Clinical Research Curriculum

The Clinical Research Curriculum (CRC) is a two-year introductory series of evening courses designed to promote clinical research expertise among clinical investigators at the fellow and junior faculty levels.

The classes are open to all clinical researchers at McGovern Medical School and, as space allows, to researchers from affiliated institutions. These courses are offered at no charge to UTHealth faculty and fellows. Since the CRC program began in 1999, we have had over 1000 participants from a variety of Texas Medical Center institutions, including McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Hermann Hospital, UTHealth School of Dentistry, Cizik School of Nursing, UTHealth School of Public Health, and Baylor College of Medicine. A report of completed courses will be issued to participants upon request. These courses are given in a revolving 2-year schedule with the understanding that participants may begin the curriculum at any point in the 2-year cycle.

Course Schedule

(classes are held every Wednesday from 5-6:30 pm, MSB 2.103, except as noted)

Academic Year: 2023-2024

Introduction to Clinical Research (to be scheduled)

This lecture is given every year and provides an overview of the clinical research curriculum program, insights into the opportunities for young clinical investigators, and suggestions on getting started in clinical research.

Introduction to Epidemiology Research (8/23/2023 – 11/01/2023)

This course provides a basis for an understanding of the concepts and methodological skills necessary for designing and interpreting observational studies. These include validity (random error, bias, and confounding), measures of disease occurrence and impact, measures of association, reliability and generalizability, causal inference, and critically reviewing evidence. Current or anticipated Master’s Degree students are required to participate in the Honors section for this course. See syllabus from previous class cycle.

Clinical Trial Design (11/8/2023 – 2/07/2024)

This course prepares the student to design and analyze randomized trials of medical interventions. Covered topics include basic study design, recruitment, randomization, masking, data collection and quality control, participant adherence, sample size considerations, data monitoring and analysis, and meta-analysis. Current or anticipated Master’s Degree students are required to participate in the Honors section for this course. See syllabus from previous class cycle.

Clinical Research Design Workshop (2/14/2024-5/01/2024)

In this problem-based course, each student is expected to build a clinical research proposal in his/her field of interest. Each week, students are asked to present specific parts of their protocols to facilitate the discussion of successive stages in study design. Participation in this course is limited due to the small group format; admittance to the course will be based on an abstract to be submitted with the registration form. See the syllabus from the previous class cycle.

Healthcare Quality and Safety (5/8/2024 – 7/3/2024)

This course begins with an overview of health services research. Subsequent classes will focus on either important topics within HSR or methods used in HSR: conceptualization of healthcare quality and safety; quality of care measurements; improvement science; and introductions to survey research and qualitative research. See syllabus from previous class cycle.

Research on Social and Behavioral Aspects of Health (7/10/2024 – 8/28/2024)

The health and well-being of individual patients and of society as a whole may be more related to social and behavioral factors than to purely medical factors. This course will promote understanding of the design, implementation, analysis, and interpretation of studies of social and behavioral determinants of disease, interactions between these determinants and medical treatment, or interventions to improve health problems. See the syllabus from the previous class cycle.

Academic Year: 2024-2025 (Dates of courses changed from the previous schedule)

Ethical Aspects of Clinical Research (8/28/2024-10/16/2024)

This course introduces the fundamental ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice and applies these principles to clinical research involving human subjects. The use of unproven therapies, the use of placebos, the consent process, institutional review board submission and review processes, conflict of interests, and the costs of clinical research are covered. See the syllabus from the previous class cycle.

Biostatistics for Clinical Investigators (10/23/2024-1/29/2025)

This course begins with an overview of descriptive statistics and provides students with the tools to perform univariate analyses using parametric and non-parametric methods for paired and unpaired designs. Emphasis is placed on choosing appropriate tests, evaluating assumptions for the tests, understanding the limitations of statistical tests, and appropriate interpretation of test results. Survival analysis and multiple regression techniques are introduced to familiarize the student with the availability and limitations of these tests. See the syllabus from the previous class cycle.

Academic Success as a Clinical/Translational Investigator (TBD)

This seminar will cover the principles and pragmatic realities of academic career advancement/promotion. Successful senior faculty will offer advice for participants at the fellow and junior faculty levels.

Literature Appraisal (2/5/2025-4/2/2025)

In this course, the students have an opportunity to learn the rules of evidence and demonstrate critical evaluation of the medical literature. Students will be expected to demonstrate these concepts and skills by appraising the evidence in their areas of clinical research interest. This critical appraisal of existing evidence will be used to determine fruitful areas for new investigation. See syllabus from previous class cycle.

Introduction to Translational Research (4/9/2025-5/21/2025)

This course is an overview of the clinical research that bridges basic science and patient-based research. Topics include pharmaceutical research, genetic research, gene therapy, and genomics. See class schedule from previous cycle.

Clinical Research Design Workshop (5/28/2025-8/13/2025)

In this problem-based course, each student is expected to build a clinical research proposal in his/her field of interest. Each week, students are asked to present specific parts of their protocols to facilitate the discussion of successive stages in study design. This course is run in small group sessions (10-12 students per group) to facilitate active participation and interaction.

Implementation and De-implementation Workshop (5/28/2025-8/13/2025)

TBA

Biostatistics for Clinical Investigators (5/28/2025-8/13/2025)

Lecture Videostreams

Click here to view prior lectures by videostream. (Look for course under “CRC Courses” in the menu on the left side.)

Mentorship Programs

A limited number of applicants (4-6 per year) are accepted into an intensive mentoring program that complements the above coursework. A methodologic mentor from the Center is selected for each mentee. Acceptance into the program requires the commitment of at least one departmental mentor and adequate protected time for the mentee to fulfill the program’s requirements. Over the course of the two-year program, each mentee is expected to design a research protocol of sufficient quality and sophistication for competitive grant submission.

For more information regarding the Clinical Research Curriculum or to subscribe to the CRC distribution list to receive updates about upcoming courses, please email Deborah Garcia, CRC and MS Program Coordinator, or call our office at (713) 500-6708.