Research Interests
This area describes the diverse research interests of faculty who participate in the iNSPIRe initiative. If you would like more information or are interested in participating in a research project, please email inspire@downstate.edu
A. Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are performed to evaluate an intervention, often with a study design technique called randomization. These interventions can be medical, surgical, or behavioral. This is the gold standard method by which researchers and physicians determine whether an intervention is safe and effective.
Clinical trials represent one of the most resource-intensive, and time consuming research endeavors. Appropriate training is typically necessary to understand their logistical complexity and unique design considerations.
Faculty with experience in conducting large scale, multicenter clinical trials include the following:
- Panos Kougias, MD, MSc
- Sherene Sharath, PhD, MPH
B. Health Services Research
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) defines health services research as a multidisciplinary field of scientific investigation examining the effects of a comprehensive range of factors on patient health and well-being. These factors include:
- Social factors (i.e., determinants of health, disparities)
- Health technologies
- Personal behaviors
- Quality and cost of health care
Research in this subject area is especially conducive to multidisciplinary collaboration. Findings from health services studies are instrumental in developing guidelines and informing evidence-based practices when the gold standard randomized controlled trial is not feasible.
Faculty conducting health services research include the following:
- Panos Kougias, MD, MSc
- David H. Berger, MD
- Marie-Claire Roberts, PhD
- Sherene Sharath, PhD, MPH
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