We are hiring!! Our trials unit, CHaRT, is looking to appoint a Deputy Director (Methodology). The role will provide methodological leadership across CHaRT’s portfolio. A really exciting opportunity for anyone interested in a leadership role in clinical trials!! See: www.abdn.ac.uk/jobs/vacanci...

Calling all surgical trainees - last few days to sign up for the BOASTiC 2026 surgical trials course! Learn how to design and conduct surgical trials at Merton College, Oxford on 29-30 Sept. Great learning, experienced faculty, and fun!

Hebrides 🤩

If, like me, you thought of Googling “estimand” this thread will sort you out.

At the Society of Clinical Trials (#SCT2026) conference last week, one of the topics being discussed was estimands & intercurrent events in cluster trials. Perfect timing for the publication of the new cRCT estimand framework 1/8 #MethodologyMonday #129

Perspectives on statistics in medicine: Annual joint LSHTM/RSS lecture on 16th June, by Prof. Marion Campbell. Further details here: www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/e...

Superb resource for all interested in evidence-based critical care 👇

Looking forward to this!

The #NIHR are currently advertising several funding committee vacancies including a number to serve on the #BMBR (Better Methods Better Research) funding Committee. If you are interested in supporting the funding of methods research in the UK, please consider applying. www.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved...

Time for some NE coastal blue 😊

NIHR RSS webinar: Better Methods Better Research (BMBR) Funding Programme The webinar will cover the scope and aims of BMBR, features of strong applications, and experience from a recent successful applicant. Join the webinar on March 16 at 12-1pm: teams.microsoft.com/meet/3410304...

Superb programme lined up for this year’s Critical Care Reviews Meeting… 12 of the leading critical care trials will present their results. Top science, top methodology and a deep dive into the latest evidence for clinical practice. Registration open! #CCR26 criticalcarereviews.com/meetings/ccr26

The Chief Scientist Office has opened their Early Postdoctoral Fellowships for application, providing three years of salary and consumable support to early career health researchers to enable then to develop their careers. Apply now 🔗 https://tinyurl.com/wxa8k75h

Are you passionate about supporting the funding of high-quality methods research in health? If so, please consider applying for the role of Deputy Chair of the NIHR/MRC Better Methods Better Research funding Committee - closing date 22 Jan. See: www.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved...

3/ He established not one but 3 statistics depts at Aberdeen, BARC & Edinburgh. He later said if it wasn’t for typhoid he would have been “a rather poor schoolteacher of mathematics.”

#OTD 1917 David Finney b (d 12 Nov 2018) CBE FRS; ASA Fellow 1951; Royal Statistical Society President 1973. Pioneered statistical methods of experimental design, statistical computing, pharmacovigilance, biological assay & probit analysis. 1/3

On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… 🎶 📊 Three key outcomes 🫀 Two boluses of bicarb ⚡ And ROSC in the BIHCA cardiac arrest trial 🎄 #CCR26 criticalcarereviews.com/meetings/ccr26

Writing Genres: First draft: Horror Abstract: Action thriller Hypothesis section: Fantasy Results section: Tragedy Limitations section: True crime Implications section: Satire Grant application: Science fiction

It’s the run up to the holidays so there can only be one #MethodologyMonday topic - the scientific way to cut your Christmas cake. Published c1906 in Nature by the statistician Francis Galton 🎂🎄🔪😊 Enjoy! galton.org/essays/1900-...

It's the 12 Days of Christmas, CCR Style! Over the rest of December, we'll be announcing the CCR26 trials 1st up - the LOGICAL trial, investigating conservative oxygenation for the attenuation of hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy post cardiac arrest Registration opens soon!

Doug Altman was an internationally renowned statistician who served as The BMJ’s chief statistical adviser. Read about life and work that made this statistician a "citation millionaire" #BMJChristmas www.bmj.com/content/391/...

The Chief Scientist Office has opened their Early Postdoctoral Fellowships for application, providing three years of salary and consumable support to early career health researchers to enable then to develop their careers. Apply now 🔗 https://tinyurl.com/wxa8k75h

Want to improve your knowledge & practice of clinical trials? #UKCTUNetwork members offer a wide variety of learning & development opportunities covering all aspects of academic clinical research. Find out more here: tinyurl.com/mueyhau7 #ClinicalTrials #Training

The stepped wedge design came up in the #CCRDownUnder meeting last week so it seemed a good time to revisit the pros and cons of this design 1/6 #MethodologyMonday #128

New fully funded PhD opportunity to come and work with me at the University of Glasgow exploring the role of data-driven interventions (audit and feedback) to improve environmental sustainability of the NHS. Deadline to apply: 12th Jan 2026. Find out more here: www.gla.ac.uk/colleges/mvl...

The 10 year follow-up results of the TOPKAT trial of total (TKR) vs partial (PKR) knee replacement are out! Similar clinical outcomes, but PKR more cost effective. t.co/V4O7s6MvZe

One of my 2026 goals is to be more present on BlueSky! Another is to recruit a great candidate to this 4-yr PhD studentship with us at the Aberdeen Centre for Evaluation -applying behavioural science to the design and delivery of clinical trials. Please share. www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Just 4 weeks to CCR Down Under 2025! Join us to hear the results of 8 major critical care trials - in person or virtually ➡️ ImmunoSep ➡️ iRehab ➡️ CLIP II ➡️ ACTiVE ➡️ ARISE AFRICA ➡️ RSI ➡️ VITaCCA ➡️ ECMO REHAB https://criticalcarereviews.com/meetings/ccr-down-under-2025

Beginning Nov 1924, studies on the effect of lighting on worker productivity were performed at the Western Electric Hawthorn Plant. These were the basis for the concept of the Hawthorne Effect 1/2

The term #estimand is now part of the technical language of trials - but it remains a concept that many find hard to understand. Recent work has aimed to make the term more accessible to researchers, patients & public 1/8 #MethodologyMonday #127

In the EVERDAC trial involving patients with shock, results for death at day 28 indicated that management without early arterial catheter insertion was noninferior to early catheter insertion. Full trial results and Research Summary: nej.md/3LmOO0D  #MedSky #PulmSky

The world’s largest and longest clinical trial in critical care, SuDDICU found a significant reduction in hospital-acquired infection in critically ill patients on mechanical ventilation, when given antibiotics preventatively before a new infection can develop.

In the SuDDICU trial of patients undergoing mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit, selective decontamination of the digestive tract did not result in a lower incidence of in-hospital death than standard care alone. Full trial results: nej.md/4nhyeN8 #LIVES2025 | @esicm.bsky.social

📢 Interested in a PhD in clinical trials methodology? The Trials Methodology Research Partnership are advertising projects for PhDs starting Oct 2026, in statistics, health economics, epidemiology, social science, and more, hosted at one of 12 UK partner institutions. mrctmrpdtp.com/current-oppo...

Recruitment has begun for a new National Statistician (£200k). Important role as the strategic head of the UK statistical system. There is less operational work as there is now a Perm Sec for ONS. So they are seeking an ‘internationally recognised leader in statistics’ www.saxbam.com/appointment/...

📢 As one of the next round of TRMP PhD students (below) you could join me, Clare Robinson, @averoniki.bsky.social and @marionkcampbell.bsky.social to work on developing a typology of research outputs in trials methodology, based at @wiphcem.bsky.social. Details here: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

It’s the UN #WorldStatisticsDay today! Perfect time to celebrate all the awesome statisticians who ensure robust data, design and analysis 😊

One of the adaptive designs we are seeing more frequently is the Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomised Trial (or SMART trial) 1/7 #MethodologyMonday #126

The 8th & final trial for CCR Down Under is ECMO Rehab ➡️100-patient RCT testing early mobilisation during ECMO to reduce 6-month disability ➡️Will mobilisation improve outcomes? Join us in Melbourne, December 9/10 criticalcarereviews.com/meetings/ccr...

A special issue from Critical Care Resuscitation Journal honouring the legacy of Rinaldo Bellomo Grab a coffee, sit back, read and smile. Such an incredible person. An uplifting tribute. Kudos to the authors for sharing their experiences www.sciencedirect.com/journal/crit...

Lovely autumn colours on campus 🍂🍁 @uniofaberdeen.bsky.social

I'm doing a webinar in two weeks (15 Oct 1-2pm BST), part of NIHR Research Support Service's Methods Academy series, on the age-old question: should I do a stepped wedge trial? Free registration, details here: tinyurl.com/z6cjvce3 @nihr-rss.bsky.social @wiphcem.bsky.social @qmul-wiph.bsky.social

Excellent three days in Bristol as part of the #BOASTiC (Bristol Oxford Aberdeen Surgical Trials Course). We've enjoyed the in-depth look at surgical trials with delegates designing their own studies by the end of the 3rd day! @marionkcampbell.bsky.social @situ-oxford.bsky.social

Great #MethodologyMonday post on assessing acceptability in a pilot trial. Highlights the MRC complex intervention framework that AIMS Periop has used in its frailty research.

One of the key things to address when undertaking a feasibility study ahead of a trial is the acceptability of different aspects of the proposed trial (intervention, trial processes, proposed outcomes etc) to all relevant parties 1/7 #MethodologyMonday #125

The use of Bayesian methods in the design of trials and the analysis of the findings provides several potential benefits, which may be particularly applicable in Trauma & Orthopaedic surgery. #ClinicalTrials #BayesianStatistics #RCTs #OrthoSky @docfarrow.bsky.social ow.ly/xeXm50WRwZN

We're currently looking for a Trials Methodologist/Senior Trials Methodologist to join our team. You can find out more about the role and how to apply here: jobs.icr.ac.uk/vacancies/13... #ResearchJobs #TrialsMethodology🧪

This👇 …. often unseen but crucial role

Monday wisdom

📣FUNDING ALERT: The NIHR/MRC Better Methods Better Research Programme has three new calls open: - Researcher-Led - Methodology for the incorporation of health and environmental impacts in health/social care - Guidance development Closing 2nd Dec See: www.nihr.ac.uk/funding-oppo...