Latin American Clinical Epidemiology Network Series - Paper 1: The Latin American Clinical Epidemiology Network "LatinCLEN".

The Latin American Clinical Epidemiology Network (LatinCLEN) was born in the 90s as a branch of the International Clinical Epidemiology Network. Clinical Epidemiology Units that made up this network in the region were initially composed of health professionals trained in Australia and North America. From these units, second- and third-generation training centers started to develop in the region, with the main purpose of introducing clinical research methodology and critical appraisal, as well as health economics and biostatistics. The field of Clinical Epidemiology has been introduced into health schools, and has had great influence on health policies and practices in Latin America. The articles in this series provide a bird's eye view of research development in the region which include, among others, the capacity to conduct clinical trials on innovative therapies, systematic reviews, economic analyses, as well as studies on risk factors and burden of illness.