BIOMEDICAL

RESEARCH

What is biomedical research?

Definition: Biomedical research is the broad area of science that looks for ways to prevent and treat diseases that cause illness and death in people and in animals.

What is basic research?

It is research that is driven by a scientist's curiosity or interest in a scientific question

It is research conducted to increase fundamental knowledge

Not directed toward solving any particular problem

It provides building blocks for other types of research***

Examples of basic research***

Your teacher assigns you to write a research paper on Alzheimer’s disease.

When a new infectious disease emerges, it will begin with basic research.

What is applied research?

Applied research is designed to solve practical problems of the modern world, rather than to acquire knowledge for knowledge's sake.

Applied research is:

Directed toward specific objectives – for example, development of new drug, treatment, or surgical procedure

Conducted with animals, non-animal methods (computer models or tissue cultures), and humans

It is MOST often conducted using animals***

EXAMPLE:

Mice in a laboratory being deprived of sleep as part of a research study

Research conducted using computer models in the development of a new chemotherapy drug

Developers design a new prosthetic for use in total knee replacement using computer models

What is clinical research?

Patient-oriented research. Research conducted with human subjects (or on material of human origin such as tissues, specimens and cognitive phenomena) for which an investigator (or colleague) directly interacts with human subjects.

When is it used?

Used when other forms of research have taken place

Used to test potential drugs and treatments in humans

Builds on what is done in basic and applied stages

This is usually the last stage of medical research***

There is a broad variety of activities and areas of study such as:

–Human clinical trials

–Psychosocial and behavioral research

–Disease control research

Examples of clinical research:

A patient who was diagnosed with leukemia takes part in a research study that is going on at Duke.

A research study that targets certain people and pays him/her for participating.

A hospital who invites participants with high blood pressure to take part in a study of a new medication.