Systematic Reviews

POSITIONS (all involving post-doctoral research)

• 01/01/2002 – 31/05/2002: Researcher, Advisory Committee for Existing Chemicals, Society of German Chemists, Technical University, Munich, Germany.
  Tasks: Preparation of reports on the toxicity of (workplace) chemicals.
  
  
• 01/02/2000 – 31/12/2001: Review Group Coordinator of the Cochrane Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders Group, Department of Metabolic Diseases and Nutrition, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.
  
  
• 01/10/1998 – 31/01/2000: Review Group Coordinator of the Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Review Group, Department of Otolaryngology, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, UK.
  Review Groups are responsible for the preparation (and quality assurance), maintenance and dissemination of systematic reviews on the effects of interventions within their medical specialty.
  
  

SCIENTIFIC FREE-LANCE WORK ON A CONTRACT BASIS

• 01/01/2002 – present: During this period I have furthered my skills in the area of systematic reviewing and associated methodology by conducting and contributing to systematic reviews and Health Technology Assessments and by involvement in other activities for a number of institutions:
  
  
  • 15/09/2006 – present: Kleijnen Systematic Reviews Ltd., York, UK; work on systematic reviews and health technology assessments.
    Projects:
    
    1. Lifestyle interventions for people with impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes mellitus in combination with obesity;
    2. Barriers and facilitators to the transfer of knowledge between lab-based and clinical investigative research: a scoping review;
    3. Awareness raising and prevention of COPD (evidence tables).
    
    
  • 01/11/2005 – present: Institute for Health Sciences, Technical University Berlin, Germany; work on health technology assessments.
    Projects:
    
    1. Inhalation of the salmeterol/fluticasone combination product for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
    2. Interferons and Natalizumab for multiple sclerosis.
    
    
  • 01/06/2002 – present: Department of Public Health; University of Aberdeen, UK; work on systematic reviews (and associated methodology).
    Projects:
    
    1. Systematic review of autologous chondrocyte transplanatation for localised knee injuries,
    2. Work on systematic reviews in diabetes epidemiology (e.g. effect of the age of the mother at delivery on the incidence of type 1 diabetes in the offspring), work on methodology of systematic reviews in epidemiology.
    3. Systematic review of glucosamine and/or chondroitin for osteoarthritis of the knee.
    
    
  • 01/01/2002 – present: Cochrane Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders Group; Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Germany; editorial work.
    Tasks: Peer review and editing of Cochrane protocols and reviews, preparation of reviews (iodine supplementation, endemic goitre, diets rich in monounsaturated fatty acids), preparation of materials for reviewers.
    
    
  • 15/11/2006 – 22/12/2006: Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, University of York, UK.
    Projects:
    
    1. Data extraction for systematic review on catheter ablation in atrial fibrillation and typical atrial flutter.
    2. Preparation of systematic abstracts for the DARE database
    
    
  • 01/06/2005 – 31/08/2005: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Healthcare, Cologne, Germany. Projects: 1. Data extraction for an evidence report on glitazones for type 2 diabetes mellitus (in collaboration with Dr. Bernd Richter, Düsseldorf University); 2. Development of a Peer Reviewing Checklist.
    
    
  • 01/07/2002 – 30/04/2005: Scottish Evidence Based Child Health Unit; Department of Child Health, University of Aberdeen, UK; work on systematic reviews (and associated methodology)
    Project: Review of reviews of management of obesity in children
    
    
  • 01/11/2003 – 01/07/2004: Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Kent at Canterbury, UK. Project: assistance with follow-up work on a project leading on from my Masters thesis on using a computer-based method for the analysis of a geometric figure copying test in learning disabled children.
    
    
  • 01/10/2004 – 30/06/2004: Agency of Quality in Medicine, Berlin, Germany
    Projects: work on evidence report on the subject of assessment of suicide risk; accessory work on medical guidelines for type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiovascular disease.
    
    
  • 01/06/2002 – 30/06/2003: Wessex Institute of Health Research and Development; University of Southampton, UK; work on systematic reviews (and associated methodology)
    Projects:
    
    1. Collaboration on systematic reviews/Health Technology Assessments:
    1. Educational interventions for preventing cervical cancer,
    2. Left ventricular assist devices for cardiac failure,
    3. Diagnosis of tuberculosis;
    2. Work on a Cochrane Review: Routine hospital admissions versus home/out-patient management for children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes;
    3. Methodological work: Development of quality criteria for the assessment of quality of life trials;
    4. Epidemiology: Development of an Access database for studies of type 1 diabetes incidence.
  
  
  
• I have also been involved in the following scientific activities on a voluntary/honorary basis:
  
  
  • 01/07/2002 – present: Editor, Cochrane Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders Group (by appointment).
    
    
  • 1999 – present: Regular involvement in teaching at evidence-based medicine workshops and in training systematic reviewers.
    
    
  • 01/03/2003 – 07/2004: Supervision of the project/thesis work of students on the Master of Public Health and Epidemiology Course at the University of Munich.