Systematic reviews and research synthesis outside the clinical sciences

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In this presentation I will provide an overview of systematic reviews outside of the clinical sciences, with a focus on public health, food production, food security and food safety.  Although the need for research synthesis is similar, outside of the clinical sciences many of the review questions do not relate to interventions, and are rather related to risk factor identification (hazard identification). Further, in food production, toxicology and environmental health, because of the regulatory needs, risk assessors are primary end users of systematic reviews. Systematic reviews products are increasingly used as the inputs for risk assessments in topics such as approval of GMO foods, approval of antibiotics for livestock production, or control of food borne pathogens. I will discuss some of the unique challenges/aspects of reviews conducted for risk assessment and food production.

Speaker profile

Dr. O’Connor is a veterinary epidemiologist who works in the area of research synthesis related to food production, public health, food safety and uses of animals. This work involves combining research in transparent and comprehensive ways that ensure maximum value is obtained from societies investment in research funding. Dr. O’Connor has worked in a diverse set of fields including food-borne pathogens of animal proteins, food production, biomedical uses of animals, and veterinary public health. The main aim of Dr. O’Connor’s work is to help end users better understand the results of research so decisions makers such as industry bodies, veterinary practitioners and government officials can incorporate primary research into decisions i.e. science supported decision making.

Dr. O’Connor has worked with agencies such as the National Pork Board and the European Union Food Safety Authority. Topics evaluated include bovine respiratory disease in feedlot cattle, infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis in beef calves, anthelminthic protocols for cattle, brucellosis in sheep, Salmonellae pre-harvest in pigs, MRSA in swine, pre-harvest food safety interventions, post harvest interventions, zoonotic pathogens and the impact of proximity to confined animal operations on community health.

Dr. O’Connor teaches meta-analysis, systematic reviews, guideline development and basic epidemiology.

Dr. O’Connor has over 100 peer reviewed publications in primary research, epidemiology methods, systematic reviews projects and GRADE guideline development projects. She is co-author of a special issue of Zoonoses and Public Health on Special Issue: Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis in Animal Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine. She is also the section editor for two journals for systematic reviews and guideline development.

In conjunction with research synthesis, Dr. O’Connor has used traditional epidemiological research approaches so that decision makers can better understand the efficacy of control options for Salmonellae pre-harvest and MRSA in swine, antimicrobial resistance in food production, brucellosis in sheep, bovine respiratory disease in feedlot cattle and infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis in beef calves.  The combined impact of this work has been to provide producers, veterinarians, government agencies and industry groups with independent advice about the efficacy of relevant interventions. Dr. O’Connor is an author of the REFLECT statement (2010), a reporting guideline for interventions involving livestock and food safety outcomes (similar to the CONSORT statement).

Dr. O’Connor received a Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc) from the University of Sydney in 1993, a Masters of Veterinary Science (MVSc) from the University of Queensland in 1997 and a Doctoral of Veterinary Science (DVSc) from the University of Guelph in 2001.  In 2009, Dr. O’Connor was admitted as a Fellow of Epidemiology to the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists. Dr. O’Connor is Professor of Epidemiology at Iowa State University.

Dr. O’Connor teaches epidemiology methods and inference in the Preventive Veterinary Medicine Program at Iowa State University the Masters of Public Health program at the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa.

Seminar details

Date: Monday 27 June 2016

Time: 12.30pm - 1.30pm

Venue: Seminar Room, Level 1, 75 Talavera Road, Macquarie University

Chairperson: Dr Guy Tsafnat

For those unable to attend this seminar in person a recording will be available on the AIHI website following the event.