NASHVILLE, Tenn. The Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance (MVA) hosted the third session of the Summer Research Lunch & Learn Series on July 17, 2019, with Nan Kennedy, BA and Becky Jerome, MLIS, MPH discussing “Needles in the PubMed Haystack.”
PubMed
“PubMed,” Jerome explained, “is the core source for identifying peer-reviewed biomedical literature.”
PubMed is a free search engine that primarily accesses the MEDLINE database of life sciences and biomedical topics. The United States National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health maintains it.
Zotero
Kennedy echoed Jerome’s sentiments and went into detail on just how to utilize PubMed as an important tool, and recommended software like Zotero, an open-source reference management program for research materials.
“It helps you stay organized,” she said. “It provides a comprehensive list of sources for safekeeping.
Jerome
Jerome is Manager of Translational Research at the Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (VICTR) at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She’s worked in systematic literature review and evidence synthesis in clinical medicine, as well as basic sciences.
She has a diverse background that includes technical and logistics experience in identifying and synthesizing scientific evidence to explore various research hypotheses on numerous topics, ranging from trauma and critical care to woman’s health and personalized medicine.
Kennedy
Kennedy is Program Manager at VICTR. She conducts literature reviews on a range of scientific, clinical trial and business-related topics within Research Support Services. Her evidence synthesis and written summaries inform meetings, grant proposals, study design, conference presentation and manuscript framing.
Kennedy also serves as a resource for senior and executive leadership in the discovery of information critical to supporting business decisions.
About the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance
Founded in 1999, the Alliance bridges the institutions of Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Its mission is to enrich learning and advance clinical research in three primary areas -- community engagement, interprofessional education and research -- by developing and supporting mutually beneficial partnerships between Meharry Medical College, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the communities they serve. Through community engagement, the Alliance serves a large community of stakeholders including surrounding universities and colleges, community organizations, faith-based outlets and community health centers. Its interprofessional education enhances students' interdisciplinary understanding and improves patient outcomes through integrated care. The research conducted provides access to experienced grant writers and materials supporting the grant application process and facilitates grant-writing workshops.
