Day one Monday 13 October 2025
09.00 – 09.15 Registration and Coffee
09.15 – 09.20 Introduction
Jugnoo Rahi
0920 – 09.40 Framing the research question
Jugnoo Rahi
09.40 – 10.00 Chance, Bias and Confounding
Jugnoo Rahi
Study design
10.00 – 10.35 A. Case control studies – key aspects of design, statistical analysis and how to apply the findings
John Buchan
10.35 – 11.10 B. Cohort studies - key aspects of design, statistical analysis and how to apply the findings
Lola Solebo
11.10 – 11.35 Coffee break
11.35 – 12.10 Randomised Controlled Trials of Interventions – key aspects of design, statistical analysis and how to apply the findings
Will Dean
12.10 – 12.45 Ethics and research governance - top tips for navigating IRAS and data rules
Rachel Knowles
12.45 – 13.30 Lunch Key statistical issues
13.30 – 13.55 A. People versus eyes, units of analysis and hierarchical / clustered data
Mario Cortina Borja
13.55 – 14.20 B. Principles of interpreting P values and confidence intervals
Eirini Koutoumanou
14.20 – 14.45 C. Principles of sample size calculation: a simple scenario
Eirini Koutoumanou
14.45 – 15.15 Tea/Coffee break
15.15 – 16.15 Open session for participant's questions and discussion (attendees are very welcome to discuss research ideas)
Day 2 – Getting started in clinical research 14 October 2025
08.45 – 09.05 Coffee How to get started in research
09.05 – 09.35 A. Participating in research – how to find out about opportunities
Chris Hammond & Praveen Patel
9.35– 10.05 B. Undertaking your own research
1) How to engage with research – networks / groups, and identifying methods expertise
Chris Hammond and Praveen Patel
10.05 – 10.35 2) What to expect when you meet the statistician
Mario Cortina Borja
10.35 – 10.45 3) RCOphth website academic and research hub resources/support/advice
Chris Hammond
10.45 - 11.00 4) BOS
Barny Foot
11.00 – 11.30 Coffee
11.30 – 12.00 Top tips for successful grantsmanship
Chris Hammond
Practical issues to consider at the beginning
12.00 – 12.20 A. Finalising which data to collect, focus on range of potential outcome measures
Mario Cortina Borja & Lola Solebo
12.20 – 12.40 B. Data management (what an ideal research database looks like –
quality of data)
Mario Cortina Borja & Lola Solebo
12.40 – 13.00 C. Visualisation of data
Mario Cortina Borja & Lola Solebo
13.00 – 13.45 Lunch
13.45 – 14.10 Principles of Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement in Research
Lola Solebo
14.10 – 14.50 Evidence appraisal - How to read a paper and apply findings using examples of published papers. Group work
Lola Solebo
14.50 – 15.15 Tea/Coffee break
15.15 – 16.15 Wrap up Group Q&A (attendees are very welcome to discuss research