Dr Beatriz Goulao

Biography

I am a health services researcher, statistician and MRC New Investigator leading a programme of research to improve the relevance and communication of data to support health decision making. 

I lead the patient and public involvement in numerical aspects of trials (PoINT) research programme (visual abstract below from our priority setting) including MRC-funded PINpoINT - Patient and public INvolvement In target differeNces in Trials. We use participatory methods to improve involvement of patients, and the public in discussions related to data and statistics, making their collection, analysis and interpretation more relevant to them. 

I am the Chief Investigator in participatory projects to improve the communication and translation of data in oral health settings. This includes an NHS Education for Scotland funded cluster randomised trial using data to support dentist's antibiotic prescriptions; and a Citizen Science project to improve the communication and implementation of oral health evidence [video below]. I am TRiaDS (Translating Research into a Dental Setting) lead statistician and methodology research fellow. More information about the projects can be found here.

As part of our portfolio of clinical trials evaluating complex interventions, I lead the statistical design of multiple NIHR funded national trials including in oral health (SCRIPT, PIP) and surgical interventions (VUE, OPEN).

I joined the Health Services Research Unit in 2014. I finished my PhD part-time focusing on complex designs to improve oral health research (2020). I have an MSc in Biostatistics (2013) and an MSc in Metabolic Diseases with a focus on nutrition epidemiology (2013). I have worked as a researcher in the Epidemiology Unit of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon and as a registered dietitian in the Portuguese National Health System.

Prizes and Awards

2018 Principal’s Prizes for Public Engagement with Research 

2018 Engage Researchers’ Academy member (National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement)

2017 Santander Mobility Award

2014 Best oral communication, Challenges 2020: Congress of the Portuguese Dietetic Association, Lisbon

2012 Best Oral Communication in Nutrition, 16th Portuguese Obesity Congress, Lisbon

Research Overview

Trials methodology; Statistics; Participatory methods; Communication of data and evidence; Complex interventions; Implementation Science; Oral health and dental healthcare; Surgical interventions; Patient and public involvement; Mixed-methods

Current Research

My programme of research focuses on improving the relevance and communication of data to support health decision making. 

The programme includes:

• Patient and Public Involvement in Numerical Aspects of Trials (PoINT) including:
  • Patient and public INvolvement In target differeNces in Trials (The PINpoINT Study) 
  • The original Patient and public Involvement in Numerical aspects of Trials (PoINT) project. The results of our priority setting meeting to identify the top numerical aspects to involve patients and the public have been published [video presenting the project below]

• • INITIAL: Involving patients and the public In sTatistIcal Analysis pLans
  • Patient and public involvement in numerical aspects of trials: a mixed methods theory-informed survey of trialists’ current practices, barriers and facilitators 
  • How do we know if a treatment is good enough? A survey of non-inferiority trials
  • Creative workshops to improve communication of statistics in patient and public involvement

I am lead supervisor for two PhD students developing work in patient and public involvement in numerical aspects of trials: Sophie Greenwood, and Vitri Darlene. I work with public partners and researchers nationally and internationally to improve the translation of statistics to patients and the public, and to improve patient and public involvement in research.

• Improving the communication of evidence and data to support decision making in oral health and dental settings, including

I am chief investigator of the following projects:

• TiPTAP tests the use of data with or without training in-practice to support dentist's decision making when it comes to antibiotic prescribing
• GUIDE: Working with citizen scientists to improve GUideline Implementation in DEntistry

I am also TRiaDS lead statistician and methodology research fellow.

I am a statistician with expertise in the evaluation of complex interventions. As part of that role, my work focuses on:

• Leading the statistical work packages in national dental trials

Currently, I lead the statistical analysis work package of two large National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded dental trials: SCRIPT and PIP.

As part of the NIHR-funded IQuaD and INTERVAL dental trials, I have led the following methodological work:

• Three behavior change theory-informed randomized studies within a trial to improve response rates to trial postal questionnaires
• Have you had bleeding from your gums? Self-report to identify giNGival inflammation (The SING diagnostic accuracy and diagnostic model development study)

• Leading the statistical work packages in national surgical trials

These include leading the statistical design and analysis of the OPEN and VUE clinical trials.

Other methodological work

I have developed methodological work around cluster and factorial randomised trials and, in particular, multi-level cluster factorial trials. 

Past Research

• IQuaD: a randomised trial focusing on routine scale and polish and personalised oral hygiene advice in primary care dentistry
• INTERVAL: a randomised trial focusing on routine check-ups in primary care dentistry

Knowledge Exchange

I have led or been involved in several public engagement projects with the aim of improving critical thinking skills when looking at evidence, including numerical skills, and disseminating clinical trials. I have received several awards for my science communication work including the Principal’s Prize for Public Engagement with Research 2018, Outstanding Achievement: Early Career Category.

Working with the local community radio and their youth media group, we have developed podcasts discussing concepts related to clinical trials.

The Trial of the LukcyTattie podcast team - listen here.

A podcast about COVID-19 trials presented at the international conference, Public Communication of Science and Technology 2020.

Collaborations

Member of the Audit and Feedback International Metalab International Trainee Network

Member of the Informed Health Choices International Network

Core member of the MRC-NIHR Trials Methodology Research Partnership Statistical Analysis Working Group

Member of the NIHR Improving Statistics Literacy group

I was awarded the Santader Mobility Award in 2017 to work on the efficient collection of dental outcomes in trials at the University of Munster. 

I am a collaborator of the Unit of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon (learn more here) in the project PEN-3S - Nutritional status of Portuguese elders: national prevalence study and development of an electronic surveillance system.

Funding and Grants

Research funding

Patient and public INvolvement In target differeNces in Trials (The PINpoINT Study) [£534,210.50]. 2023-26. Principal Investigator: Beatriz Goulao. Funding body: Medical Research Council.

INITIAL: Involving patients and the public In sTatistIcal Analysis pLans [£9,492.09]. 2021-22. Principal Investigator: Beatriz Goulao. Funding body: Medical Research Council-National Institute for Health Research

Ensuring academic trials answer the questions of interest: Implementation of the estimand framework [£8,775]. 2021-22. Co-applicant. Principal Investigators: Suzie Cro, Brennan Kahan. Funding body: Medical Research Council-National Institute for Health Research

GUIDE: Working with citizen scientists to improve GUideline Implementation in DEntistry [£10,000].  2021-22. Principal Investigator: Beatriz Goulao. Funding body: Wellcome Trust – Institutional Strategic Support Fund at the University of Aberdeen.

The PIP trial - Pulpotomy for the Management of Irreversible Pulpitis (PIP) [£1,996,749.96]. 2020-2023. Co-applicant and lead statistician. Principal Investigators: Craig Ramsay and Jan Clarkson. Funding body: National Institute for Health Research.

Can co-design enhance national quality improvement interventions? [£33,617]. Jan-Nov 2020. Co-applicant. Principal Investigators: Laura Beaton and Jan Clarkson. Funding body: Chief Scientist Office Catalytic Research Grants.

Patient and public Involvement in Numerical aspects of Trials (PoINT) [£36,280]. 2019-2020. Principal Investigator: Beatriz Goulao. Funding body: Wellcome Trust – Institutional Strategic Support Fund at the University of Aberdeen.

Reporting results of diagnostic accuracy studies to patients and the public [£1,500]. 2019. Principal Investigator: Beatriz Goulao. Funding body: Medical Research Scotland.

Personal award: Engage Researchers’ Academy member [£970]. 2018. Funding body: UK Research and Innovation.

Personal award: Engage Researchers’ Academy attendee support [£870]. 2018. Funding body: Wellcome Trust – Institutional Strategic Support Fund at the University of Aberdeen.

Personal award: Santander Mobility awards to travel and collaborate with a research team at Munster University [£800]. 2017. Funding body: Santander.

Beatriz Goulao, Clare Robertson. Public engagement award to develop a Treasure Hunt activity and disseminate the evidence synthesis process [£300]. 2017. Funder: Public Engagement with Research Unit, University of Aberdeen.

Teaching Responsibilities

I have been involved in the design and implementation, as a tutor and assessor, of both HSRU online courses:

• Real World Trials online course: where I deliver the factorial trials lesson and have co-designed the PPI module
• Patient and Public Involvement in Health Research online course: where I have co-designed and delivered live sessions with a particular interest in patient and public involvement in methodological projects

I am also an assessor for the Evidence Based Health module since 2019.