Karen Dawe, University of Bristol

Topic: “Most published research findings are false” Is that true, and what does it mean for digital health?
Location: In Person at Arts Complex G108 (University of Bristol only) & Online Teams link (TicketTailor)
Date: February 3rd, 2026 14:00-15:00 GMT 

 

Abstract:
“Most published research findings are false” is the title of a fairly controversial 2005 paper. While that might be a little hyperbolic, many fields relevant to digital health, such as psychology and medicine, do suffer from reproducibility problems and studies are susceptible to bias. As digital health professionals, how can we know when science is getting It wrong, how can we avoid these pitfalls ourselves, and how can we be sure we are building our tools on reliable foundations? Through an overview of “the science of science” I will look at how we can all contribute to improving the quality of digital health science.

Bio:
Dr Dawe is a Lecturer and Director of Science Communication in the LEAP Digital Health Hub at the University of Bristol. Via a BSc in Psychology at Exeter, an MSc in Neuroscience at Oxford, and a PhD in Neuroscience, she developed an interest in how human states (stress, vulnerability, cognition, motivation) interact with systems, including biological, environmental, and now digital, and how design choices affect outcomes. After ten years as a post-doctoral researcher within the Integrated Epidemiology Unit, she began a fellowship using evidence synthesis to discover mechanistic targets underlying the relationship between lifestyle factors and cancer outcomes. This began an obsession with evidence, reliability evaluations, and bias assessment that led her to spend 6 years in industry, advising on scientific evidence for Dyson, NICE, and pharmaceutical companies across Europe. She is currently studying human-system interaction in health contexts, especially where evidence, bias, and ethics matter.

 

About
The Digital Health Seminar Series aims to develop international interdisciplinary connections between academics, industry, and healthcare professionals interested in advancing healthcare with innovative technologies.

It is organised by the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital Health and Care, and the EPSRC LEAP Digital Health Hub, at the University of Bristol.

 

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