This workshop will focus on two of the cornerstones of science advancement, which are rigor in designing and performing scientific research and the ability to reproduce biomedical research findings. The workshop will also emphasize the application of rigor that ensures robust and unbiased experimental design, methodology, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of results. The notion that when a result can be reproduced by multiple scientists, it validates the original results and readiness to progress to the next phase of research will be covered in this course. This is especially important for preclinical studies that provide the basis for rigorous clinical trials in humans.
The overall goal of this workshop is for each attendee to be able to apply rigor in designing, performing, and reporting scientific research, as described by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Wouter Koek, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry
UT Health San Antonio
Date: TBA
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Location: TBD
Please bring laptops, tablets, etc. for an
interactive component of the workshop
About Wouter Koek, PhD
Wouter Koek has a Bachelor’s degree in psychology, a Master’s degree in physiological psychology and statistics, and a PhD in behavioral pharmacology from the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands. After post-doctoral training in the Department of Pharmacology of the University of Michigan, he worked fifteen years in the pharmaceutical industry (Servier, Fabre) conducting drug discovery research aimed at developing new treatments for psychiatric disorders. In 2002, he joined UT Health San Antonio as a faculty member in the Division of Alcohol and Drug Addiction of the Department of Psychiatry. He also has joint or cross appointments in the Department of Pharmacology and the Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy. Dr. Koek divides his time between research, education, and service. He conducts preclinical research using animal models relevant to alcohol and drug abuse, and to depression. His studies examine how genetic factors, developmental factors, and their interaction influence vulnerability to psychiatric disorders. This research, which is supported by NIDA, NIAAA, NIMH, and NARSAD, is aimed at helping to develop novel treatments for substance abuse and for depression.