What you should know about biomedical research:
Have you ever wondered about who gets your samples taken during your routine hospital visit or while ill? Well, they are given to medical laboratory technicians for routine test. With your permission (consent) it may be given to scientist or researchers for further investigation (if required) or as a donation for research purposes only. For the purpose of this article, I will focus on biomedical research.
Definition of biomedical research:
I define biomedical research as a multidisciplinary field of medicine that looks into the health of an individual, and tells them what is good, bad or affecting part of their body in order to improve their overall quality of life and health. Biomedical researchers or scientist carry out investigations by performing scientific experiments, so, scientifically speaking they are involved in diagnosis, treatment, prevention and understanding mechanisms of a disease or disorder.
Education and qualification:
For these researchers to understand the mechanism of a disease, which is the study of the defects that cause the disease at the molecular (molecular biology) and cellular (Cell biology) level then linked to understanding the onset of specific pathologies, they need to be very well educated and specialised in specific areas of biology. Most researchers possess a Master’s degree (M.Sc.) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in science1 or as a bachelor degree older has had many years of research experience (>10years). Biomedical research integrates knowledge from various fields such as biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, biology, chemistry, genetics, pharmacology, physiology, bioengineering, etc; these courses can be studied at the undergraduate level with duration of three to four years.
Molecular level versus cell biology level:
The difference between molecular biology and cell biology is in how the biology is studied; while molecular biology looks deeper into the cellular molecules and their interactions such as the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) interactions with itself and other molecules (e.g. proteins), cell biology studies cells and their organelles, with the aim of understanding the structure, function and properties of the cell.
Benefits of biomedical research:
Many biomedical researchers have accurately answered questions surrounding disease pathology that has led to the development of improved diagnostic tools like in the case of rapid Covid-19 test kits and vaccines (See urbesth article on Vaccines , Pandemics and Skeptics) by different companies2.
This research has also opened the door to an approach that tailors medical treatments to individual patients based on their genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors known as personalized medicine (see Urbesth article on Precision Medicine, May 22, 2023). It has also played a critical role in epidemiological studies which is the understanding of the distribution, causes, and prevention of diseases on a population level. Epidemiological studies helps identify risk factors, patterns of disease occurrence, and design strategies for disease prevention and control.
It is worth mentioning that many of the new biotech company are founded as a result of novel therapies and technology discovered by biomedical researchers and these companies have gone on to make millions of dollars in profit while improving healthcare. New companies are emerging with more to come in the nearest future. I will advise that you take a look at investing in biotech companies like buying shares during the earlier phases of their clinical trials, they are mostly penny stocks.
Ethical laws in biomedical research:
My friends and relatives have often asked about the ethical laws surrounding medical research, they were interested in knowing if researchers strictly adhere to these ethical regulations or if they are just egocentric. Ethics is a moral principle that governs a person, and in this day and age with all the inclusivity and diversity, the laws has become a very diverse. However, Ethics in biomedical research refers to the principles and guidelines that govern the ethical conduct of scientific studies involving human subjects, animals, and other biological materials. These principles ensure researchers are conducted in a manner that respects the rights, welfare, and autonomy of individuals involved and upholds the highest standards of scientific integrity. All research is held to this guideline by their research centres or institute.
Biomedical research centres and hubs:
I have had the privilege of working and studying in different research centres in Africa, Europe and USA; and it has been a very rewarding experience. Biomedical research hubs are specialized centres or institutions that bring together researchers, scientists, clinicians, and resources to facilitate and promote biomedical research. They serve as focal points for collaboration, innovation, and advancement in various areas of biomedical research. They typically have state-of-the-art facilities, specialized expertise, and access to funding sources, allowing researchers to undertake cutting-edge studies and address complex scientific questions. Some common types of biomedical research hubs include academic medical centres, research institutes, collaborative research networks, biotech and pharmaceutical companies, etc.
I hope you find my articles rewarding and your interest in biomedical research is awoken. I will be writing more articles about biomedical research, so thank you for reading this article and see you in my next article.
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