Evidence-based Toxicology

This module introduces you to the course, outlines the shortcomings of current toxicity testing approaches, and shows how EBT can help to overcome these shortcomings.

This module explains how evidence-based toxicology originated and describes the driving forces for the initiative. It covers distinguishing between correlation and causation, the Bradford Hill criteria, and mechanistic toxicology.

This module shows how to perform systematic reviews and meta-analyses. You will learn the history of both methods and will receive step-by-step instructions on how to perform systematic reviews and meta-analyses using examples from the research activities of the instructors.

This module teaches you about possible biases that can be introduced at different stages of research. It covers systematic review of the zebrafish embryotoxicity test as a case study conducted by the Evidence-based Toxicology Collaboration (EBTC).

This module demonstrates the importance of performing quality control on experiments and covers different aspects of alternatives methods validation, how to perform classical validation, its pitfalls, and strategies to overcome them.

This module teaches biostatistical tools for analyzing predictivity, specificity, and sensitivity of a method. It covers the difference between eminence-based vs. evidence-based approaches and how evidence-based approaches should help to overcome the reproducibility crisis in science.

The final week of the course is devoted to completing the Systematic Review Assignment. You will use SysRev to review at least 20 abstracts, apply inclusion and exclusion criteria, render decisions, and resolve conflicts with other reviewers.