Despite its importance, laboratory research in epidemiology faces several challenges:
- Complexity of Biological Systems: Human biology is complex, and simplifying it in a lab setting can sometimes lead to results that are not entirely applicable to real-world scenarios. - Ethical Concerns: Use of human or animal subjects in research raises ethical issues that must be carefully managed. - Resource Intensive: Laboratory research often requires significant financial, human, and material resources. - Reproducibility: Results from laboratory studies must be reproducible and validated by independent studies, which can be challenging.
