Chalmers qualified in medicine in the mid-1960s, and then practised as a clinician in the
United Kingdom and two years (1969–1970) in the
Gaza Strip. In the mid-1970s, he became a full-time health services researcher with a particular interest in assessing the effects of care. Between 1978 and 1992, he was the first director of the
National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit in
Oxford. There, Chalmers led the development of the electronic
Oxford Database of Perinatal Trials (ODPT) and a collection of systematic reviews of randomized trials of care in pregnancy and children published in the two-volume
Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth, co-authoring its summary,
Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth. The
National Health Service Research and Development Programme supported extending the approach to other areas of health care. Chalmers inspired champions all over the world leading to the development of the Cochrane Collaboration and by 2011 this collaboration had nearly 30,000 volunteers contributing towards summarising research evidence to improve health. His contributions have been instrumental in advancing international policies on research for health -such as
PAHO's Policy on Research for Health, and to promote a better understanding of the importance of
building bridges between users and producers of research for health policy and health care delivery. Chalmers was knighted in 2000. He continues to promote better research for better health care by increasing public appreciation of good research through Testing Treatments interactive and the James Lind Library, and by working with others to reduce waste in research. == Publications ==