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Biology and Life Sciences

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Commentary

On Vaccines, Trump Should Rely on Science

Jan 25, 2017

Research has proven that vaccines are extremely safe and effective. The public health implications of questioning this are serious. America should take every opportunity to protect kids by vaccinating them against every vaccine-preventable disease.
Commentary

Europe's Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance

Nov 3, 2016

The EC's AMR Action Plan included measures to ensure antimicrobials are used more appropriately in both humans and animals and measures to stimulate R&D of new antibiotics. One area that was not sufficiently covered was the environment.

Explore Biology and Life Sciences

Journal Article

Journal Article

'Macro' Evaluation of the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre

The Office of Health Economics and RAND Europe were commissioned by the Oxford BRC to undertake a programme of top-down evaluations of aspects of the impact of the BRC. This programme of research has looked at the health, economic and scientific impact of Oxford BRC's research activity.

May 24, 2017
Project

Evaluating Grant Peer Review in the Health Sciences: An Update Study for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research asked RAND Europe to update the 2009 study on grant peer review to provide a more widely applicable source of evidence around the strengths and weaknesses of peer review for grant funding assessment.

Mar 31, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Economies of Scale and Scope in Publicly Funded Biomedical and Health Research: Evidence from the Literature

Publicly funded biomedical and health research is expected to achieve the best return possible for taxpayers and for society generally. It is therefore important to know whether such research is more productive if concentrated into a small number of 'research groups' or dispersed across many.

Mar 16, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

BMI Loci and Longitudinal BMI from Adolescence to Young Adulthood in an Ethnically Diverse Cohort

Several established BMI genetic variants are positively associated with change in BMI during the period of adolescence and young adulthood.

Mar 14, 2017
Project

Economies of Scope and Scale in Biomedical and Health Research

Researchers investigated the extent to which there are economies of scope and/or scale in medical research. For example, is it better to support research in only a few places, and have staff colocated? The role of both human and physical assets and interactions were examined.

Mar 6, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Does a Biomedical Research Centre Affect Patient Care in Local Hospitals

Biomedical research can have impacts on patient care at research-active hospitals. We qualitatively evaluated the impact of the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (Oxford BRC), a university-hospital partnership, on the effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare in local hospitals.

Feb 10, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

The Interaction Between Physical Activity and Obesity Gene Variants in Association with BMI: Does the Obesogenic Environment Matter?

This study of a diverse sample of American adolescents found that neighborhood environmental factors did not appear to influence genetic obesity risk.

Nov 15, 2016
Project

How Can Research Be Evaluated?

There are many different evaluation frameworks to choose from, and many tools for gathering appropriate data to use within frameworks, but no single approach works in all contexts and for all purposes. RAND Europe has compiled a comprehensive list of evaluation tools and techniques, including when each might be most useful; the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches; and the context in which each of 14 different frameworks has been used before.

Nov 14, 2016
Journal Article

Journal Article

Evaluation of the Action Plan Against the Rising Threats from Antimicrobial Resistance

This report presents an evaluation of the European Commission's 'Communication to the European Parliament and the Council on the Action Plan against the Rising Threats from Antimicrobial Resistance.'

Nov 4, 2016
Report

Report

100 Metrics to Assess and Communicate the Value of Biomedical Research: An Ideas Book

This report presents 100 ideas for metrics that can be used assess and communicate the value of biomedical research to wider audiences including patients, providers, administrators, and legislators.

Nov 3, 2016
Journal Article

Journal Article

Evaluation of the EC Action Plan Against the Rising Threats from Antimicrobial Resistance: Final Report

This report presents an evaluation of the European Commission's 'Communication to the European Parliament and the Council on the Action Plan against the Rising Threats from Antimicrobial Resistance.'

Nov 3, 2016
Journal Article

Journal Article

Evaluation of the EC Action Plan Against the Rising Threats from Antimicrobial Resistance: Final Report - Appendices

This set of appendices supplements the final report for the 'Evaluation of the EC Action Plan against the rising threats from antimicrobial resistance'.

Nov 3, 2016
Journal Article

Journal Article

Evidence for Association Between SH2B1 Gene Variants and Glycated Hemoglobin in Nondiabetic European American Young Adults: The Add Health Study

In young adults with European heritage, a blood marker used to classify type 2 diabetes, HbA1c, was found to be significantly associated with two variants of a genetic region involved in metabolic control, SH2B1.

Sep 29, 2016
Project

Exploring the Added Value of the Oxford AHSN

RAND Europe and the Office of Health Economics (OHE) were commissioned by Oxford AHSN to prepare evidence on the value of the network.

Sep 20, 2016
Commentary

Can the Bioweapons Convention Survive Crispr?

Crispr is a biotechnology that's making genetic editing easier, cheaper, and far more accessible, but it has also been called a major security threat. Do such advances in biotechnology make the bioweapons convention obsolete?

Jul 29, 2016
Dissertation

Exploring Sources of Innovation in the Knowledge-Based Economy: The Case of Los Angeles

Uses a mix of both quantitative and qualitative methods to help policy makers identify sources of innovation in the knowledge-based economy and to best leverage these sources for regional economic growth.

Jul 15, 2016
Commentary

How to Handle the Infectious Diseases Threat

The reactive approach to emerging infectious disease should be augmented with an anticipatory model that accounts for the dramatic changes occurring through globalization, greater interactions between human and zoonotic populations, and changes to the environment and climate patterns.

Jun 3, 2016
Report

Report

Population-scale sequencing and the future of genomic medicine: Learning from past and present efforts

This paper reflects on the variety and evolution of population-scale genome-sequencing initiatives, examining their diverse aims, activities, management and governance approaches, impacts, and policy and research implications.

Apr 29, 2016
Journal Article

Journal Article

Effects of Recent Stress and Variation in the Serotonin Transporter Polymorphism (5-Httlpr) on Depressive Symptoms: A Repeated-Measures Study of Adults Age 50 and Older

Depending on genetic sensitivity to it, stress may affect depressive symptomatology differentially.

Feb 29, 2016
Report

Report

Bibliometric analysis of highly cited publications of biomedical and health research in England, 2004–2013

This report presents a bibliometric analysis of biomedical and health research in England, 2004-2013. It is intended to support the shortlisting and selection of the National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centres in England.

Dec 15, 2015

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RAND Topic:
Biology and Life Sciences

Topic Synonyms:
Human Biology;
Social Biology

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