RAWALPINDI: Margalla College of Dentistry (MCD) recently conducted a session to enhance the skills of its faculty, postgraduate trainees, and students in formulating effective research questions, to make a strong research portfolio.
The guest speaker was Dr Ayesha Zia, Associate Vice Chair of Clinical Research for the Department of Pediatrics, Associate Division Chief of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, and Director of the Hemostasis and Thrombosis Program at UT Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) and Children’s Health, Dallas TX. She is also renowned for her leadership in clinical and research domains and her mentorship of trainees and junior faculty, having extensive experience in leading collaborative research initiatives nationally and internationally.
She has been associated with bodies like the Hemostasis and Thrombosis Research Society and the Neonatal and Pediatric Scientific and Standardization Subcommittee of the International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis.
The session was attended by Prof. Dr. Amjad Mahmood, Principal and Dean of MCD, Prof. Dr. Shakir Khan, Vice-Principal of MCD, and other senior faculty members, who discussed various aspects of clinical research, especially focusing on the role of a well-crafted research question in laying the groundwork for successful investigations and maintaining clinical equipoise.
Dr Zia elucidated different types of clinical research and provided valuable guidance on structuring research queries, introducing participants to the widely recognized PICOT framework for framing "foreground" research questions.
Attendees were also acquainted with essential reporting guidelines such as CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials), STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology), and STARD (Standards for the Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies) to ensure adherence to best practices.
The latter part of the session focused on the requisite skills and strategies for becoming proficient researchers and cultivating an impressive research portfolio.
Emphasizing the significance of research education, statistical and survey tools, data visualization techniques, and computer proficiency, Dr. Zia underscored the importance of assembling an effective research team. She also addressed queries from the engaged participants.
Prof. Dr. Amjad Mahmood (Principal & Dean of MCD) and Prof. Dr. Afeef Umer Zia (HOD Orthodontics department) thanked the guest speaker by presenting a commemorative souvenir and shield after the session.
