The goal of this Shared Resource is to provide a value-added service to peer-reviewed cancer research studies involving the collection management and analysis of large amounts of complex and varied data. Many clinical and population studies include a variety of different types of data collections. The use of a sophisticated relational database will enable detailed management reports to be available to study leaders on demand. The appropriate use of such reports will significantly improve the quality of the study data by the early identification of missing data and the automatic scheduling of patients for study activities. In addition, the new array of technology that is rapidly being developed in basic science results in very large data collections which need sophisticated computing to maximize their utility to the researchers. This is expected to be a major developing area over the next period of the grant. The services provided by this Resource include: 1. The design and programming of relational databases for population and other large scale research studies. 2. The development and supervision of a sophisticated data communications system for research studies. 3. The development of new computer software to assist researchers in analyzing and interpreting sophisticated data generated from the new microarray and proteonics technologies. 4. The detection and analysis of correlations and patterns linking molecular observation with clinical parameters. This Resource has grown considerably in the last two years which has justified splitting it off from the Behavioral Assessment and Counseling Shared Resource. The service provided by the Resource has focused on very large projects that are acting as focal points and the underpinning for interactivity projects across the Center. Also, the need for computational software for analysis of array data is expected to increase dramatically in the next few years and the availability of a resource such as this is critical to the ability of UCSD Cancer Center scientists to optimize the value of this new technology. In the last year the Resource has been heavily utilized by the Cancer Prevention and Control Program. However, the rapid development of the array technology and the increase in clinical trials activity in the center indicates that this resource will be in major demand from the basic and clinical science programs.
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