Evan Mayo-Wilson, DPhil, MPA

Research interests

Research transparency | Clinical trials | Systematic reviews | behavior Change

My research centers on evaluations of health and social interventions.  I investigate methods for conducting, reporting, and synthesizing intervention research. I am particularly interested in ways to increase transparency and reproducibility, such as trial registration and data sharing.  I am a core faculty member in the Center for Clinical Trials and Evidence Synthesis, the Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness, and the Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation.

I am a member of the Consolidated Standards for Reporting Trials Extension for Social and Psychological Interventions (CONSORT-SPI) executive committee and the American Psychological Association Journal Article Reporting Standards (JARS) task force, which developed reporting guidelines required by American Psychological Association (APA) journals.  I serve on the Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) Guidelines coordinating committee, which is responsible for the dissemination and implementation of standards for research transparency, and the Registered Reports coordinating committee, which works with journals to increase the prospective registration of research. I work closely with the Clinical Trials Registration and Results Reporting Taskforce, and I am an advisor on the PROCEED study to develop a core outcome set for depression. I am also an Associate Editor for the peer review of PCORI's funded research. 

In 2017, I served as a member of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Science of Behavior Change (SOBC) working group to improve NIH policies and procedures for reporting the methods and results of clinical trials of behavioral interventions. I also served as a member of the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) working group responsible for developing standards for comparator selection in NIH trials of behavioral and social interventions.

While working in the United Kingdom, I contributed to national guidelines for the identification and management of social anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and psychosis.

My publications, website, and comments on social media reflect my views.  Their contents do not necessarily represent the official views of the organizations that have supported my work.

Most academic institutions unprepared to meet new clinical trial reporting regulations

Under the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2007 (FDAAA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) policies, many clinical trials must be registered and reported on www.ClinicalTrials.gov.  FDA has the power to assess civil money penalties of more than $11,000 per day per trial for non-compliance, and NIH may withhold future funding from organizations that do not follow these rules.

We surveyed more than 350 academic organizations that conduct clinical trials.  In a paper in BMC Medicine, we report that most organizations are unprepared to meet these new requirements.  Our results may explain why so many trials are not registered and reported as required.

Media Coverage

Clinical Trials

Out of respect for the people who participate in research, and to prevent research waste, all clinical trials should be registered and their results should be reported.  New NIH requirements mark an important step towards research transparency, but we argue that the system should be adapted to allow accurate reporting of social and behavioral research.

Social Anxiety

It is often impossible to compare all of the various interventions that could be used to treat a health problem in a single clinical trial.  To develop clinical guidance, we conducted a network meta-analysis comparing all the interventions that could be used to treat social anxiety disorder.  We found that psychological interventions are most effective for people with social anxiety.

Vitamin A

Children who do not get enough vitamin A are at increased risk of disease, blindness, and death.  In a systematic review, we found that numerous trials had evaluated the effects of vitamin A supplementation.  Given the strength of the existing evidence, we concluded that it would be unethical to conduct further clinical trials of this effective intervention.

Education

DPhil (Phd)

University of Oxford, Department of Social Policy and Intervention

MPA

University of Pennsylvania, Fels Institute of Government

MSC

University of Oxford, Department of Social Policy and Intervention

Experience

2018 - present

Funding and Support

My research is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), and the Laura and John Arnold Foundation (LJAF).  I have previously received support from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, UK (NICE) and the Economic and Social Research Council, UK (ESRC).

Publications

* Denotes student author

2018

Mayo-Wilson E, Heyward J*, Keyes A, Reynolds J, White S, Atri N, Alexander C, Omar A, Ford DE on behalf of the National Clinical Trials Registration and Results Reporting Taskforce Survey Subcommittee. Clinical trial registration and reporting: A survey of academic organizations in the United States. BMC Medicine 16(60). PMID: 29716585. DOI: 10.1186/s12916-018-1042-6

Mayo-Wilson E, Li T, Fusco N*, Dickersin K, for the MUDS investigators. Practical guidance for using multiple data sources in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Research Synthesis Methods 9(1) 2-11. PMID: 29057573. DOI: 10.1002/jrsm.1277

Mayo-Wilson E, Dickersin K. Challenges stemming from NIH’s extended registration and reporting requirements. Nature Human Behavior 2 (97). DOI: 10.1038/s41562-017-0286-z

Mayo-Wilson E, Golozar A, Cowley T, Fusco N*, Gresham G*, Haythornthwaite JA, Tolbert E, Payne JL, Rosman L, Hutfless S, Canner JK, Dickersin K. Methods to identify and prioritize patient-centered outcomes for use in comparative effectiveness research. Pilot and Feasibility Studies 4:95. PMID: 30026961. DOI: 10.1186/s40814-018-0284-6. [Published protocol; Dryad archive includes data and code]

Dickersin K, Mayo-Wilson E. Standards for design and measurement would make science reproducible and usable. PNAS 115 (11) 2590-2594. PMID: 29531086. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1708273114

Grant SP, Mayo-Wilson E, Montgomery P, Macdonald G, Michie S, Hopewell S, Moher D on behalf of the CONSORT –SPI Group. CONSORT-SPI Explanation and Elaboration: Guidance for reporting social and psychological intervention trials. Trials 19:406. PMID: 30060763. DOI: 10.1186/s13063-018-2735-z [Published protocol; ReShare archive includes data]

Li T, Mayo-Wilson E, Fusco N*, Hong H, Dickersin K. Caveat emptor: the combined effects of multiplicity and selective reporting. Trials 19:497. PMID: 30223876. DOI: 10.1186/s13063-018-2888-9

Montgomery P, Grant SP, Mayo-Wilson E, Macdonald G, Michie S, Hopewell S, Moher D on behalf of the CONSORT –SPI Group. Reporting randomised trials of social and psychological interventions: The CONSORT-SPI 2018 Extension. Trials 19:407. PMID: 30060754. DOI: 10.1186/s13063-018-2733-1 [Published protocol; ReShare archive includes data]

Appelbaum, M, Cooper H, Kline R, Mayo-Wilson E (order of authorship is alphabetical), Nezu AM, Rao S. Journal article reporting standards for quantitative research in psychology. American Psychologist 73 (1) 3-25. PMID: 29345484. DOI: 10.1037/amp0000191

Aalbersberg I, Appleyard T, Brookhart S, Carpenter T, Clarke M, Curry S, Dahl J, DeHaven A, Eich E, Franko M, Freedman L, Graf C, Grant S, Hanson B, Joseph H, Kiermer V, Kramer B, Kraut A, Karn RK, Lee C, MacFarlane A, Martone M, Mayo-Wilson E (order of authorship is alphabetical), McNutt M, McPhail M, Mellor D, Moher D, Mudditt A, Nosek B, Orland B, Parker T, Parsons M, Patterson M, Santos S, Shore C, Simons D, Spellman B, Spies J, Spitzer M, Stodden V, Swaminathan S, Sweet D, Tsui A, Simine Vazire S. Making science transparent by default; Introducing the TOP statement. OSF Preprints DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/SM78T

Concannon TW, Grant SP, Welch V, Petkovic J, Selby J, Crowe S, Synnot A, Greer-Smith R, Mayo-Wilson E, Tambor E, Tugwell P, for the Multi Stakeholder Engagement (MuSE) Consortium (2018). Practical Guidance for Involving Stakeholders in Health Research. Journal of General Internal Medicine. PMID: 30565151. DOI: 10.1007/s11606-018-4738-6

2017

Mayo-Wilson E, Li T, Fusco N*, Bertizzolo L, Canner JK, Cowley T, Doshi P, Ehmsen J, Gresham G*, Guo N, Haythornthwaite JA, Heyward H, Hong H, Lock D*, Payne JL, Rosman L, Stuart EA, Suarez-Cuervo C, Tolbert E, Twose C, Vedula S, Dickersin K. Cherry-picking by trialists and meta-analysts can drive conclusions about intervention efficacy. J Clin Epidemiol. 91: 95-110. PMID: 28842290. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.07.014 [Published protocol; Dryad archive includes data and code]

Mayo-Wilson E, Fusco N*, Li T, Hong H, Canner JK, Dickersin K, for the MUDS Investigators. Multiple outcomes and analyses in clinical trials: Challenges for interpretation and research synthesis. J Clin Epidemiol. 86C: 39-50. PMID: 28529187. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.05.007 [Published protocol; Dryad archive includes data and code]

Mayo-Wilson E, Ng SM, Chuck RS, Li T. The quality of systematic reviews about interventions for refractive error can be improved: A review of systematic reviews. BMC Ophthalmology 17:164. PMID: 28870179. DOI: 10.1186/s12886-017-0561-9. [Data included in Additional file 1, Additional file 2, Additional file 3]

Dickersin K, Mayo-Wilson E, Li T for the MUDS Investigators. Integrating multiple data sources for meta-analysis to improve patient-centered outcomes research. Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (peer reviewed final research report). [Study registration; Published protocol]

Imdad A, Mayo-Wilson E, Herzer K, Bhutta ZA. Vitamin A supplementation for preventing disease and death in children aged six months to five years. Cochrane Database of Syst Rev Issue 3, Art. No.: CD008524. PMID: 28282701. DOI: 10.1002 / 14651858.CD008524.pub3 [Published protocol]

2016

Cybulski L*, Mayo-Wilson E, Grant S. Improving transparency and reproducibility through registration: The status of intervention trials published in clinical psychology journals. J Consult Clin Psychol 84(9) 753-767. PMID: 27281372. DOI: 10.1037/ccp0000115. [Supplemental Data]

Oud M, Mayo-Wilson E, Braidwood R, Morriss R, Jones S, Kupka R, Cuijpers P, Kendall T. Psychological interventions for adults with bipolar disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Psychiatry 208(3): 213-222. PMID: 26932483. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.114.157123

McLeroy K, Garney W, Mayo-Wilson E, Grant S. Scientific reporting, Raising the standards. Health Educ Behav 43(5) 501-508. PMID: 27624441. DOI: 10.1177/1090198116668522

2015

Mayo-Wilson E, Hutfless S, Li T, Gresham G*, Fusco N*, Ehmsen J, Heyward J*, Vedula S, Lock D*, Haythornthwaite J, Payne JL, Cowley T, Tolbert E, Rosman L, Twose C, Stuart EA, Hong H, Doshi P, Suarez-Cuervo C, Singh S, Dickersin K. Integrating multiple data sources (MUDS) for meta-analysis to improve patient-centered outcomes research: A protocol. Syst Rev 4:143. PMID: 26525044. DOI: 10.1186/s13643-015-0134-z 

Mayo-Wilson E, Doshi P, Dickersin K. Are manufacturers sharing data as promised? BMJ 351:h4169. PMID: 26407814. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.h4169

Stafford MR, Mayo-Wilson E, Loucas CE, James A, Hollis C, Birchwood M, Kendall T. Efficacy and safety of pharmacological and psychological interventions for the treatment of psychosis and schizophrenia in children and young people: systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE 10(2): e0117166. PMID: 25671707. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117166

Mavranezouli I, Mayo-Wilson E, Dias S, Kew K, Clark DM, Ades AE, Pilling S. The cost effectiveness of psychological and pharmacological interventions for social anxiety disorder: A model-based economic analysis. PLoS ONE 10 (10): e0140704. PMID: 26506554. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140704

Clarke K*, Mayo-Wilson E, Kenny J*, Pilling S. Can non-pharmacological interventions prevent relapse in adults who have recovered from depression? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clin Psychol Rev 39, 58-70. PMID: 25939032. DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2015.04.002

Montgomery P, Mayo-Wilson E. Randomized controlled trials and evidence-based practice. In Kevin Corcoran & Albert R. Roberts (Ed.), Social Workers’ Desk Reference (pp. 1221-1229). Oxford University Press: Oxford. ISBN: 9780199329649

Yesufu-Udechuku A, Harrison B, Mayo-Wilson E, Young N, Shiers D, Kuipers E, Kendall T. Interventions to improve the experience of caring for people with severe mental illness: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Psychiatry 206(4): 268-275. PMID: 25833867. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.114.147561

Sherman LW, Strang H, Mayo-Wilson E, Woods DJ, Ariel B. Are restorative justice conferences effective in reducing repeat offending? Findings from a Campbell systematic review. J Quant Criminol 31(1), 1-24. DOI: 10.1007/s10940-014-9222-9 [Published protocol]

Ades AE, Lu G, Dias S, Mayo-Wilson E, Kounali D. Simultaneous synthesis of treatment effects and mapping to a common scale: an alternative to standardization. Res Synth Methods 6(1) 96-107. doi: 10.1002/jrsm.1130. PMID: 26035473. DOI: 10.1002/jrsm.1130

Cargo M, Stankov I, Thomas J, Saini M, Rogers P, Mayo-Wilson E, Hannes K. Development, inter-rater reliability and feasibility of a checklist to assess implementation (Ch-IMP) in systematic reviews: the case of provider-based prevention and treatment programs targeting children and youth. BMC Med Res Methodol 15:73. PMID: 26346461. DOI: 10.1186/s12874-015-0037-7

Nosek BA, Alter G, Banks G, Borsboom D, Bowman S, Breckler S, Buck S, Chambers C, Chin G, Christensen G, Contestabile M, Dafoe A, Freese J, Glennerster R, Goroff D, Green DP, Hesse B, Humphreys M, Ishiyama J, Karlan D, Kraut A, Lupia A, Mabry PL, Madon T, Malhotra N, Mayo-Wilson E (order of authorship is alphabetical after the first author), McNutt M, Miguel E, Paluck EL, Simonsohn U, Soderberg C, Spellman B, Turitto J, VandenBos G, Vazire S, Wagenmakers EJ, Wilson RK, Yarkoni T. Promoting an open research culture. Science 348:6242 p.1422-1425. PMID: 26113702. DOI: 10.1126/science.aab2374

Imdad A, Herzer K*, Mayo-Wilson E, Yakoob MY, Bhutta ZA. Vitamin A supplementation for preventing morbidity and mortality in children from 6 months to 5 years of age. Cochrane Database of Syst Rev Issue 12, Art. No.: CD008524. PMID: 21154399. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD008524.pub2 [Published protocol]

Koper C, Mayo-Wilson E. Police crackdowns for illegal gun carrying: A systematic review of their impacts on gun crime. J Exp Criminol 2(2): 227-261. DOI: 10.1007/s11292-006-9005-x

Renzema M, Mayo-Wilson E (2005). Can electronic monitoring reduce crime for moderate to high risk offenders? J Exp Criminol 1(2): 215-237. DOI: 10.1007/s11292-005-1615-1

Teaching

I have previously taught Research Methods and Systematic Reviews, and I have given guest lectures in multiple courses.  Classes I currently teach are listed below.

Summer Institute on Randomized Behavioral Clinical Trials, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

This summer institute is a two-week course for postdoctoral researchers and junior faculty.  I attend for one week, during which I give lectures and work with groups of fellows to develop protocols for clinical trials of behavioral interventions.

Introduction to clinical Trials [online]

This course introduces masters and PhD students to the methods for conducting and analyzing clinical trials. Students learn about the features of various trial designs, ways to minimize risk of bias, calculate trial sample size, randomly assign participants to groups, and report results according to current guidelines.  The course is offered during the second term.  An introductory course in epidemiology, and Introduction to Online Learning, are prerequisites.

Clinical Trials: Procedures, Design, and Interpretation of Results [Online]

This course provides a detailed study of clinical trials, including data management, data and safety monitoring boards, and clinical trial regulation. Students learn to develop a study protocol and related documents required to conduct clinical trials. Introduction to Clinical Trials (340.645) is a prerequisite.  It is offered online during the third term.

Last updated: December 21, 2018