Training course "Systematic review and meta-analysis: theory and practice" will be held from 10 to 14 November 2014 in Saint-Petersburg, North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov, Piskarevskij pr. 47, Department of Epidemiology, Parasitology and Disinfectology.

The course is organized in the frame of long-term research collaboration between Karolinska Institutet and North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov. It is designed for postgraduates and academic staff in the field of epidemiology and other medical disciplines.

The aim of the course

The theoretical justification, practical steps, explication and critical analysis of the results of systematic review and meta-analysis as tools of evidence based medicine.

The course content

The course includes theoretical and practical classes, held in the form of lectures and independent work of students in groups. The present course is a basic epidemiology course and intended to introduce students to the basic methodological concepts and practices used in the system of integration of the results of individual researches, as well as the approaches to the critical evaluation of the results of this type of researches. The idea of the course, as well as its structure is similar to that used at the Karolinska Institute during the conducting of the postgraduate course "Systematic review and meta-analysis".

The expected training outcomes (after the completion of the course the student should be able to)

  • justify the need and to plan independently the carrying out of systematic review and meta-analysis;

  • critically justify the possible use of meta-analysis as a part of data systematic review as well as to justify the criteria indicating the impossibility (non-rationality) of the quantitation of the systematic review results;

  • evaluate and explain in general the results of the systematic review and meta-analysis;

  • explain the advantages and disadvantages of meta-analysis;

apply knowledge of the systematic review concept and meta-analysis with the critical analysis of scientific literature.

Participation in the course is free for all students, regardless of their country of residence. The course includes attending of lectures, work of students in groups, copies of lectures and articles (cases) using in the group discussions.

Preliminary registration is obligatory!

Registration is available at the Department of Epidemiology, Parasitology and Disinfectology, North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov, (Saint-Petersburg, Russia). Contact person: Associate Professor Batyrbek I. Aslanov (batyra@mail.ru).


Registration is also possible at the organizer of the course Anna V. Sydorchuk by e-mail Anna.Sidorchuk@ki.se or goodme@mail.ru.

The organizers and lecturers of the course 

The organizer of the course, lecturer in epidemiology: Anna V. Sidorchuk, MD, PhD in Epidemiology, Associate Professor of epidemiology, parasitology and disinfectology of North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov (Saint-Petersburg, Russia); Head of the research projects of the Department of Public Health (Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden) (Department of Public Health Sciences, Department of Social Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden).


Co-Supervisor of the course in Russia: Ludmila P. Zueva, Professor, Dsci, Head of the Department of Epidemiology, Parasitology and Disinfectology, North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov, (Saint-Petersburg, Russia).

Place of training
North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov

Saint-Petersburg, Piskarevskij pr., 47

Department of Epidemiology, Parasitology and Disinfectology, pavillon 2-4, second floor, r. 19.

Contact Information

for communication with the Head of the course Anna V. Sydorchuk: