Transcript What is Clinical research And what do we do it? Ronald E.

What is Clinical research
And what do we do it?
Ronald E. LaPorte, Ph.D.
MRC definition of clinical research
The MRC defines clinical research as
research based primarily on patients or
ex-patients and designed to answer a
question about disease (aetiology,
concomitants, diagnosis, prevention,
outcome or treatment). In addition to
direct clinical examination, it includes
the study of blood, biopsy material or
post-mortem tissue deriving from the
individuals concerned and of normal
subjects where such study relates to a
disease process being investigated. The
definition includes clinical trials, and of
course much other work on the clinical
characterisation of disease or ill health.
Broadly defined, clinical research involves
the participation of human subjects in
various aspects of research. It is the
linchpin of the Nation's biomedical
research enterprise. Clinical research
ultimately establishes the safety,
effectiveness and availability of new
diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic
approaches.
Why do you want
to be a Scientist?
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Long Hours
Low pay
Competition: Elite of the Elite
Nomadic Existence
Why do you want
to be a scientist?
Passion and Excitement-“the buzz”
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Those of us in epidemiology
believe that it is important,
exciting, and it is FUN.
Kuller, 1991
Science:
The Ultimate Game
Rules of Tenure
Publish
 Teach
 NIH Grants
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Rules of the Game of Science
Ethics
Wipe Out
Scientific Rights:
Disagreement
Errors
A scientist can be an alcoholic, a
braggart, a murderer, or even a
member of a country club and will
be forgiven.
But one instance of deliberately
falsifying data brings about eternal
condemnation by his peers.
McCain and Segal
Trust
Publication
Why do we publish?
Communication in Science
Currency
Inverse Square Law of
Publication
The Square Root of the Publishing
Scientists publish 50% of the work.
Epidemiologists =1600
40 people publish 50% of papers
Where Can Pakistani
Scientists Best Compete?
Basic Research
Costly Technology
Clinical Research
Populations