The purpose of this supplemental application is to establish a BIC at the UTHSC Bartter GCRC. The investigators' GCRC has a record of supporting a wide range of patient-oriented research, thanks to which the Center has experienced remarkable growth in the number and variety of supported projects. However, the Bartter GCRC currently does not support a doctorate-level biostatistician. Recently, several large studies, some using advanced imaging techniques, were added to the Bartter GCRC's portfolio. The high level of data complexity and intensive analytical requirements of these studies, have drawn attention to the need to expand biostatistical and informatics services at the Bartter GCRC. Also bolstering this need, the UTHSC was recently awarded a K30 Career Development Curriculum Award, which, combined with other existing clinical investigation training programs, will increase the number of junior investigators seeking biostatistical and data management assistance for their projects.
The specific aims of the BIC are to: 1) Provide high quality methodological and biostatistical support; 2) Serve as centralized source for electronic data management, including imaging informatics; 3) Expand the scope of supported research; and 4) Serve an educational role in biostatistics and informatics for UTHSC's junior investigators programs. They are asking for funds to support a total of 4.2 FTEs. Of these, 1.2 FTEs are for individuals with doctorates, who will provide scientific direction to the Core, 2.0 FTEs are for individuals with Master's degrees who will provide the technical skill to implement the Core's tasks, and 1.0 FTE are for administrative support. They will rely on their existing computer hardware and software, and networking resources, which are of outstanding quality. The proposed Core will greatly enhance the research readiness of the Bartter GCRC, helping to insure the success of its supported projects for years to come. ? ? INVESTIGATORS:BIC Director (0.1 FTE): Dr. Brad Pollock is Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine and has a solid record as a Core Director and a published scientist. He is currently the Director for the Center of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CEB) at UTHSC and has served as the group statistician for the Children's Oncology Group for the past 13 years. He is also the Chair of the NCI Clinical Oncology Program Study Section. Dr. Pollock will be responsible for the scientific direction of the BIC. ? ? Associate Core Director, Ph.D. (0.9 FTE): TBN - This person will direct the BIC's day-to-day activities, including directly supervising the BIC staff. The GCRC is planning on conducting a national search to fill this position. The requirements for this position include a doctoral degree in statistics with completed post-doctoral experience in clinical, translational, epidemiological or health services research with an emphasis on statistical analysis of biomedical data. ? ? BIC Subcommittee Chairperson (0.1 FTE): Dr. Agustin Escalante would be responsible for oversight of the BIC. Dr. Escalante is an Associate Program Director for the Bartter GCRC and is responsible for the GCRC's biostatistical and informatics resources.
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