This document provides an introduction to research and biostatistics. It outlines the intended learning objectives which are to understand key concepts like health, disease, biostatistics, and biomedical research. The contents sections lists topics that will be covered, including biostatistics overview, biomedical research overview, the steps of biomedical research, and definitions/terminology. Key points defined include health versus disease, the natural history of disease, epidemiological study designs, and statistical terms like variables, data, and the difference between causation and association.

1. INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH &
BIOSTATISTICS
Prof. Dr. Adel Al-Wehedy
Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Helaly,
Prof. Dr Zeinab Kasemy
Biomedical Research and Biostatistics (CMC 181) 2023-2024

2. Intended Learning Objectives
• At the end of this lecture you should be able to
• Know the definition of health and disease
• Understand the natural history of disease
• Understand what is meant by Biostatistics
• Recognize the definition and importance of Biomedical research
• Know and enumerate the steps of Biomedical research
• Know and enumerate the different types of Epidemiological research study
designs
• Know some definitions and terms related to our course
Prof. Dr. Adel Al-Wehedy Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Helaly,

3. Contents
• Biostatistics Overview
• Biomedical Research Overview
• Steps of Biomedical Research
• Definitions and terminology
Prof. Dr. Adel Al-Wehedy Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Helaly,

4. Health versus Disease
• Health is:
• "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely
the absence of disease and infirmity". (World Health Organization)
• Disease is:
• Any harmful deviation from the normal structural or functional state of a
human being.
• Any disease has its causes, clinical picture (symptoms and signs), and
complications.
• Diseases can be prevented (preventive medicine)
• Disease can be screened, diagnosed and treated (curative medicine)
Prof. Dr. Adel Al-Wehedy Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Helaly,

5. Natural history of disease
• It refers to the progression of a disease process in an individual over time, in the absence of
treatment.
Prof. Dr. Adel Al-Wehedy Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Helaly,

6. Biostatistics Overview

7. •The application of
•STATISTICAL METHODS
•To humans and their health problems
summarizing data & drawing valid inferences based on
limited information
Prof. Dr. Adel Al-Wehedy Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Helaly,
Biostatistics

8. Biomedical Research

9. Definition and importance
• Biomedical research is the broad area of science that looks for ways to
• Discover causes,
• Prevent and
• Treat diseases that cause illness and death in people.
• Discovery of new medicines and therapies requires
• Scientific experimentation
• Development,
• Biostatistical analysis and Evaluation
Prof. Dr. Adel Al-Wehedy Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Helaly,

10. Steps of Biomedical Research

11. Steps of Biomedical Research
• Step 1: Choose a topic
• Step 2: Identify a research problem
• Step 3: Build your research question(s)
• Step 4: Build your research hypothesis
• Step 5: Identify your research aims and objectives.
• Step 6: Build your research proposal including type of the study
design (methodology)
• Step 7: Write and publish your research report
Prof. Dr. Adel Al-Wehedy Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Helaly,

12. Prof. Dr. Adel Al-Wehedy Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Helaly,

13. Definitions & Terminology

14. Exposure versus Outcome
• Exposure means:
• Causes, risk factors (natural) or intervention (experimental, made by
researcher); that can cause diseases
• Outcome means:
• A disease or other health related conditions
Prof. Dr. Adel Al-Wehedy Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Helaly,

15. Variable (type of data) versus Value
• Variable means:
• Any characteristics, number, or quantity that can be measured or counted
assuming different values
• Value:
• It is the content of a variable. If (age) is a variable, so (23 years) is its value
Prof. Dr. Adel Al-Wehedy Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Helaly,

16. Data versus Information
• Data
• It is the values of a variable
• Information:
• It is a reduced, summarized and adjusted data, to be used for comparison
over time and place.

17. Independent versus dependent variable
• The independent variable
• It is the cause. Its value is independent of other variables in research
studies.
• The dependent variable
• It is the effect (caused by the independent variable). Its value depends on
changes in the independent variable.
• Example: Smoking is an independent variable and occurrence of
lung cancer is a dependent variable
Prof. Dr. Adel Al-Wehedy Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Helaly,

18. Causation, Association & Correlation
• Causation:
• It means that the exposure (independent variable) produces the effect
(dependent Variable).
• Example: Smoking cause lung cancer
• Association:
• It means the presence of a relationship between exposure and disease,
which does not mean that exposure can cause the disease
• Example:
• low socioeconomic standards is associated with lung cancer, as smoking
rates are higher among people with low socioeconomic standards)
Prof. Dr. Adel Al-Wehedy Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Helaly,

19. • Correlation
• It means the presence and the strength of the association between two or
more variables.
• A positive correlation means that both variables change in the same
direction.
• A negative correlation means that the variables change in opposite
directions.
• A zero correlation means that there is no relation between the variables.
Prof. Dr. Adel Al-Wehedy Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Helaly,

20. Thanks
Prof. Dr. Adel Al-Wehedy Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Helaly,