PPCR - Principles And Practice of Clinical Research - Harvard
Overview
São Leopoldo Mandic College is a higher education institution partnered with Harvard to offer the Principles and Practice of Clinical Research (PPCR) course from The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The PPCR provides comprehensive training, covering everything from the fundamentals of clinical research—such as formulating a research question, selecting the study population, randomization and blinding methods—to statistical methods, including data distribution and classification, statistical tests, sample size calculation, survival analysis, handling missing data, and meta-analysis.
The course also addresses data collection, monitoring, and reporting (with training in scientific writing) and different study designs, such as observational studies, non-inferiority and adaptive trials, and randomized clinical trials.
Group Projects
As an essential part of the program, students collaborate with their assigned groups—a global cohort of diverse and motivated students—to develop three main projects:
- Mini Systematic Review: focused on synthesizing evidence from the scientific literature.
- Data Analysis Project: using a real public database, offering hands-on experience in statistical interpretation and application.
- Funding Proposal (Grant Proposal): designed to teach the essential elements for obtaining funding for research projects.
These activities are fundamental to learning and provide valuable opportunities for teamwork, practical application of knowledge, and professional growth.
Target Audience
PPCR is a collaborative distance learning program offered to students in Boston and from sites around the world. São Leopoldo Mandic is one of them.
This course is intended for individuals who wish to acquire basic and advanced training in clinical trials before entering the field, as well as those who already have experience and seek to expand their role in the design, management, analysis, and publication of clinical trials.
Although the course is offered remotely, interaction with colleagues and instructors and participation in program activities are mandatory requirements for its successful completion.
participation In-person
Attendance
In-person participants must attend the weekly activities broadcast via videoconference.
Students from São Leopoldo Mandic will be present at São Leopoldo Mandic – Campinas.
Local
Video conferencing and in-person sessions at São Leopoldo Mandic - Campinas
Days
Thursdays
Schedules
5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Schedules may vary, as we follow Boston time.
Format Program
PPCR is a distance learning program with weekly live sessions, lasting 3 hours, via interactive videoconference.
The video conferences are streamed from Harvard to various centers around the world, and there is also the option of individual participation via web conference.
During the course, participants should:
Participate in discussion forums
Read scientific articles
Perform statistical tasks and exercises
At the end of the 9-month program, a 5-day Immersion Course is offered, designed to put the learned concepts into practice.
Optionally, an Advanced Statistics Workshop (3 days) and scientific manuscript writing workshops are held in Boston (USA).
Objectives Learning
- To plan clinical trials effectively.
- Collect data appropriately.
- Using basic functions of statistical software.
- To develop clinical research based on principles of integrity
- Choose appropriate basic statistical tests.
- Perform statistical analyses correctly.
- To read and critically interpret scientific articles.
- To discuss the fundamentals of scientific publication and the peer review process
- Describe more complex clinical trial designs
Timeline
Below is the schedule for weekly classes (3 hours each) of the main component of the PPCR program's clinical research course.
The schedule may be subject to minor variations in dates and content.
Please consult the program website for updates on the 2026 schedule.
Program Modules:
- Fundamentals of Clinical Research
- Statistical Fundamentals and Data Applications in Clinical Research
- Observational Studies and Real-World Data
- In-Depth Exploration of Statistical Tests
- Data Analysis Project (during the July break)
- Study Planning with Statistical Methods
- Essential Competencies in Clinical Research
Investing in the Future
By helping researchers improve their clinical research skills in a highly interactive environment, this program fosters personal and professional growth, making participants more effective in their work.
Furthermore, the program's collaborative environment is expected to foster lasting connections among participants, encouraging the development of multicenter and collaborative projects in the future.
Our goal is to offer a dynamic and global learning environment, promoting international training in clinical research and strengthening a worldwide network of researchers capable of fostering partnerships and continuous advancements in the field.
Who can
participate?
Undergraduate students in Medicine and Dentistry, postgraduate students, and professors from São Leopoldo Mandic are eligible to participate in the course.
The PPCR 2026 will be held from March 26 to December 10, 2026.
How to register:
Registrations Open
Site Director of São Leopoldo Mandic: Prof. Dr. Taís Daiene Russo Hortencio.
Email: tais.hortencio@slmandic.edu.br
Instagram: @ppcrslmandic
