A workshop provided by the Institute for Population Health (IPH) of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) successfully trained 49 healthcare professionals in the fundamentals of health research.

The IPH’s population health research experts designed and delivered the two-day workshop, combining didactic sessions and interactive Q&A activities. They equipped participants with foundational skills and knowledge to help them become familiar with the core concepts of epidemiology and biostatistics used in research.

Titled, “Understanding Basics of Health Research,” the first day of the workshop explained key concepts, such as the terminology of healthcare research, metrics for measuring health, disease and mortality rates , biostatistical concepts, population sampling and probability, and the basics of study design. The second day included sessions on the basics of prophylactic and therapeutic trials, clinical trial design, testing for statistical significance, the value of screening in public health, and methods for understanding and interpreting research.

Four distinguished speakers from the IPH led the learning sessions: Dr. Ravinder Mamtani, professor of population health sciences and vice dean for population health and lifestyle medicine; Dr. Sohaila Cheema, associate professor of clinical population health sciences and course director; Dr. Karima Chaabna, assistant professor of clinical population health sciences and manager of population health research; and Dr. Amit Abraham, assistant professor of clinical population health sciences and assistant director of the IPH.

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Furthermore, Dr. Cheema said: “We believe understanding basic epidemiology and biostatistics used in published literature is crucial for healthcare professionals to make informed, evidence-based decisions in clinical practice, leading to improved patient outcomes and population health. We are extremely gratified that several healthcare professionals joined us to learn these key skills and knowledge and very pleased that they engaged with great enthusiasm during the workshop.”