South Middlesex Times

In a recent study by Rutgers Health, it was found that leadership and experience might play a more crucial role in the effectiveness of research teams than interdisciplinary collaboration. This insight comes from an analysis of team dynamics during the planning of a significant child health research initiative.

Ralph Gigliotti, one of the lead authors and an affiliate professor at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, emphasized the importance of leadership: “Leaders play a critical role in the enthusiasm level of working group members and influence their interest in wanting to continue with a project of this kind.”

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, involved 10 interdisciplinary groups with 105 members who developed protocols for the New Jersey Kids Study. These participants came from various departments within Rutgers and held different academic ranks.

Team members assessed their group's effectiveness using a modified TeamSTEPPS Team Assessment Questionnaire (TAQ), which evaluated aspects like foundation, functioning, performance, skills, climate, and leadership. Independent reviewers also scored final reports produced by each group.

Factors such as age distribution, diversity in school affiliations, team size, and member experience were analyzed to identify predictors of team effectiveness. The study found that teams with more senior faculty members and larger sizes received higher ratings. However, diversity in academic disciplines corresponded to lower perceived effectiveness at this stage.

Melissa Weidner, co-lead author and assistant professor at Rutgers Medical School stated: "We did not find any correlation between team interdisciplinary diversity and team effectiveness in our study." She noted that these findings might evolve as teams continue working together.

The New Jersey Kids Study aims to explore childhood health issues by tracking children from birth through adolescence. Working groups played a vital role in shaping questions about maternal and child health data collection.

Qualitative analysis focused on organization, collaboration, task delegation, and decision-making patterns revealed varied approaches among teams. Gigliotti remarked on the lack of a universal approach to team science: "I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all approach to team science."

The findings could guide future large-scale research initiatives' design and management at Rutgers. Emphasizing intentional team construction and leadership development is crucial when assembling experts from diverse backgrounds.

Gigliotti highlighted Rutgers' potential for conducting impactful research: "Our infrastructure and our cross-disciplinary partnerships allow us to bring together a wide range of expertise."

Currently recruiting for its pilot phase involving 300 pregnant women is the New Jersey Kids Study itself.