Symposium for Health Equity Research in Southeastern North Carolina

The Symposium for Health Equity Research in Southeastern North Carolina (SE NC) will bring together health equity leaders, academics, and community members interested in conducting research in SE NC. Participants will leave with the ability to understand key findings of health equity research relevant to SE NC and identify potential collaborators for future research to address health disparities in the region.

View the agenda, learn about educational credits, and register. Registration is free. Please register by February 28 at noon.

The Research Advisory Council is offering funds to cover travel costs for faculty and their trainees at the UNC School of Medicine who have a specific research goal that would be elevated by attending this symposium. For details, see the information under Health Equity Research Presentation Travel Fund here: Research Advisory Council Awards.

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The data explosion we are experiencing in every aspect of our lives from social media to smart cars to internet of things requires a deeper look at data analytics. Data analytics is the application of tools and techniques for analyzing raw data to find patterns, develop models and mine actionable insights. Today performing data analysis is both a science and an art. Even though data analytics is highly automated as processes and algorithms, using them appropriately, and making sense of the results is still an art and experience.

This course is focused on an introduction to data analytics followed by hands-on exercises. It is tailored for beginners and researchers who want to learn how to perform data analytics in a visual programming environment. In this course we will specifically concentrate on one aspect of data analytics called supervised predictive learning. Two types of predictive learning will be explored – decision trees and regression. We will use some open-source tools and build data analytics pipelines as part of the exercises.

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The data explosion we are experiencing in every aspect of our lives from social media to smart cars to internet of things requires a deeper look at data analytics. Data analytics is the application of tools and techniques for analyzing raw data to find patterns, develop models and mine actionable insights. Today performing data analysis is both a science and an art. Even though data analytics is highly automated as processes and algorithms, using them appropriately, and making sense of the results is still an art and experience.

This course is focused on an introduction to data analytics followed by hands-on exercises. It is tailored for beginners and researchers who want to learn how to perform data analytics in a visual programming environment. In this course we will specifically concentrate on one aspect of data analytics called supervised predictive learning. Two types of predictive learning will be explored – decision trees and regression. We will use some open-source tools and build data analytics pipelines as part of the exercises.

Register

Public-Private Partnerships in the Trustworthy Health AI Ecosystem

This NIH Collaboratory Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds features:

Michael Pencina, PhD
Chief Data Scientist, Duke Health
Professor of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics and Vice Dean for Data Science, Duke University School of Medicine

Brian Anderson, MD
CEO, Coalition for Health AI

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Centering Adolescents in the Provision of Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare

Join the Children's Research Institute for a hybrid seminar with Bianca Allison, MD, MPH, an assistant professor in General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine at UNC School of Medicine. Participate in the seminar either in person at 3116 Mary Ellen Jones Building (with lunch provided) or via Zoom.

Zoom information - Meeting ID: 985 6644 6544 | Password: 097476

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Engagement in Research 101: Introduction to Engaging Patient & Community Partners in Research

Are you interested in learning about patient and community engagement and how it can benefit your research? Excited by the idea of engaging patient, community, or other partners in your research, but unsure about where to start? Want to know more about how to engage partners at different points throughout your study?

Engaging with patient and community partners who are impacted by your research can be instrumental to the success of your study. This online training will provide an overview of engagement in research, highlighting that engagement is not "all or nothing" or "one-size-fits-all", but instead encompasses a wide variety of low touch to high touch approaches that could be right for your study.

The session will cover common myths/misconceptions about engagement in research, benefits of and key considerations for engaging patient and community partners in research, and initial steps/existing resources you can leverage to begin engaging partners in your research.

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Engaging Patient, Community, and Other Partners in Your Research is a multi-part online training series. You may register for the entire series OR any single training session.

Part 1 will focus on the basics of research engagement, providing an overview of patient and community engagement and its benefits, debunking common myths and misconceptions, and providing considerations and next steps for incorporating engagement approaches into your research.

Part 2 will cover specific engagement methods, including consultative community feedback sessions, advisory boards, and working with patient and community partners as members of a research team.

Part 3 will focus on the nuances of building and maintaining partnerships, outlining best practices for developing and strengthening mutually beneficial partnerships and discussing common partnership challenges and solutions.

This training series was developed collaboratively with patient, community, and researcher partners and is co-sponsored by the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and NC TraCS Institute.

Antibiotic Choice on Renal Outcomes – The ACORN Trial

This NIH Collaboratory Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds features:

Edward Qian, MD, MSc
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

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This online training session will provide an introduction to qualitative research methods. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and share experiences conducting qualitative research.

Topics:

• Differences between quantitative and qualitative research
• Qualitative research methodologies
• Strategies for qualitative data collection
• Methods of qualitative data analysis

Presenters:
MaryBeth Grewe, MPH
Program Manager, Qualitative and Engaged Research
NC TraCS Institute

Simone Frank, MPH
Project Manager, Community Engagement in Research
NC TraCS Institute

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Engagement in Research Nuts & Bolts: Specific Approaches for Engaging Patient & Community Partners in Research

There is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to engaging patient, community, or other partners in your research. Rather, there are a variety of engagement methods to suit your study's needs, your research team's capacity, and your partners' interests.

This online training will describe three common approaches for working with patient, community, and other partners in your research: 1) consultative community feedback sessions; 2) advisory boards; and 3) sustained collaboration with partners as members of the research team.

The session will cover considerations for choosing these specific engagement methods, as well as concrete processes and steps for implementing each approach. Participation in our Engagement in Research 101 training is not required to attend this session; however, some knowledge of engagement, whether from prior training(s) or personal experience, may foster deeper understanding of the material in this session.

Register

Engaging Patient, Community, and Other Partners in Your Research is a multi-part online training series. You may register for the entire series OR any single training session.

Part 1 will focus on the basics of research engagement, providing an overview of patient and community engagement and its benefits, debunking common myths and misconceptions, and providing considerations and next steps for incorporating engagement approaches into your research.

Part 2 will cover specific engagement methods, including consultative community feedback sessions, advisory boards, and working with patient and community partners as members of a research team.

Part 3 will focus on the nuances of building and maintaining partnerships, outlining best practices for developing and strengthening mutually beneficial partnerships and discussing common partnership challenges and solutions.

This training series was developed collaboratively with patient, community, and researcher partners and is co-sponsored by the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and NC TraCS Institute.

Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Panel Discussion

Please join the Department of Health Sciences Office of Research & Scholarship for their March research forum. Panelists will share their experiences using applicable research examples (e.g., search and screenings, data extraction and quality assessment, library resources).

The hybrid forum will take place in person (MacNider 321, LUNCH provided) and via Zoom. Please register to attend.

Questions? Contact the Department of Health Sciences Office of Research & Scholarship at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Digital Delivery of Osteoarthritis Lifestyle Care

Join the UNC School of Medicine Thurston Arthritis Research Center for a UNC Core Center for Clinical Research (CCCR) Speaker Series seminar featuring Kim Bennell, FAHMS. Bennell is the Chair of Physiotherapy, Melbourne Laureate Professor, and Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physiotherapy at the Melbourne School of Health Sciences.

Core recommended lifestyle treatments are under-utilized in the management of knee osteoarthritis. There are many barriers to the adoption and effectiveness of lifestyle care include inadequate patient knowledge, time constraints, cost, limited allied health access, and poor adherence with lack of support for behavior change. This presentation will present research into the way digital technologies can be used to overcome some of these barriers and improve outcomes for people with knee osteoarthritis.

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UNC NRP March 2024 Education Session: Reliance Metrics, Processes and Initiatives

Please join the UNC Network for Research Professionals as Kristen Katopol, Associate Director, Regulatory Affairs and Compliance, and Ariana Peden, Compliance Manager, from the UNC Office of Human Research Ethics present on reliance metrics, processes, and initiatives.

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Introduction to Individual and Aggregate Data Network Models for Understanding Within-Person Processes

With increased interest in person-centered interventions and treatments has come increased interest in understanding human processes as they unfold within individuals. Additionally, technological advances have made the collection of person-specific data easier and more cost-effective for researchers interested in studying human behavior within everyday contexts. This two-day course focuses on using two popular network models to explore research questions concerning within-person processes.

This course is intended for individuals with research questions that can be answered using multivariate time series data/intensive longitudinal data. Examples of such data include daily diary data; data collected via self-report through ecological momentary sampling (ESM); passive data from cell phones; and other psychophysiological data such as MRI data or heart rate data.

The two network modeling frameworks presented in this course are graphicalVAR (GVAR) and Group Iterative Multiple Model Estimation (GIMME). Both models can be used to explore processes as they unfold within individuals to obtain individual person-specific network models (idiographic analysis) or group/population level network models (nomothetic analysis). Differences between the modeling frameworks will be presented. Challenges and considerations for choosing between methods will be discussed.

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Ethical Aspects of AI in Biomedical Research: The NIH Bridge to AI Initiative

Featuring:
Vardit Ravitsky, PhD
President and CEO, The Hastings Center
Senior Lecturer on Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Professor, University of Montréal

In this year's Merrimon Lecture, Vardit Ravitsky, PhD, will discuss the ethical aspects of AI in biomedical research and the NIH Bridge to AI Initiative. Ravitsky runs an active research program and holds several positions on advisory boards. Her research in bioethics focuses on ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics and assisted reproductive technologies, with an emphasis on emerging biotechnologies and their implications for women's autonomy and for disability rights. She also studies the ethics of AI in biomedicine.

Location: 321 MacNider or via Zoom.

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Join Zoom

Introduction to Individual and Aggregate Data Network Models for Understanding Within-Person Processes

With increased interest in person-centered interventions and treatments has come increased interest in understanding human processes as they unfold within individuals. Additionally, technological advances have made the collection of person-specific data easier and more cost-effective for researchers interested in studying human behavior within everyday contexts. This two-day course focuses on using two popular network models to explore research questions concerning within-person processes.

This course is intended for individuals with research questions that can be answered using multivariate time series data/intensive longitudinal data. Examples of such data include daily diary data; data collected via self-report through ecological momentary sampling (ESM); passive data from cell phones; and other psychophysiological data such as MRI data or heart rate data.

The two network modeling frameworks presented in this course are graphicalVAR (GVAR) and Group Iterative Multiple Model Estimation (GIMME). Both models can be used to explore processes as they unfold within individuals to obtain individual person-specific network models (idiographic analysis) or group/population level network models (nomothetic analysis). Differences between the modeling frameworks will be presented. Challenges and considerations for choosing between methods will be discussed.

Register

Early Diagnosis and Assessment of Autism Via Objective Measurements of Social Visual Engagement

This NIH Collaboratory Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds features:

Warren Jones, PhD
Director of Research, Marcus Autism Center
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Norman Nien Distinguished Chair in Autism
Associate Professor, Dept. of Pediatrics
Emory University School of Medicine

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Temperament in Context: Capturing Socio-emotional Trajectories IN the Social World

Presenter: Koraly Pérez-Edgar, PhD

Behavioral inhibition is a biologically based temperamental trait marked by sensitivity to novelty and discomfort in social situations.  Associated with a unique psychophysiological and neural profile, behavioral inhibition is also one of our strongest known markers of risk for anxiety.  Yet, the majority of children with behavioral inhibition do not go on to develop a clinical disorder.  For most children, maturational and environmental forces work in tandem to ameliorate this risk.  For those children who do show elevated anxiety, attention mechanisms may act as a developmental tether that sustains early temperamental risk over time.

A growing literature suggests that attentional biases to evocative stimuli may play a causal role in emerging anxiety.  Specifically, attention biases to threat are evident in both children and adults with anxiety and children temperamentally at risk for developing anxiety.  This presentation will examine methods for generating more robust and ecologically valid data, including mobile eye-tracking, to capture attention patterns in children at risk for anxiety. These data can then be coupled with known biological markers of risk, captured with EEG, fNIRS, and fMRI, to better understand developmental processes in context.

This event has limited seating on-site in Spangler 216; contact Erica Nouri (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) to reserve your seat.

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This interactive online workshop will focus on semi-structured interviewing, a data collection method used in qualitative research. Participants will have the opportunity to practice developing interview questions and using interviewing skills.

Topics:

• Basics of semi-structured interviews
• Development of interview questions and probes
• Interviewing skills
• Considerations for conducting virtual interviews.

Presenters:
MaryBeth Grewe, MPH
Program Manager, Qualitative and Engaged Research
NC TraCS Institute

Simone Frank, MPH
Project Manager, Community Engagement in Research
NC TraCS Institute

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Strengthening Engagement in Research: Building and Maintaining Relationships with Patient & Community Partners

Meaningful partnerships with patients, community members, or other collaborators involved in your research are invaluable. Projects are set up for success when care is intentionally given to developing and strengthening partnerships over time.

This online training will describe best practices for building mutually beneficial partnerships. The session will also cover common challenges that researchers and patient, community, and other partners experience when working together, along with suggested solutions.

Participation in our Engagement in Research 101 or Engagement in Research Nuts and Bolts trainings are not required to attend this session; however, some knowledge of engagement, whether from prior training(s) or personal experience, may foster deeper understanding of the material in this session.

Register

Engaging Patient, Community, and Other Partners in Your Research is a multi-part online training series. You may register for the entire series OR any single training session.

Part 1 will focus on the basics of research engagement, providing an overview of patient and community engagement and its benefits, debunking common myths and misconceptions, and providing considerations and next steps for incorporating engagement approaches into your research.

Part 2 will cover specific engagement methods, including consultative community feedback sessions, advisory boards, and working with patient and community partners as members of a research team.

Part 3 will focus on the nuances of building and maintaining partnerships, outlining best practices for developing and strengthening mutually beneficial partnerships and discussing common partnership challenges and solutions.

This training series was developed collaboratively with patient, community, and researcher partners and is co-sponsored by the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and NC TraCS Institute.

Effect Of A Multicomponent Intervention to Improve Patient Access to Kidney Transplant and Living Kidney Donation: A Pragmatic, Cluster-Randomized Trial

This NIH Collaboratory Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds features:

Amit Garg, MD, MA (Education) FRCPC, FACP, PhD
Associate Dean, Clinical Research, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry
Lead, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences Kidney, Dialysis and Transplantation Provincial Program
Director, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) Western Facility
Nephrologist, London Health Sciences Centre
Professor, Medicine, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Western University

Stephanie N. Dixon, PhD MSc
Staff Scientist, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences Kidney, Dialysis and Transplantation Research Program
Biostatistician, London Health Sciences Centre

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