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Nutrition Obesity Research Center

Scientific Approaches to Strengthening Research Integrity in Nutrition and Energetics

Dates: Tuesday, August 7 – Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Location:
Mohonk Mountain House
1000 Mountain Rest Road
New Paltz, New York, 12561

Sponsors:
Nutrition Obesity Research Center,
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Funded by the University of Alabama at Birmingham and made possible by an unrestricted gift from The Coca-Cola Company.

Organizing Committee:

David A.David Allison, Ph.D.
University of Alabama at BirminghamKevin F.Kristi Crowe, Ph.D., RD, LD
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

Overview

Nutrition and obesity remain some of the most interesting and yet controversial topics in biomedical research. Many groups have "stakes" in the game, many people have strong philosophical predilections and beliefs, and the public has a thirst for information in this area. Because of this, there is a cacophony of voices on these topics, and it is sometimes difficult to separate the sensible and empirically validated information from opinion, conjecture, and patent nonsense. Science is our best tool to make such essential discriminations, but to use science for this requires that we have a research record that is made public with the utmost fidelity. Unfortunately, it is clear that extra-scientific biases exist that influence both which studies get reported and how they get reported in primary journal articles, in press releases, in the mass media, and in secondary citations in literature reviews. We now must go beyond recognizing that such biases exist to developing procedures grounded in science that minimize the influence of those biases to the greatest extent possible.

Schedule of Events: Agenda (PDF)

DateTimeSpeaker/ModeratorTopic
Tuesday
August 7
2012		 8:30 - 8:35 David B. Allison, Ph.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham Announcements/Business
I. Overview
8:35 - 9:05 David B. Allison, Ph.D. Overview
II. Disclosure & Publication Bias
9:05 - 9:10 K. Brad Wray, Ph.D., SUNY Oswego Overview by Moderator [PDF File]
9:10 - 9:40 Dennis Bier, M.D., Baylor College of Medicine How well is disclosure done, what are its effects, and why we need a uniform system?
9:40 - 10:10 Christopher Borgert, Ph.D., Applied Pharmacology & Toxicology, Inc. Why disclosure is insufficient to assure research integrity [PDF File]
10:10 - 10:40 Kerry Dwan, Ph.D., University of Liverpool Publication and reporting biases
10:40 - 11:30 All speakers led by Moderator Panel Discussion
11:30 - 1:00 Lunch
III. Fidelity in Analysis and Research Reporting: Assessment of the Current State
1:00 - 1:05 P. K. Newby, ScD, MPH, MS, Boston University School of Medicine Overview by Moderator [PDF File]
1:05 - 1:35 Lehana Thabane, Ph.D., McMaster University Adherence to reporting standards in the clinical literature [PDF File]
1:35 - 2:05 Bisakha Sen, Ph.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham Bias/accuracy in reporting results in studies on neighborhood & physical activity/obesity [PDF File]
2:05 - 2:15 Break
2:25 - 2:55 Mark B. Cope, Ph.D., Solae, LLC Evidence regarding the potential influences of non-financial biases [PDF File]
2:55 - 3:25 S. Robert Lichter, Ph.D., Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University Fidelity of communications from scientists, their institutions, and journals to the media.
3:25 - 3:55 Sylvia Rowe, President, SR Strategy, LLC Evidence on the accuracy and integrity of science reporting in the mass media [PDF File]
3:55 - 4:25 Katherine McComas, Ph.D., Cornell Public understanding and trust of biomedical research [PDF File]
4:25 - 4:55 Douglas Weed, MD, Ph.D., DLW Consulting Services, LLC How do we make the process of conclusion-making from the 'totality of the evidence' objective and observable?
4:55 - 5:25 All speakers led by Moderator Panel Discussion
Wednesday
August 8
2012		 8:00 - 8:05 David B. Allison, Ph.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham Announcements/Business
IV. Research Integrity in Analysis Reporting
8:05 - 8:10 Nikhil Dhurandhar, MD, Ph.D., Pennington Biomedical Research Center Overview by Moderator [PDF File]
8:10 - 8:45 Dominik Alexander Ph.D., MSPH, Exponent, Inc. How to improve the research integrity of meta-analyses and systematic reviews
8:45 - 9:20 Mark S. Frankel, Ph.D.,American Association for the Advancement of Science Evaluating strengths and weaknesses in current policies for promoting research integrity [PDF File]
9:20 - 9:55 Do data-column="Speaker/Moderator"nald F. Klein, MD, Columbia University The role of clinical trial registries
9:55 - 10:25 All speakers led by Moderator Panel Discussion
10:25 - 10:45 Break
10:45 - 10:50 Richard Atkinson Jr. MD, Virginia Commonwealth University Overview by Moderator [PDF File]
10:50 - 11:20 Kevin Coombes, Ph.D., University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center The need for publically verifiable/reproducible data and analyses [PDF File]
11:20 - 11:50 David B. Allison, Ph.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham Making data publically available: benefits, challenges, and suggestions [PDF File]
11:50 - 1:05 Lunch
1:05 - 1:10 Peter Temes, Ph.D., I L O Institute Overview by Moderator
1:10 - 1:40 Mary D. Scheetz, Ph.D., Research Integrity Consulting, LLC The role of journals in promoting research integrity [PDF File]
1:40 - 2:10 David B. Resnik, JD, Ph.D., National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences The role of universities in fostering research integrity
2:10- 2:40 Led by Moderator Panel Discussion
2:40 - 3:15 David B. Allison, Ph.D. & Kristi Michele Crowe Ph.D. RD Discussion of publication plans and possible outlets
3:15 - 3:30 David Allison, Ph.D. Closing Remarks

Contact Information:

Logistics: Jeff Allison
UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center
1700 University Boulevard, LHL 454 Birmingham, AL 35294-0022
Phone: (205) 975-9675
Fax: (205) 975-7560
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Logistics: Richard F. Sarver
UAB Office of Energetics UAB SOPH Dean's office
1700 University Boulevard, LHL 452
Phone: (205) 975-9169
Fax: (205) 975-7560
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Scientific: David B. Allison, Ph.D.
University of Alabama at Birmingham
1665 University Blvd, RPHB 420C Birmingham, AL 35294-0022
Phone: (205) 975-9169
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and individuals with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

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