Research experience: physiological data analysis

Despite COVID-19 restrictions, at the beginning of Year 2 I was looking for an extracurricular activity to experience first-hand the research environment.
I was so excited when Dr Alireza Mani, Head of the Network Physiology Laboratory, offered me the opportunity to help in the data analysis for an article which was under revision. Although I had no previous experience in this field, I was eager to get involved in a physiological project and learn more about the applications of statistics in medical research.

About my role

Briefly, the study aimed to define whether heart rate turbulence (HRT) parameters could predict mortality in cirrhotic patients.  Reduced heart rate variability (HRV) is known to be an independent predictor of mortality in patients with cirrhosis; at the revision stage, additional data on HRV parameters was asked to be included for the purpose of comparison.
My task was to extrapolate data on HRV parameters from 24h ECG recordings of cirrhotic patients through the software HRV analysis. Subsequently, I used the statistics software SPSS to perform Cox regression analysis, to study the effect of HRV parameters on patient’s survival, and Pearson correlation analysis, to understand the correlation between heart rate turbulence indices and heart rate variability indices in the study population.

My reflections

In addition to building my statistical skills, this research experience has given me valuable insights in the process of manuscript revision and publication. For example, I learnt about the proof of a paper: once an article has been accepted, authors are given a tight time frame to make the last corrections before publication. 

More importantly, this experience has taught me to pay great attention when handling data in my future work; until now I had underestimated the significance of human error in research. Indeed, when double checking my data and comparing it to expected values, I was struck by the mistakes I had made. It might seem strange but I had never realised that it’s so easy to press the wrong button on the keyboard when inputing or extrapolating data.

This fact has further reminded me of the importance of trying out : my studies are preparing me for a career in biomedical research but some aspects can only be learnt by doing. Now I am even more keen to gain experience, possibly through an internship this summer, and face the challenges of the laboratory setting, like planning experiments and dealing with failure.

By getting involved in this physiological research project, I have rediscovered my interest for this field. I had enjoyed the physiology-focused modules covered in Year 1 and this research has given me another example of the fascinating complexity of the human body, where all systems are connected – it’s not a coincidence that the project was based at the Network Physiology Laboratory.

Finally, this experience has opened my door to the research world, as I have effectively contributed as a co-author of an original paper. The article was accepted in mid-November 2020 and published in Frontiers of Physiology.  

Oyelade T, Canciani G, Bottaro M, Zaccaria M, Formentin C, Moore K, Montagnese S and Mani AR, (2020). Heart Rate Turbulence Predicts Survival Independently From Severity of Liver Dysfunction in Patients With Cirrhosis. Frontiers in Physiology. 11:602456. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2020.602456