Seminars
The Research Education Program (REP) presents over 24 seminars each year on a variety of topics, designed to inform and assist you through each step of the research process.
Due to hospital restrictions and are our responsibility to maintain community safety, we are currently presenting our seminars online. We invite you to register for an online ticket and join us for a live Q&A session with our seminar speaker.
We hope for a return to our face-to-face seminars which are normally presented in the Perth Children's Hospital auditorium and live streamed using Avaya Workplace, either direct to your desktop device, or from one of our hosted locations. Our seminars are also recorded and uploaded within a week from presentation. Find out more about your viewing options here.
Coming up next
Please check back regularly for any changes to our seminars scheduled for April/May.
6 May | REDCap for Data Capture and Management | Register for an online ticket |
20 May | Survey Design and Techniques | Register for the next presentation |
27 May | Getting the most out of Research Supervision | Register for the next presentation |
March/April seminars
If you were unable to join us for our seminars presented last month, we invite you to submit our access forms to watch in your own time.
29 April | Using Social Media in Research | Watch the 2022 recording |
8 April | Rapid Critical Appraisal of Scientific Literature | Watch the 2022 recording |
25 March | Project Management - NEW topic | Watch the 2022 recording |
18 March | Research Governance | Watch the 2022 recording |
Library of seminar recordings
Explore our library of seminars to find out more about each seminar topic and its presenter(s).
You can register for an upcoming presentation or access the most recent recording for each topic using the accordion menu below.
Presented by
Professor Tom Snelling - Director of Health and Clinical Analytics, School of Public Health, University of Sydney and Infectious Diseases Physician, Sydney Children’s Hospital Network
Synopsis
Compared with traditional fixed design clinical trials, adaptive clinical trials have a flexible design that uses accumulating results to make changes to the trial design as it is continues, according to pre-specified rules. This introduces a number of potential advantages including efficiency. This seminar provides an overview of adaptive trials – what they are and why we should consider using them, basic methodology including platform trials and the use of Bayesian statistical methods.
Where to watch
Watch the most recent recording - 14 May 2020
This seminar is not scheduled for re-presentation at this time.

Presented by
Michael Dymock - Biostatistician and Infectious Diseases Modeller – Telethon Kids Institute
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
This seminar covers fundamental statistical concepts for clinical researchers, including why we use significance testing, how to interpret confidence intervals and p-values, how sample size and variability affect results, why bias and confounding factors are important considerations in designing studies, and when to seek statistical support.
Where to watch
Register for the next presentation - 17 June 2022
Watch the most recent recording - 18 June 2021 (Presented by Dr Julie Marsh - Senior Research Fellow, Telethon Kids Institute)

Presented by
Michael Dymock - Biostatistician and Infectious Diseases Modeller, Telethon Kids Institute
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
This seminar provides an overview of how to perform sample size calculations for different research study designs and demonstrates how to use free "PS" software. It also covers issues specific to clinical trials and assists researchers to identify situations where the best course of action is to consult a statistician.
Where to watch
Register for the next presentation - 24 June 2022
Watch the most recent recording - 26 June 2021 (Presented by Dr Julie Marsh - Senior Research Fellow, Telethon Kids Institute)

Presented by
Michael Dymock - Biostatistician and Infectious Diseases Modeller – Telethon Kids Institute
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
To accompany the Rapid Critical Appraisal of Scientific Literature seminar, this seminar tackles critical appraisal from a statistical literacy point of view based on the 2013 Nature paper by Sutherland et al. It uses examples from the medical literature to “help non-scientists interrogate advisers and grasp the limitations of evidence” and will indicate when it is time to consult the statisticians. These tips are highly relevant for those looking for a refresher in statistical literacy or struggling to understand the seemingly unlimited sources of bias and confounding.
Where to watch
Register for the next presentation - 28 October 2022
Watch the most recent recording - 22 October 2021 (Presented by Dr Julie Marsh)

Presented by
Professor Sonya Girdler
Professor of Occupational Therapy
Director | Curtin Autism Research Group
Co-Domain Lead Neurodiversity, Child and Maternal Health | enAble Institute, Curtin School of Allied Health
Director Program 3 (Adulthood) | Autism Co-operative Research Centre
Adjunct Professor | University of Western Australia, School of Allied Health
Affiliated | Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institute (KIND), Sweden
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
Systematic reviews play an important role in health research. They provide a high level summary of studies and can inform policy and practice relevant to a particular area of inquiry. Understanding review methodologies is useful for those who wish to undertake a systematic review, or just read one. This seminar provides an overview of several types of reviews, along with simple strategies to focus a review and support review methodology.
Where to watch
Register for the next presentation - 10 June 2022
Watch the most recent recording - 10 September 2021

Presented by
Belinda Frank - Involvement Coordinator, Telethon Kids Institute
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
Every researcher should be actively involving consumer or community members to improve quality and increase impact of their research. Community involvement is increasingly a requirement for funding agencies. This seminar provides a practical introduction and will cover basic principles of consumer and community involvement, the benefits and barriers, and what to put in place to get started.
Where to watch
Register for the next presentation - 29 July 2022
Watch the most recent recording - 30 July 2021 - presented by Anne McKenzie AM - Community Engagement Manager, Telethon Kids Institute
Visit our presenters page for more information
Presented by
Professor Gary Geelhoed - Executive Director, WA Health Transition Network
Synopsis
This seminar covers COVID-19 research activities and their coordination in WA, including WAHTN's role in funding, coordination and prioritisation.
Where to watch
Watch the most recent recording - 18 May 2020
This seminar is not scheduled for re-presentation at this time.

Presented by
Radhouane Aniba
- Head Research Data Strategy, Telethon Kids Institute
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
Good data are crucial to a successful project with impact. This seminar explains why we need good data management practices, outlines researcher responsibilities, and provides practical data management planning strategies, including database design and development, data entry, cleaning and storage to ensure the most robust and safe data possible.
Where to watch
Register for the next presentation - 5 August 2022
Watch the most recent recording - 23 July 2021
Presented by
Dr Nik Zeps - Group Director of Research, Epworth Health Centre, Melbourne VIC
Synopsis
Ethics in research is often perceived as a bureaucratic hurdler to be struggled over.
This seminar will instead cover how to embrace ethics as a powerful tool that can ensure research is relevant and will meet its end point. This seminar will empower researchers to fulfil their obligations more easily, ensuring public trust in their work.
Where to watch
Watch the most recent recording - 5 April 2019
This seminar is not scheduled for re-presentation at this time.

Presented by
To be confirmed in 2022
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
This seminar reiterates ethical principles and focuses on understanding ethics processes for clinical research and responsibilities for researchers. It provides practical and up-to-date guidance for completing quality ethics applications.
Where to watch
Register for next presentation -18 November 2022
Watch the most recent recording (2020)

Presented by
Natalie Barber - 2021
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
Good Clinical Practice (GCP) provides the ethical and scientific standards and guidelines by which all research is conducted, and is a requirement for all researchers to know and apply. This seminar covers key components of GCP including responsibilities, approvals, informed consent, document and data management, and reporting of adverse effects.
Where to watch
Regretfully we are unable to present the scheduled seminar anew on the 11th March but we still invite you to
Watch the 2021 recording - presented on 5 March 2021

Presented by
Tegan McNab - Manager, Grants and Research Development, Telethon Kids Institute
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
This seminar covers where and how to find grant opportunities, and strategies for putting together a high quality grant application. It also focuses on understanding the grant review process, and how to submit and respond to reviewer comments.
Where to watch
Register for the next presentation - 21 October 2022
Watch the most recent recording - 5 November 2021

Presented by
Dr Julie Marsh - Senior Research Fellow, Telethon Kids Institute
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
This seminar covers the common problems investigators face during the pandemic, suggest how solutions can be documented,
and proposes statistical solutions to minimise bias.
Where to watch
Watch the most recent recording - 12 June 2020
This seminar is not scheduled for re-presentation at this time.

Co-presented by
- Richard Macliver - Innovation Manager, Child and Adolescent Health Service
- Ashley Schoof - Commercialisation Officer, Telethon Kids Institute
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
Join us for this new topic in our Research Skills Seminar Series.
Learn about how to get involved in innovation and commercialisation activities in child and adolescent health in WA. This session will cover: what you need to know and what support is available to help you achieve real-world impact from your research.
Where to watch
Register for the next presentation - 4 November 2022
Watch the most recent recording - 3 December 2021

Presented by
Glenn Pearson - Director of Aboriginal Health, Telethon Kids Institute
and
Dr Brad Farrant - Head, Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing, Telethon Kids Institute
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
This seminar provides an overview of important considerations for engaging Indigenous people in research, including understanding cultural differences, ethical considerations, and the importance of community consultation.
Where to watch
Register for the next presentation - 16 September 2022
Watch the most recent recording - 17 September 2021

Presented by
A/Prof Fenella Gill - Acute Paediatric Nursing, Perth Children's Hospital and Curtin University
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
Ensuring that research findings are translated into practice involves a systematic approach from the beginning when you are designing your research. Implementation science bridges the gap between developing and evaluating effective interventions and implementation and de-implementation in routine practice. This seminar covers key elements of implementation research; theoretical approaches, research designs, involvement of stakeholders, behaviour change interventions.
Where to watch
Register for the next presentation - 19 August 2022
Watch the most recent recording - 6 August 2021

Presented by
Elizabeth Chester - Director, Communications and Development, Telethon Kids Institute
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
Understanding how to work with the media is essential and a critical responsibility for all researchers, whether it’s the newspaper, TV, radio, or social media. This seminar will provide practical techniques on working with the media and ensuring your bottom line is delivered in an engaging, accurate, and responsible way.
Where to watch
Register for the next presentation - 12 August 2022
Watch the most recent recording - 13 August 2021

Presented by
To be confirmed in 2022
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
Effective presentation of research results is a key component of research translation, a moral responsibility to undertake for your research participants, funders and institution, and an opportunity to get important feedback.
This seminar includes a range of tips on choosing and organising materials, delivery styles and techniques, preparing for questions, gaining confidence, and how to run a session effectively.
Where to watch
Register for the next presentation - 26 August 2022
Watch the most recent recording - 27 August 2021
Presented by
Tara McLaren - Head, Research Development, Telethon Kids Institute
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
Tara McLaren from Telethon Kids Institute will join us in 2022 for this NEW topic in our Research Skills Seminar Series.
Efficient and effective project management techniques are essential to move your research project from initiation to execution, through to success.
This seminar provides insights to improve internal communications, foster team alignment, facilitate risk management and improve workflows for smooth processes and engaged stakeholders.
Where to watch
Watch the most recent recording - 25 March 2022

Presented by
Dr Shirley McGough - Senior Research Fellow, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Curtin University
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
The use of qualitative research methods is becoming more popular in health either as the primary research method or as part of a mixed methods approach to investigating a health issue. This seminar covers the benefits of using qualitative research; some of the myths associated with the use of qualitative research; the types of qualitative methods; how data is collected and analysed; and, how the research prepares to use qualitative research to improve health outcomes for individuals, families and communities.
Where to watch
Register for the next presentation - 25 November 2022
Watch the most recent recording - 26 November 2021
Presented by
Dr Natalie Strobel, Senior Research Fellow,
Centre for improving health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families,
Kurongkurl Katitjin, Edith Cowan University
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
Given the sheer volume and variable quality of published papers even in high impact journals, it is essential to have skills to target and rapidly appraise relevant literature to answer current clinical questions. This seminar provides simple strategies to help focus your reading, examine validity of results, and decide whether to accept and apply them in your setting.
Where to watch
Watch the most recent recording - 8 April 2022

Co-presented by
Ali Hollingsworth and Rakshya Khadka from Telethon Kids Biometrics Team
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
The Department of Health WA now preferentially supports REDCap use and many health service providers are switching to REDCap as the database of choice for safely entering, storing and reporting on data. This presentation covers how to access REDCap, basic REDCap functionality, and where to go for further assistance and resources and is presented by staff from The Telethon Kids Institute Biometrics team, which provides access to REDCap for all Telethon Kids, Child and Adolescent Health Services (CAHS), and Perth Children’s Hospital based researchers.
Where to watch
Watch the most recent recording - 7 May 2021

Presented by
A/Prof Sue Skull - 2021
Visit our presenters page for more information.
Synopsis
Research Fundamentals provides a practical introduction to research and examines why we do research, and the steps in the research process. This seminar includes how to decide whether an idea is worth pursuing, through to putting together a quality protocol, and also covers your responsibilities as a researcher.
Where to watch
Regretfully our scheduled seminar for the 4th February has been cancelled. We invite you to
Watch the most recent recording - 5 February 2021
Presented in 2022 by
Katherine Coltrona - Manager Research Governance, Telethon Kids Institute
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
All new research project applications must cover requirements for both ethics and governance. This seminar focuses on the general principles and responsibilities related to research governance, and provide practical tips for preparation of governance applications. It also covers recent changes to state and national governance frameworks and implications for researchers.
Where to watch
Watch the most recent recording - 18 March 2022
Presented by
To be confirmed in 2022
Synopsis
There is an increasing requirement for researchers to demonstrate the impacts of their research to funders, stakeholders and to the community.
This seminar will provide an overview of research impact, showcasing recently published AAMRI Research Impact Framework. The session will also provide an overview of the requirements of impact statement for an NHMRC Investigator or Synergy grant.
Where to watch
Register for the next presentation on 11 November 2022
Watch the most recent recording - 19 November 2021

Presented by
Professor Jonathan Carapetis - Director, Telethon Kids Institute
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
This seminar covers the importance of understanding the rights and responsibilities of both supervisors and supervisees doing research, whether for a formal degree or a small project, and how to get the best out of both roles. It also provides practical tips related to the selection of suitable research projects, supervision frequency and time allocation, different supervision styles, remote supervision and working with multiple supervisors.
Where to watch
Register for the next presentation - 27 May 2022
Watch the most recent recording - 11 June 2021

Presented by
A/Prof Sue Skull - 2021
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
Writing is the most used channel for communication of ideas, research, and findings. Being able to have quality and effective scientific writing is a fundamental part of successful research translation. This seminar provides a practical overview of scientific writing; including principles of good writing, how to get started, article structure and organisation, how to negotiate authorship, and the publication process.
Where to watch
Regretfully our scheduled seminar for the 18th February has been cancelled. We invite you to
Watch the most recent recording - 19 February 2021

Presented by
Dr Kenneth Lee - Senior Lecturer - Pharmacy Practice, The University of Western Australia
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
As a researcher, it is difficult to reach the public and broadcast your work. Building and maintaining your “brand” will help set you apart. This seminar provides the tools to connect with other researchers, build your network, and in the long run, effectively translate your research to a wider audience.
Where to watch
Watch the most recent recording - 29 April 2022
Presented by
A/Prof Sue Skull - 2021 seminar
Dr Jane Mugure Githae - 2022 post-seminar Q and A session
Visit our presenters page for more information
Synopsis
Surveys, including clinical audits, are one of the most commonly conducted clinical research projects. There is a lot more to doing these well than meets the eye. This seminar provides practical help for planning and conducting surveys. It includes good survey design, approval pathways, sampling and administration methods, writing high quality questionnaires & data collection instruments, maximising response rates and reducing data errors.
Where to watch
Register for the next seminar and QandA session - 20 May 2022
Watch the most recent recording - 14 May 2021