Capstone project

Projects are based on the secondary analysis of existing clinical and multi-omics datasets and focus on key areas in acute decompensation (AD) and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), including disease progression, prognosis, and mechanistic pathways. Proposed topics span clinical, biomarker, genetic, and therapeutic domains, reflecting key and emerging areas of interest in hepatology research. The emphasis across all projects is on methodological rigor, clinical relevance, and feasibility within the constraints of secondary data analysis, with the ultimate goal of generating insights that can inform future translational studies and clinical trial design in AD and ACLF.

In addition to the predefined topic list, students are encouraged to propose their own research questions, provided they align with the available datasets and are approved by the program coordination team and assigned supervisors.

In this course, you will:

• Formulate a clinically relevant and feasible research question based on existing hepatology datasets.
• Design a structured scientific research proposal using standard manuscript format.
• Apply appropriate methodological approaches for secondary data analysis, including cohort, registry, and clinical dataset-based studies.
• Identify, measure, and justify primary and secondary endpoints using existing hepatology datasets in the context of acute decompensation and acute-on-chronic liver failure.
• Select and critically appraise relevant variables, exposures, and outcomes from existing datasets.
• Develop a coherent statistical analysis plan at a conceptual level.
• Apply ethical, regulatory, and data governance principles governing access and secondary analysis of clinical and multi-omics datasets.
• Communicate scientific rationale and methods clearly in both written and oral formats.