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  • How can we work together to decide where to invest our research resources?
  • How can we best identify gaps in the research agenda and minimise bias?
  • How can we ensure that the views of groups which are seldom heard are included when determining research priorities?
The growing demand for evidence-based healthcare, and the rise of new challenges such as an ageing population, anti-microbial resistance, and changing patterns of disease due to globalisation and climate change, all point to the increasing importance of high-quality health and care research.
However given finite resources it is imperative that robust methods are used to prioritise research topics and questions and that the influence of power imbalances and cultural and systemic biases are recognised and addressed.
In recognition of the importance of this issue, Cochrane – a global independent network which exists to promote evidence-informed health decision-making – and the University of Plymouth are pleased to announce a new webinar series on research priority setting methods.
The webinars are being organised by the Cochrane Methods Priority Setting Group and the University’s Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research.
The webinars are free and open to both academics and researchers who are new to research priority setting and those who already have some knowledge and experience but would like to know more.
All webinars will be via Zoom.
Each webinar is free and while you can book to attend all three, you are also free just to book those specific webinars you are interested in. We would, however, recommend that those who have only a limited knowledge of research priority setting attend the first introductory webinar.
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Thursday 13 March, 14:00–15:00

Demystifying and introducing research Priority Setting
PROGRAMME
  • Introducing Priority Setting Methods – Professor Mona Nasser (Director of PIHR, University of Plymouth, UK)
  • Examples from the James Lind Alliance – Dr Seilin Uhm (University of Southampton, UK)
  • Example of a Priority Setting tool developed in Lebanon – Dr Tamara Lotfi (McMaster University, Canada and International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie))

Thursday 20 March, 12:00–13:00

Raising the Bar – Implementing the WHO’s new guidance on the ethics of health research priority setting
PROGRAMME
  • Dr Joseph Millum (University of St Andrews, Chair of the International Society for Priorities in Health)
  • Dr Katherine Littler (Co-Lead of Global Health Ethics & Governance Unit at the World Health Organisation)

Thursday 27 March, 09:00–10:00

Increasing inclusivity in reaching consensus and setting priorities for research
PROGRAMME
  • Comparing Consensus Methods – Speaker TBC
  • Piloting a Single Stage (Bespoke) Consensus Survey across Continents – Dr Soumyadeep Bhaumik (Head, Meta-research and Evidence Synthesis Unit, Health Systems Science/Conjoint Senior Lecturer, University of New South Wales, Sydney)
  • The Multi Ethno-Linguistic Toolkit (MELT) – Dr Sumanth Kumbargere Nagraj and Dr Prashanti Eachempati (University of Plymouth, UK)

Speakers

  • Dr Prashanti Eachempati

    Dr Prashanti Eachempati

  • Dr Joseph Millum

    Dr Joseph Millum

  • Dr Sumanth Kumbargere Nagraj

    Dr Sumanth Kumbargere Nagraj

  • Professor Mona Nasser

    Professor Mona Nasser

  • Dr Seilin Uhm Credit: Cheesedal Studio

    Dr Seilin Uhm

Dr Prashanti Eachempati

Dr Prashanti Eachempati is a Clinical Lecturer, Programme lead for BDS 3, Applied Dental Knowledge lead and Research coordinator at the Peninsula Dental School, University of Plymouth.
She is engaged in evidence synthesis and guideline development, particularly in antimalarial drug resistance, and serves as a consultant senior researcher for the MAGIC Evidence Ecosystem Foundation. With a masters in Health Professions Education from the University of Glasgow, she has over 85 publications to her credit. She has co-authored ten Cochrane systematic reviews, several informing international guidelines, including those by the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme and the UK National Screening Committee.
Dr Eachempati has collaborated with the Cochrane Oral Health Group for over a decade, served as a trainer for Cochrane Malaysia, and co-convenes the Cochrane Priority Setting Methods Group. Through her PhD, she explores uncertainties in oral health decision-making among multi-ethnolinguistic groups and has developed participatory toolkits for inclusive research. Her accolades include the GC Das Memorial National Award for best research in Prosthodontics, Best Teacher Award, and Ron Harden Innovation in Medical Education Award for innovation in dental education research.
Dr Eachempati continues to lead innovative research and educational initiatives, combining her passion for evidence-based practices and advancing dental academia.

Dr Joseph Millum

Dr Millum is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at St Andrews University in Scotland.
He serves as a consultant to the World Health Organization and he is the Chair of the International Society for Priorities in Health. Prior to St Andrews, Dr Millum worked at the US National Institutes of Health for 15 years in the Clinical Center Department of Bioethics and the Fogarty International Center. Dr Millum received a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Toronto and an MSc in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University.
His research focuses on the rights and responsibilities of parents, the ethics of international research, informed consent, and priority setting for healthcare and research. His books include Global Justice and Bioethics (2012), The Moral Foundations of Parenthood (2018), Global Health Priority-Setting: Beyond Cost-Effectiveness (2020) and A Theory of Bioethics (2021).

Dr Sumanth Kumbargere Nagraj

Dr Sumanth Kumbargere Nagraj, MDS (Oral Medicine & Radiology), MSc (Evidence-based Healthcare), FAIMER Fellow, (PhD), is a dental academic and researcher with expertise in oral health and evidence-based healthcare.
His journey in research and education has been shaped by a commitment to improving dental practice and healthcare outcomes. To deepen his knowledge, he completed a Master of Science (MSc) in Evidence-Based Healthcare at University College London, equipping him with advanced skills in research synthesis and critical appraisal.
Dr Sumanth has served in faculty roles across India, Libya, Nepal, and Malaysia, enriching his approach to teaching and research through diverse cultural perspectives. He currently serves as a Clinical Lecturer at Peninsula Dental School, University of Plymouth, and contributes to the MAGIC Evidence Ecosystem Foundation in Oslo, Norway, where he works as a Senior Researcher on European Union-funded healthcare innovation projects.
With a strong focus on evidence-based dentistry, Dr Sumanth has co-authored 11 Cochrane systematic reviews, several of which have informed international clinical guidelines, including those by the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme and the UK National Screening Committee. He has 87 publications in international peer-reviewed journals and actively participates in the Cochrane Collaboration as a Clinical Editor and Co-convenor of the Priority Setting Methods Group. He is also an Honorary Research Fellow at the Department of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, and an Adjunct Professor of Oral Medicine and Oral Radiology at Manipal University College Malaysia.

Professor Mona Nasser

Mona Nasser, DDS, MSc(DPH), MSc(Astro), PhD, FHEA, is a Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Oral Health Research at the University of Plymouth and Director of the University's Plymouth Institute of Health and care Research.
She has co-founded and currently chairs the Cochrane Priority Setting Methods Group. She was a Visiting fellow of QUEST centre/Berlin Institute of Health in 2023–2024 focusing on meta-research on systematic reviews of pre-clinical research. Her research focuses on building evidence-based, inclusive, tech-driven health research systems and exploring health and human interaction with complex systems in stressful or extreme environments.
She has developed innovative frameworks and methods for research priority-setting exercises and the evaluation of research funders, which have been adopted by groups in Cochrane and WHO and recognised by awards like the Bill Silverman Award (2012). Systematic reviews that she contributed to, primarily in dentistry, has influenced both practice and policy. She contributed to development of innovative and inclusive methods in designing and implementation research – this includes an art-science project called MetaFuturism Lab, running speculative futuristic immersive workshops to engage individuals from different disciplines and cultural contexts to reimagine scientific and social concepts in the future.
Further information available at: https://monanasser.org/

Dr Seilin Uhm

Seilin Uhm is a researcher with expertise in health sciences, public health and research prioritisation.
Her work emphasises inclusive, patient-centred approaches to healthcare research and often involves engaging diverse stakeholders – including patients, healthcare professionals, and public communities – to shape and prioritise health agendas. She focuses on critical areas such as preterm birth, alcohol addiction, and sudden and unexpected death in children.
Seilin has contributed to multiple international publications and collaborates actively with various organisations to advance research methodologies that address the needs of vulnerable and underserved populations. Her commitment to equitable, impactful research drives her work, contributing significantly to both health sciences and policy.
 
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