The overall goal of the Integrated Health Sciences Core (IHSC) is to provide translational services to Center and affiliate investigators to advance research in understanding the role of the environment as it impacts health, by connecting investigators across disciplines, utilizing our cores, and gaining access to our rich resources of study data and associated biorepositories. Unlike many traditional cores, the IHSC is less focused on the delivery of a specific list of services using a specific technology. Rather, our goal is to identify and facilitate access to existing information and services within the Center, as well as providing services to environmental health investigators ? whether basic scientists or clinical researchers - that assists them with study design, and the myriad of scientific and operational aspects that are part of such studies. Over time through these efforts, the IHSC will promote the use of common data elements and biological specimen collection practices that facilitates future environmental health research and promote productive data and sample sharing. Please note that Italicized text Is used throughout to mark notable updates and revlsion(s), Including excerpts of critiques and our associated responses. We have made major revisions to the IHSC to address concerns ofthe reviewers regarding """"""""the lack of plans to assist investigators with the design of new data collection, for example, biospecimens,"""""""" while maintaining the strengths identified by the reviewers, such as """"""""a kiosk of existing studies spanning the themes ofthe Center, and environmental research at the University of Michigan to facilitate multidisciplinary research."""""""" The strategy to achieve the IHSC goal is based on (A) the development and implementation of a gateway to detailed information, i.e., an Interactive Automated Information Kiosk, for learning about our existing studies, associated biorepositories, and the state-of-the-art analytical services of each of the other Facility Cores (Exposure Assessment, Biological Responses, Environmental Statistics, and Bioinformatics) that will allow Center and affiliate investigators to develop hypotheses and acquire preliminary data, and (B) the provision of """"""""translational services"""""""" for investigators who have innovative ideas on use ofthe Center's associated biorepositories and/or Cores or novel ideas and methodologies, but who need consultation on study design, feasibility, sample collection methods, and other scientific and operational details before pilot projects or full grant proposals can be developed. This strategy capitalizes on the rich set of such studies to which we already have access through our Center Members. These studies span a wide range of lifestages, geography, exposures and diseases (see section 2. Table A), maximizing our ability to address our chosen themes. It also provides the framework for the establishment of new cohorts of biological specimens, exposure and outcome data by Center and affiliate investigators by capitalizing on the wealth of experience and expertise ofthe IHSC key personnel, Core Leaders and Center members who may consult and collaborate with them. This consultation addresses the concern of previous reviewers regarding the lack of assistance to Investigators with the design of new data and biospecimen collection.
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