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Background Medical degree programs use scholarly activities to support development of basic research skills, critical evaluation of medical information and promotion of medical research. The University of Sydney Doctor of Medicine Program includes a compulsory research project. Medical student projects are supervised by academic staff and affiliates, including biomedical science researchers and clinician-academics. This study investigated research supervisors’ observations of the barriers to and enablers of successful medical student research projects. Methods Research supervisors ( n  = 130) completed an anonymous, online survey after the completion of the research project. Survey questions targeted the research supervisors’ perceptions of barriers to successful completion of projects and sources of support for their supervision of the student project. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics and using manifest content analysis. Further quantitative investigation was made by cross-tabulation according to prior research supervision experience. Results Research supervisors reported that students needed both generic skills (75%) and research-based skills (71%) to successfully complete the project. The major barrier to successful research projects was the lack of protected time for research activities (61%). The assessment schedule with compulsory progress milestones enabled project completion (75%), and improved scientific presentation (90%) and writing (93%) skills. Supervisors requested further support for their students for statistics (75%), scientific writing (51%), and funding for projects (52%). Prior research supervision experience influenced the responses. Compared to novice supervisors, highly experienced supervisors were significantly more likely to want students to be allocated dedicated time for the project ( P  < 0.01) and reported higher rates of access to expert assistance in scientific writing, preparing ethics applications and research methodology. Novice supervisors reported higher rates of unexpected project delays and data acquisition problems ( P  < 0.05). Co-supervision was favoured by experienced supervisors but rejected by novice supervisors. Conclusions Both generic and research-related skills were important for medical student research project success. Overall, protected research time, financial and other academic support were identified as factors that would improve the research project program. Prior research supervision experience influences perceptions of program barriers and enablers. These findings will inform future support needs for projects and research supervisor training for the research supervision role.

The Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) and resulting tsunami of March 11, 2011 gave rise to devastating damage on the Pacific coast of the Tohoku region. The Tohoku Medical Megabank Project (TMM), which is being conducted by Tohoku University Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization (ToMMo) and Iwate Medical University Iwate Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization (IMM), has been launched to realize creative reconstruction and to solve medical problems in the aftermath of this disaster. We started two prospective cohort studies in Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures: a population-based adult cohort study, the TMM Community-Based Cohort Study (TMM CommCohort Study), which will recruit 80 000 participants, and a birth and three-generation cohort study, the TMM Birth and Three-Generation Cohort Study (TMM BirThree Cohort Study), which will recruit 70 000 participants, including fetuses and their parents, siblings, grandparents, and extended family members. The TMM CommCohort Study will recruit participants from 2013 to 2016 and follow them for at least 5 years. The TMM BirThree Cohort Study will recruit participants from 2013 to 2017 and follow them for at least 4 years. For children, the ToMMo Child Health Study, which adopted a cross-sectional design, was also started in November 2012 in Miyagi Prefecture. An integrated biobank will be constructed based on the two prospective cohort studies, and ToMMo and IMM will investigate the chronic medical impacts of the GEJE. The integrated biobank of TMM consists of health and clinical information, biospecimens, and genome and omics data. The biobank aims to establish a firm basis for personalized healthcare and medicine, mainly for diseases aggravated by the GEJE in the two prefectures. Biospecimens and related information in the biobank will be distributed to the research community. TMM itself will also undertake genomic and omics research. The aims of the genomic studies are: 1) to construct an integrated biobank; 2) to return genomic research results to the participants of the cohort studies, which will lead to the implementation of personalized healthcare and medicine in the affected areas in the near future; and 3) to contribute the development of personalized healthcare and medicine worldwide. Through the activities of TMM, we will clarify how to approach prolonged healthcare problems in areas damaged by large-scale disasters and how useful genomic information is for disease prevention.

Previous studies have shown that chrysophanol protects against learning and memory impairments in lead-exposed adult mice. In the present study, we investigated whether chrysophanol can alleviate learning and memory dysfunction and hippocampal neuronal injury in lead-exposed neonatal mice. At the end of lactation, chrysophanol（0.1, 1.0, 10.0 mg/kg） was administered to the neonatal mice by intraperitoneal injection for 15 days. Chrysophanol significantly alleviated injury to hippocampal neurons and improved learning and memory abilities in the lead-poisoned neonatal mice. Chrysophanol also significantly decreased lead content in blood, brain, heart, spleen, liver and kidney in the lead-exposed neonatal mice. The levels of malondialdehyde in the brain, liver and kidney were significantly reduced, and superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities were significantly increased after chrysophanol treatment. Collectively, these findings indicate that chrysophanol can significantly reduce damage to hippocampal neurons in lead-exposed neonatal mice.

Starting with the launch of the Human Genome Project three decades ago, and continuing after its completion in 2003, genomics has progressively come to have a central and catalytic role in basic and translational research. In addition, studies increasingly demonstrate how genomic information can be effectively used in clinical care. In the future, the anticipated advances in technology development, biological insights, and clinical applications (among others) will lead to more widespread integration of genomics into almost all areas of biomedical research, the adoption of genomics into mainstream medical and public-health practices, and an increasing relevance of genomics for everyday life. On behalf of the research community, the National Human Genome Research Institute recently completed a multi-year process of strategic engagement to identify future research priorities and opportunities in human genomics, with an emphasis on health applications. Here we describe the highest-priority elements envisioned for the cutting-edge of human genomics going forward—that is, at ‘The Forefront of Genomics’. In this Perspective, authors from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) present a vision for human genomics research for the coming decade.

Technologies collectively called omics enable simultaneous measurement of an enormous number of biomolecules; for example, genomics investigates thousands of DNA sequences, and proteomics examines large numbers of proteins. Scientists are using these technologies to develop innovative tests to detect disease and to predict a patient's likelihood of responding to specific drugs. Following a recent case involving premature use of omics-based tests in cancer clinical trials at Duke University, the NCI requested that the IOM establish a committee to recommend ways to strengthen omics-based test development and evaluation. This report identifies best practices to enhance development, evaluation, and translation of omics-based tests while simultaneously reinforcing steps to ensure that these tests are appropriately assessed for scientific validity before they are used to guide patient treatment in clinical trials.

Animal experiments remain essential to understand the fundamental mechanisms underpinning malignancy and to discover improved methods to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. Excellent standards of animal care are fully consistent with the conduct of high quality cancer research. Here we provide updated guidelines on the welfare and use of animals in cancer research. All experiments should incorporate the 3Rs: replacement, reduction and refinement. Focusing on animal welfare, we present recommendations on all aspects of cancer research, including: study design, statistics and pilot studies; choice of tumour models (e.g., genetically engineered, orthotopic and metastatic); therapy (including drugs and radiation); imaging (covering techniques, anaesthesia and restraint); humane endpoints (including tumour burden and site); and publication of best practice.

Background Research training is vital to medical education, providing students with essential skills for their future evidence-based practice. Most medical programs worldwide include opportunities for students to implement projects. However, gaps remain in understanding how research training is delivered, integrated and assessed with project completion, and little data exists on the range of project types and topics. This study aims to document research training curricula across Australian and New Zealand medical schools and explore the types of projects undertaken by students. Methods An online survey of the 23 Australian and New Zealand medical school research training programs was undertaken. The survey recorded details about research training curriculum, project types and topics investigated. The titles of medical student projects completed in 2023 were collected and categorised using standard Australian Bureau of Statistics field of research codes and national health priority areas. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results Eighteen medical programs responded to the survey (18/23, 78%). The survey responses identified various designs for research training curriculum, including coursework only, and combinations of coursework and different project options. Projects were mandatory in half the programs. Some programs facilitated an Honours year or intercalated higher degree by research. Projects were either integrated into coursework or stand alone, with 78% providing scheduled time to conduct the projects. The titles of 2024 medical student projects completed in 2023 were provided by 17 of the 18 participating medical schools. The research areas covered were broad, with most focusing on biomedical and clinical sciences (69%) or health sciences (20%). Additionally, 34% of the projects addressed Australian National Health Priority areas, with cancer control (28%) and mental health (26%) the most common topics. Conclusions This study provides a comprehensive overview of the current approaches to research training across medical programs in Australia and New Zealand. It highlights the diverse approaches to this aspect of medical education curriculum and the range of project types and topics undertaken by medical students. The findings provide valuable insights for medical curriculum developers and policymakers and can be used to inform research training practices and outcomes.

Background Disproportionate regulation of health and medical research contributes to research waste. Better understanding of exemptions of research from ethics review in different jurisdictions may help to guide modification of review processes and reduce research waste. Our aim was to identify examples of low-risk human health and medical research exempt from ethics reviews in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Netherlands. Methods We examined documents providing national guidance on research ethics in each country, including those authored by the National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia), National Health Service (United Kingdom), the Office for Human Research Protections (United States) and the Central Committee on Research Involving Humans (the Netherlands). Examples and types of research projects exempt from ethics reviews were identified, and similar examples and types were grouped together. Results Nine categories of research were exempt from ethics reviews across the four countries; these were existing data or specimen, questionnaire or survey, interview, post-marketing study, evaluation of public benefit or service programme, randomised controlled trials, research with staff in their professional role, audit and service evaluation, and other exemptions. Existing non-identifiable data and specimens were exempt in all countries. Four categories – evaluation of public benefit or service programme, randomised controlled trials, research with staff in their professional role, and audit and service evaluation – were exempted by one country each. The remaining categories were exempted by two or three countries. Conclusions Examples and types of research exempt from research ethics reviews varied considerably. Given the considerable costs and burdens on researchers and ethics committees, it would be worthwhile to develop and provide clearer guidance on exemptions, illustrated with examples, with transparent underpinning rationales.

•The overall quality of medical research remains poor, despite longstanding criticisms.•The scientific enterprise is business-like and consistently undervalues its own backbone, methodology.•Despite great initiatives to improve research quality, progress is modest.•Top-down action from journals, funding agencies, universities and governments is needed to break the cycle. These actions should give methodology a central place in funding acquisition as well as study design, conduct, and reporting. Covid-19 research made it painfully clear that the scandal of poor medical research, as denounced by Altman in 1994, persists today. The overall quality of medical research remains poor, despite longstanding criticisms. The problems are well known, but the research community fails to properly address them. We suggest that most problems stem from an underlying paradox: although methodology is undeniably the backbone of high-quality and responsible research, science consistently undervalues methodology. The focus remains more on the destination (research claims and metrics) than on the journey. Notwithstanding, research should serve society more than the reputation of those involved. While we notice that many initiatives are being established to improve components of the research cycle, these initiatives are too disjointed. The overall system is monolithic and slow to adapt. We assert that top-down action is needed from journals, universities, funders and governments to break the cycle and put methodology first. These actions should involve the widespread adoption of registered reports, balanced research funding between innovative, incremental and methodological research projects, full recognition and demystification of peer review, improved methodological review of reports, adherence to reporting guidelines, and investment in methodological education and research. Currently, the scientific enterprise is doing a major disservice to patients and society.

Objective Undergraduate medical research training is fundamental for developing future physicians’ research competencies and promoting evidence-based practice. This study aimed to evaluate Palestinian medical students’ perspectives on the adequacy of research education and examine their confidence in research skills in an attempt to improve research teaching. Methods A cross-sectional, survey-based study design was used. An anonymous survey, consisting of two newly developed questionnaires that were reviewed by a panel of experts for content relevance and clarity, was used for data collection. After piloting, snowball sampling was used to survey students from 5 out of 7 medical schools in the country. Descriptive analysis and inferential statistics using chi-square tests, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation tests were used. Results A total of 633 students participated in this study, representing 5 out of 7 medical schools in the country. The majority of students recognized curricular research training courses and the development of basic research skills as important milestones in their undergraduate education (85.3% and 83.4%, respectively). However, most students believed that they had received inadequate research training, with a mean Students’ Perspectives on the Adequacy of Research Education (SPARE) score of 5.53 (± 2.67) out of 11 (50.3%). Importantly, basics of research and research methodology (46.9%), study design (49.6%), methods of data collection (49.6%), data analysis (44.4%), and academic writing (43%) were reported by the students as key areas that are inadequately covered. Moreover, students reported a low level of confidence in their research skills, with a mean confidence score of 37.38 (± 10.02) out of 70 (53.4%). The SPARE scores were weakly correlated with the Students’ Confidence scores, r  = 0.251, 95% CI (0.176 to 0.323). Conclusion Palestinian medical students highly recognize the importance of research training. However, they feel that the current in-curriculum research training courses are inadequate to enhance their research skills. This study highlighted the pressing need for Palestinian medical schools and others with similar curricula to consider a more efficient curriculum development and delivery to meet students’ needs and improve confidence in their own research skills as future clinicians. Clinical trial number Not applicable.