The tools of epidemiology underpin much medical research. An understanding of research designs and simple statistical methods is important for reading and interpreting the literature. With the need for clinical practice to be evidence-based and for research to build on previous evidence, it is important to have a broad understanding of research and be able to judge the quality of a paper.
A short introductory course in basic epidemiological methods is planned for January 2025.
Dates: 8-10 January 2025
Venue: Chilworth Manor, Southampton
Registration: £375
Full information and registration details
The topics to be covered are given in the table below and the aim is to provide a broad overview of main epidemiological principles and methods as well as to give an insight into the practical issues involved in conducting research. Longer courses are available elsewhere, but we feel that there is need for a short introductory course that researchers in population health, both clinical and non-clinical, to gain a feel for the issues involved in epidemiological research.
The course is open to people from a wide range of clinical and non-clinical backgrounds who are interested in research and want to gain a grasp of the basic principles. The examples used in the course will be from a wide range of disciplines.
The format of the course will generally be short introductory lectures on each main topic followed by a practical session in which participants will work through the issues raised by considering real examples of epidemiological studies. Each session builds on knowledge acquired in previous lectures and practicals and so there is an expectation that participants will attend all of the course. A general epidemiological lecture is presented on the second afternoon to give an overview of a career in research; Professor Nicholas Harvey, the Director of the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre will outline the story of the development of his research programme.
The course is led by Professor Janis Baird and Dr Sarah Crozier. Both have a background in public health, statistics and epidemiology, have contributed to the course over many years and have long experience of teaching a range of subjects. Other lecturers have backgrounds in epidemiology, statistics and qualitative research. Experienced members of the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre will contribute to leading the practical sessions.
The course will be run at Chilworth Manor in Southampton within easy access of the M3 motorway and the railway station. The Manor is set in extensive grounds and affords participants a pleasant environment for the course. For details of the Manor please see their website.
Draft overview of the course:
| Session | Content |
| Introduction to Epidemiology | A basic overview of the subject with examples of its practical application |
| Measures of Disease and Risk | Types of disease and case definition, incidence, mortality, prevalence, attributable risk, relative risk, odds ratio, population attributable risk, attributable proportion |
| Bias and Confounding | Bias, measurement error, confounding & effect modification |
| Qualitative Research | A basic introduction to the principles and application of qualitative research |
| Cohort Studies | Design and conduct of cohort studies |
| Case-Control and Cross-Sectional Studies | Design and conduct of case-control and cross-sectional studies |
| How to Describe Data | Basic principles of summarising and describing data taught through practical demonstration of findings rather than theory |
| Analysis and Interpretation of Data | Simple analyses of data and what the results mean also taught through demonstration of findings rather than theory |
| Randomised Controlled Trials | An overview of the principles and practice of RCTs. |
| Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis | Approaches to synthesising evidence from many studies |
The course starts at 10.30am on Wednesday 8 January and finishes after lunch on Friday 10 January. Registration is £375. This covers all tuition and includes lunches on all three days and the course dinner that will be held on the Thursday evening at a local restaurant. Accommodation is available at additional cost; you can book direct at Chilworth Manor.
Contact: Jane Pearce, MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre (University of Southampton), Southampton General Hospital, Southampton SO16 6YD, email: [email protected], tel: 07522 930971.