When: 19th June 2026

Where: Haus zur Lieben Hand, Löwenstraße 16, 79098 Freiburg im Breisgau

Programme: for the latest version please click on the picture (subject to modifications)

Participation fees: 85 € (for students with certificate of enrolment: 50 €)

Registration is mandatory, please register here.

How can clinical research and evidence synthesis be more closely connected? This question will take centre stage at the 4th Methods Forum of the Cochrane Deutschland Foundation on 19 June 2026 in Freiburg.

Held mainly in English under the motto “Building Bridges Between Clinical Research and Evidence Synthesis”, the conference will bring together perspectives from across the research landscape, including clinical researchers, study centres, authors of systematic reviews and health technology assessments (HTAs), research funders and ethics committees. The programme will also highlight ways to gain an efficient and up-to-date overview of existing evidence, identify evidence gaps and communicate research needs more effectively.

“Our Methods Forum aims to strengthen exchange between the clinical research and the evidence synthesis community,” says Joerg Meerpohl, Director of Cochrane Deutschland. “New research projects should build on the evidence already available rather than being developed in isolation. Up-to-date evidence syntheses can help identify research gaps, justify new studies and support their planning.”

Claudia Breuer, Deputy Director of Cochrane Deutschland, adds: “Evidence-based research also means that new studies should be incorporated into evidence syntheses as quickly as possible. Only then can research truly address the questions that matter for improving healthcare.”

Achieving this requires close links between clinical research and evidence synthesis. However, empirical research shows that there is still considerable room for improvement.

All those involved in the research process are warmly invited to attend the Methods Forum and join the discussion.

The following speakers have already confirmed their participation:

• Prof. Dr. Dr. Matthias Briel, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Research, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

• Dr. Britta Lang, University Medical Center Freiburg – University of Freiburg, Clinical Trials Unit

• Dr. Maria-Inti Metzendorf, Institute of General Practice (ifam), Centre for Health and Society (chs), Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany, and Research Group Evidence for Climate Solutions (ECS), Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Potsdam, Germany

• Dr. Roses Parker, The Cochrane Collaboration, London, United Kingdom

• Prof. Dr. Dr. Holger Schunemann, Medical Specialty School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy

• Prof. Dr. Anna Lene Seidler, German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (Site Greifswald/Rostock)

• Dr. Waldemar Siemens, Institute for Evidence in Medicine, Medical Center - University of Freiburg / Medical Faculty - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

• PD Dr. Alexander Supady, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Interdisciplinary Medical Intensive Care 

• Dr. med. vet. Volker Vervölgyi, Head of the Division of Oncology (solid tumours) and Routine Practice Data Collection, Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), Köln, Germany

An application for 8 CME credits has been submitted to the Baden-Württemberg Medical Association.