Mike Clarke

Professor Mike Clarke is a distinguished academic at Queen's University Belfast, holding positions as Professor and Director of the MRC Methodology Hub within the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, specifically in the Centre for Public Health. He serves as Director of both the Northern Ireland Clinical Trials Unit and the Northern Ireland Methodology Hub, and is the inaugural Director of the All Ireland Hub for Trials Methodology Research.

With over 35 years of experience in health research methodology, Professor Clarke specializes in systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, and evidence-based healthcare. His research focuses on improving trial quality through initiatives like SWAT and SWAR (Studies Within A Trial/Review) and the COMET Initiative for core outcome sets. He has processed individual participant data from over a thousand trials and assessed reports for tens of thousands more, with his breast cancer systematic reviews influencing care for millions worldwide.

His publication record shows remarkable consistency with 403 research outputs spanning from 1999 to projected 2025 publications. Recent work demonstrates continued leadership in methodology research, with articles spanning systematic review techniques, clinical trial design, and evidence application in diverse contexts from sports medicine to humanitarian emergencies.

• Co-ordinating Editor, Cochrane Methodology Review Group
• Co-ordinating Editor, James Lind Library
• Founder, Evidence Aid
• Established modules for University of Oxford's MSc in Evidence Based Health Care

Professor Clarke actively supervises graduate students and maintains numerous international collaborations, with research projects extending through 2026. His work directly contributes to multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to health and wellbeing, quality education, and reduced inequalities.