The Biostatistics Core Facility provides statistical consultation, analysis and data management support to UNO Breast Cancer SPORE investigators. The SPORE Core is extended by the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center's Biostatistics and Data Management Core. The SPORE Core offers study design, sampling, data management, analysis, and manuscript preparation. Data management activities include: database design, implementation, documentation, maintenance and user support. Statistical support includes: implementation and programming of specific sampling schemes, assistance in clinical protocol preparation, and choice of proper design and statistical analysis methods and development of special software programs or macros for handling non-standard situations. The SPORE's Biostatistics Core benefits from substantial investments in biostatistics and data management made by the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. The Cancer Center's Biostatistics and Data Management Core was recently renewed with an annual budget of $370,000 in CCSG funds that includes partial salary support for five faculty members, four full time biostatisticians, and two graduate research assistants. The Cancer Center Core is led by Dr. Joseph Ibrahim, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Biostatistics in UNC's School of Public Health. In addition to providing statistical consultation for the SPORE, Dr. Ibrahim will work with Dr. Qaqish to ensure all SPORE projects are handled by the appropriate faculty and staff with rapid response. This Breast SPORE Biostatistics Core resource is much more than a service core. It is a conduit to superb biostatisticians and programmers who are intimately involved with development, planning, data acquisition, algorithms, and analysis of SPORE studies. Our SPORE's concentration on large data sets, such as genotyping, microarray, and somatic mutation in groups of patients and controls exceeding 4,000 has provided an outstanding venue for the development of biostatistical methods. In our SPORE, the biostatisticians are an integral part of the experimental process. The budget requested for this core will provide a small amount of salary for time dedicated to the SPORE and future areas for development. With top-ranked Departments of Biostatistics and Statistics on the UNC campus, both the SPORE and Cancer Center Biostatistics Cores have a rich pool of faculty with whom to work and direct clinicians, geneticists and biologists. Our biostatisticians/statisticians, in turn, gain a superb opportunity to analyze large, important data sets.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 598 publications
