Learn to plan, analyze, write and illustrate a medical research study, step by step, with mentors who publish.
What You Will Learn
Research Questions: Turn a clinical idea into a clear research question.
Study Design: Choose the right design and recognize bias and confounding.
Epidemiology: Understand clinical trials, screening, and research planning.
Data Analysis: Clean data, create a clear Table 1, and choose appropriate analyses in jamovi.
Critical Appraisal: Read and critically evaluate published studies.
Literature Search: Search effectively and understand systematic reviews and when to use them.
AI in Research: Use large language models to learn statistics and check your work, not replace it.
Medical Illustration: Create scientific figures and graphical abstracts in BioRender.
Scientific Publishing: Write, format, and submit research papers, and select the right journal.
What Each Part Teaches, With Real Studies
1. Reading and Judging a Study
Key Topics
IMRaD structure and PICO
Internal and external validity
Critical reading of scientific abstracts
Worked Example: SPRINT Trial (NEJM, 2015)
Participants: 9,361 adults with high blood pressure.
Comparison: Systolic BP targets below 120 vs. 140 mmHg.
Finding: Intensive treatment reduced the primary composite outcome (HR 0.75); the trial stopped early.
Your Task: Determine which patients the findings apply to and how early stopping affects the estimate.
2. Study Designs, Bias and Confounding
Key Topics
Study designs: Case reports, case series, cross-sectional, case-control, cohort studies, and randomized trials.
Bias: Selection bias and information bias.
Causal thinking: Confounding and its impact on research conclusions.
Worked Example 1: Hormone Therapy
Earlier evidence: Observational studies suggested protection against heart disease.
WHI Trial (JAMA, 2002): 16,608 postmenopausal women; estrogen plus progestin increased coronary heart disease.
Your Task: Identify how confounding (healthier women choosing hormone therapy) misled earlier studies.
Worked Example 2: The Parachute Papers
BMJ, 2003: A review found no randomized trials of parachutes.
PARACHUTE Trial (BMJ, 2018): 23 participants; no difference was found because everyone jumped from a parked aircraft approximately 0.6 m above the ground.
Your Task: Understand how participant selection determines what a trial can prove.
3. Ethics and Research Integrity
Key Topics
Informed consent and ethics committee approval
Data protection
Authorship and plagiarism
Worked Example: Wakefield et al. (Lancet, 1998)
Study: 12 children; claimed an association between the MMR vaccine and autism.
Outcome: The paper was retracted in 2010.
Your Task: Trace what went wrong and its consequences for public health.
4. Epidemiology
Key Topics
Disease frequency: Incidence and prevalence
Risk measures: Risk, risk ratio, and odds ratio
Risk interpretation: Absolute vs. relative risk
Diagnostic testing: Sensitivity and specificity
Clinical trials: Trial phases
Practical Exercise: Understanding Risk
Scenario: 20 vs. 10 events per 100 people.
Relative reduction: 50%
Absolute reduction: 10 percentage points
Your Task: Decide which measure to report and explain why.
5. Literature Search & Introduction to Systematic Reviews
Key Topics
PubMed searching: MeSH terms and keywords
Search strategies: Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT)
Documentation: Maintaining a dated search log
Source verification: Confirming that each source exists and supports the cited statement
Introduction to Systematic Reviews
Research protocols and comprehensive searches
Screening using predefined criteria
Risk-of-bias assessment
Reading a PRISMA flow diagram
6. Data and Statistics in jamovi
Key Topics
Foundations: Essential mathematics and variable types
Data preparation: Data dictionaries, cleaning logs, and missing values
Practical dataset: A synthetic, messy stroke registry
Descriptive statistics: Summarizing data and building a clear Table 1
Statistical testing: Choosing an appropriate test for a simple comparison
Interpretation: Understanding p-values and confidence intervals
7. Writing and Publishing
Key Topics
Manuscript structure: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion
Reporting guidelines: CONSORT, STROBE, and CARE
Scientific writing: Abstracts and references
Journal selection: Choosing appropriate journals and avoiding predatory journals
Peer review: Mock manuscript review and responding to reviewers
8. Medical Illustration & Responsible AI
Medical Illustration
Create one clear scientific figure in BioRender.
Design a graphical abstract in BioRender.
Responsible AI
Use large language models as learning tools.
Verify every AI-generated answer against the original source.
How the Course Works
Live Zoom Classes: Short explanations followed by hands-on practice in small breakout groups with the instructor.
Recorded Sessions: Rewatch every class at your own pace.
Practical Assignments: Short homework and simulation labs using synthetic data between classes.
Mock Peer Review: Evaluate a sample manuscript and discover how journals assess research.
Final Capstone Project: Apply what you've learned and earn your certificate upon passing.
