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Systematic review and meta-analysis techniques produce precise estimates of empirical studies to address issues that are pertinent for policy, practice, and future study. The application can also reveal unnoticed patterns in the results of previous studies, producing new insights. For these reasons, there has been an increase in the use of systematic reviews and meta-analyses in the social, medical, and natural sciences.

Hosted by Dahdaleh faculty fellow Godfred Boateng and facilitated by Dr. Reginald Quansah, this four-day course will discuss the fundamentals methods in systematic reviews and meta-analysis. It will include a series of lectures, exercises, group discussions, and supervised statistical training sessions.

This is a non-degree course is appropriate for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, faculty, and senior researchers who have interest in evidence synthesis. Participants should have completed introductory courses in research methods and statistics.

Learning Objectives

Systematic review and meta-analysis method research is extremely useful in the era where a huge amount of research is produced each year, often with conflicting findings. In those instances, it can offer scientifically sound and powerful alternatives that can overcome the difficulties in addressing bias, heterogeneity and quality of the studies. However, often a poorly conducted systematic review and meta-analysis could yield misleading results. Therefore, various guidelines have been suggested to help standardized the independent study findings and to improve quality research.

In this course, participants will gain a better understanding of systematic review and meta-analysis and gain the following skills:

1. Recognize features of systematic reviews and meta-analyses as a research design
2. Identify the elements of a well-defined review question
3. Understand and develop search strategies
4. Perform a comprehensive search for relevant studies
5. Manage the results of systematic searches
6. Extract data and assess risk of bias of included studies
7. Understand and carry out quantitative analysis of extracted data
8. Apply the methodology and conduct reviews independently

Certificate will be issued upon completion.

Fees

$100 for faculty

$50 for students (use promo code SRMA26 to apply the discount)

If you have any questions, please email Godfred Boateng

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Register below and join us on Tuesday, February 17 at 9:00 a.m.

Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza has created a profound humanitarian and public health catastrophe. Sustained airstrikes on a densely populated and displaced civilian population, combined with severe restrictions on food, water, medical care, and shelter, are devastating the basic conditions necessary for human survival. At the same time, violence against Palestinians in the West Bank by the Israeli military and settlers has reached unprecedented levels.

A central feature of this panel will be testimonies from Palestinians in Gaza, whose lived experiences will ground the discussion. Panelists will examine the immediate and intergenerational health consequences of the crisis, reflect on Palestinian resilience and humanity amid genocide, and interrogate how—and why—the international community has allowed these conditions to persist.

The seminar aims not only to inform, but to compel reflection and action, asking what researchers, health professionals, and concerned citizens can and must do within the York community and across the Canadian context.

Speaker Profiles

• Dr. Ahmmed Al-Farra is a senior paediatrician in Gaza and head of pediatrics and maternity in Gaza's Nasser Medical Complex. He has been reporting to the world across multiple media platforms and news stations about the catastrophic conditions in Gaza, and particularly the starvation and violence that Israel is inflicting on Gaza’s children.
• Dr. Ola Ziara is a paediatrician and child health and nutrition expert from Gaza, who now lives in Toronto. Her recent study with Dr. Rachel Coghlan called, "Palestinians in Gaza: Exemplars of Ethical and Local Humanitarianism” captures the voices and experiences of Palestinians in Gaza reflecting on the meaning of humanity amidst genocide.
• Dr. Michael Lynk is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, Western University, in London, Ontario. He served as the 7th UN-appointed Special Rapporteur for the human rights situation in the Palestinian Territories from 2016-2023 in addition to decades of work, research, and teaching on labour, human rights, disability, constitutional and administrative law.

Register below and join us on February 25 at 1 p.m.!

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Recap: Part I – The Limits and Responsibilities of Global Health & Humanitarianism: What the Genocide in Gaza Reveals

As the impacts of climate change exacerbate all over the world, issues around housing, energy poverty and gentrification become more complex to deal with in equitable ways. We invite you to be part of a conversation with three interdisciplinary panellists who's work intersects at the core of the question "How can we keep everyone healthy and well as we work towards mitigating and adapting to climate change?". Join us as we find unexpected connections and points of intervention!

About the Panellists

Evelyn Amponsah is an interdisciplinary scholar of Black diaspora, memory, temporality, and political life whose work spans Canada, Ghana, and the broader Black Atlantic. She holds a PhD in Social & Political Thought from York University and recently comepleted a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at York University’s Climate and Equity Lab. Across her research, Evelyn examines how Black communities navigate ruptured histories, racial power, and institutional harm, and how cultural and community practices become tools for dignity, survival, and collective possibility.

Patricio Belloy is Assistant Professor at the Institute of Economics, Universidad Austral de Chile. His research and practice explore how environmental, energy, and climate policy and action can concurrently promote community development through meaningful engagement and knowledge co-production. Patricio holds a PhD and an MSc in Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts Boston. He earned a BBA from Austral University of Chile and an MA in Global Studies from Leipzig University (Germany) and Wroclaw University (Poland). He is a former MIT Mel King Community Fellow.

Register below and join us on February 27 at noon!

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How do health systems adapt when governance is shared across federal, provincial, territorial, and Indigenous governments? How do advocates navigate the complexity of Indigenous health policy in Canada, where jurisdictional boundaries, cultural priorities, and reconciliation commitments converge?

Dr. Sandra Romain brings extensive experience in policy development, health transformation, and intergovernmental relations. Drawing on real-world examples, she will explore collaborative strategies, systemic barriers, and policy innovations that shape health outcomes for Indigenous communities.

Attendees will gain a critical understanding of governance challenges and practical approaches to advancing equity and culturally grounded solutions in health policy.

In preparation for this seminar, Dr. Romain has recommended reading the Inuit Nunangat Policy.

PDF Copies and citations of recommended readings for this seminar and all others for the semester can be found here.

Speaker Profile

Sandra Romain is a Medical Anthropologist and senior policy leader in the Government of Canada, specializing in Indigenous and Inuit health. She has held leadership roles at Indigenous Services Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, where she advanced strategic policy initiatives in public health and economic reconciliation. Her work includes intergovernmental collaboration on the National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy, tuberculosis elimination, vaccine confidence and Indigenous entrepreneurship programs.

Dr. Romain’s research and policy experience emphasize culturally informed approaches to health systems and governance. She has published widely on Indigenous health and pharmaceutical care in remote communities and serves on national research ethics boards.

Register below and join us on Wednesday, April 1, at 1:00 p.m. ET

RSVP