The Biostatistics Shared Resource (BSR) continues to provide The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC) investigators a centralized resource for biostatistical expertise. Statistical issues are addressed at all levels of investigation: from the design of experiments to the maintenance of data quality; and from conclusions based on formal hypothesis testing to important leads discovered by data exploration. In support of this objective, the specific aims of this resource include: 1) collaborate with OSUCCC investigators in planning and designing laboratory experiments, clinical trials, and population based studies; 2) conduct statistical analysis of data generated by OSUCCC pilot projects, especially complex analysis and modeling needed for microarray studies and other types of high-dimensional data; 3) identify innovative and effective statistical methods in response to specific project needs that will enhance the quality of design, interpretations, and communication of results; 4) participate in all OSUCCC programs through administrative and research meetings to ensure that statistical issues are addressed; 5) provide education regarding biostatistical considerations in study design and analysis in cancer research; and 6) verify and validate data quality of OSUCCC studies with the OSUCCC Clinical Trials Office, Biomedical Informatics, and the Behavioral Measurement Shared Resources.
These aims will be accomplished through proven successful approaches as well as newer approaches that respond to changes in technologies used by the research programs of the OSUCCC. For example, the BSR collaborated to set up a protocol to ensure integration across the three Shared Resources (Biostatistics, Biomedical Informatics and Microarray) for optimal support of OSUCCC investigators pursuing microarray expression studies. Over the past five years, the BSR has increased its collaborative integration into all programs. This has resulted in 1) BSR biostatisticians co-authoring over 200 cancer-related papers with OSUCCC investigators, which is more than double the number of publications cited in the previous renewal application; 2) a substantial increase in the number of successful programmatic grant submissions (10 new programmatic grants with biostatistics cores, as well as in the total number of cancer grants supporting BSR biostatisticians (from 10 in 2004 to 35 in 2009), 3) 11 additional biostatisticians hired to support OSUCCC investigators, 4) increased sophistication in high-dimensional data analysis, and 5) greater presence and influence in planning meetings for laboratory science, population science, and clinical trials.
The Biostatistics Shared Resource (BSR) provides critical support for planning and design of experiments, clinical trials, and population based studies. These activities attempt to ensure that studies yield reliable conclusions and that resources are efficiently used. This support is especially important in grant proposals to show thorough planning, efficient and effective designs, and convincing analytic and hypothesis testing strategies. The BSR also provides the needed expertise for exploratory data analysis that enhances collaborative efforts for uncovering leads and for making optimal decisions about future studies.
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