Save Our Sisyphus Challenge

The OHDSI mission is to improve health by empowering a community to collaboratively generate the evidence that promotes better health decisions and better care. The 2023 Save Our Sisyphus (SOS) Challenge will try to fulfill that mission, but not through one study at a time.

We will be collaborating simultaneously on four studies, each of which will be designed, implemented, executed and disseminated by members of the OHDSI global community.

As you can see on the right, there will be two weekly tutorials, taught by different members of the community, and featuring two of the four studies 

that were voted on by the community. Please join either or both each week to learn every step of executing a network study. The earlier session will take place during the weekly global community call, while the later will take place at 7 pm ET. Weekly call invites will go out for both, or you can access either meeting using the links below.

Weekly Tutorial Links

Please remember that each week, there are two seminars focused on the same aspect of running a network study, but featuring different SOS Challenge studies. We want to make sure that, regardless of your location, there is a tutorial that is convenient for all hours. All tutorials will also be recorded and posted below.

Office Hours

There will be weekly office hours, corresponding with the topic of the weekly tutorials. Office hours are determined by the availability of each week’s tutorial lead. When the next set of office hours are determined, the time and meeting link will be posted to the right.

Evidence Synthesis
Office Hours #1:
May 18, 11 am ET

Evidence Synthesis
Office Hours #2:
May 18, 7 pm ET

SOS Challenge Studies

The SOS Challenge was introduced in January 2023, and community members submitted 35 different studies that could be run during the challenge. Four were selected from that group, two of which will be done live during the weekly tutorials, and two that will be done asynchronously. You can learn more about each of the four studies below, and each of the pertinent links (GitHub repo, protocol, Teams channel, etc.) will be linked in the proper section.


Intravitreal Anti-VEGF and Kidney Failure ​

Lead: Cindy Cai

Is fluoroquinolone use really associated with the development of aortic aneurysms

Leads: Jack Janetzki, Jung Ho Kim, Seonji Kim,
Jung Ah Lee, Nicole Pratt, Seng Chan You,

Amongst people with psoriasis, does exposure to Risankizumab increase the risk of cerebrovascular events while on treatment relative to other biologic therapies?

Lead: Zenas Yiu


Characterization: incidence of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) during Multiple Sclerosis (MS) biologic exposure

Lead: Thamir Alshammary

Tutorial Recordings

Week 9: Interpreting the Results

Session 1: Cindy Cai (slides)
Session 2: Jack Janetzki, Seng Chan You

Week 8: Evidence Synthesis

Session 1: Yong Chen (slides), Martijn Schuemie (slides)
Session 2: Marc Suchard

Week 7: Study Diagnostics

Session 1: Fan Bu, George Hripcsak (slides)
Session 2: Mitchell Conover, Nicole Pratt (slides)

Week 6: Network Execution

Session 1: Jenna Reps, Jack Brewster (slides)
Session 2: Anthony Sena, Chungsoo Kim

Week 5: Analysis Design

Session 1: Patrick Ryan (slides)
Session 2: Patrick Ryan (slides)

Week 4: Phenotype Evaluation

Session 1: James Gilbert, Azza Shoaibi
Session 2: James Gilbert, Evan Minty

Special Extra Tutorial: PheValuator

PheValuator: Joel Swerdel

Week 3: Phenotype Development

Session 1a: Anna Ostropolets – Outcome Design
Session 1b: Asieh Golozar – Exposure Design
Session 2a: Christian Reich – Exposure Design
Session 2b: Gowtham Rao – Outcome Design

Week 2: Data Diagnostics

Session 1: Clair Blacketer, Mui Van Zandt, Sarah Seager
Session 2: Mui Van Zandt/Jing Li

Week 1: Initiating A Network Study

Session 1: Marc Suchard
Session 2: Seng Chan You
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