The Northern Ireland Network for Trials Methodology Research was established in March 2011, more recently than the other seven Hubs for Trials Methodology Research. The Network is co-hosted by Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland, with the Director, Mike Clarke, based in the Centre for Public Health at Queen’s. Current staff profiles can be viewed .
The main areas of focus for the Northern Ireland Network for Trials Methodology Research are likely to include:
- Identification of the research priorities of practitioners, patients and the public, and the implementation of clinical trials in these areas (with a particular focus on public health and mental health).
- Methods to keep these trials simple and pragmatic.
- Development of methods to improve the use of systematic reviews in the design, conduct and interpretation of clinical trials.
- Evaluation of different means of presenting the findings of trials (to target decision makers and policy makers), with comparisons of various techniques, including the use of social media.
- Use of record linkage data and information available in the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry and other databanks to identify potential participants for research and to target the dissemination of research findings.
The Network will also connect to flagship projects taking place within the host institutions, including, for example, Evidence Aid and the Cochrane Methodology Review Group.
Contact: Professor Mike Clarke
Email: m.clarke@qub.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)28 9063 2556