, each student is expected to build a clinical research proposal in his/her field of interest. Each week, students are asked to present the appropriate parts of their protocols to facilitate the discussion of successive stages in study design. This course is run in small group sessions (10-12 students per group) to facilitate active participation and interaction.
This is a hands-on laboratory course. Each student is expected to complete computer-based exercises that demonstrate skills in searching databases, managing data, and analyzing data sets. Software packages used in the course include internet-based searching programs, and PC-based spreadsheet, database, statistics software packages. Download course modules.
A limited number of applicants (6-8 per year) are accepted into an intensive mentoring program that complements the above coursework. A methodologic mentor from the Center is selected for each mentee. Acceptance into the program requires the commitment of at least one departmental mentor for the mentee and adequate protected time for the mentee to fulfill the requirements of the program. Over the course of the two-year program, each mentee is expected to design a research protocol that is of sufficient quality and sophistication for competitive grant submission.
For more information regarding any of the above programs, please email Claudette Ocampo, Sr. Staff Asst. or call our office at (713) 500-6708.
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Page maintained by Kathleen A. Kennedy, MD, MPH
Last update: 05/15/07