Objective: The central feature of the Shared Resources Core is a Clinical Research Unit (CRU) within the Brooks Health Center at South Carolina State University (SCSU). The CRU will include a Biostatistical and Data Management Core (BDMC). The CRU and BDMC builds on the concept of Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) supported by the National Center for Research Resources. Thus, the Shared Resource Core is sustainable.
Specific Aims : 1. Build research capacity and develop an infrastructure at the State's premier minority-serving institution for conducting multidisciplinary, translational research on lifestyle intervention and the metabolic syndrome. 2. Provide a fully function site for students and faculty at SCSU to participate in state-of-the art clinical investigation by developing and testing their own hypotheses in a highly supportive environment. 3. Serve as the focal point for minority students and faculty from SCSU and MUSC to obtain unique research training and practical exper/ence that will foster career opportunities in biomedical research. 4. Provide senior biostatistical support to guide and educate on relevant topics including study design, sample size estimates, and data management as well as analyses and interpretation. Methods/Innovation: Developing a CRU and BDMC for original, state-of-the art, multidisciplinary, translational research on the campus of an undergraduate university is novel. MUSC has operated a General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) since 1974, and will share experiences with participating faculty at SCSU to accelerate the process for establishing and operating the CRU. Dr. Ruth Johnson, Chair of the Nursing Department at SCSU, will direct the CRU and BDMC. The CRU will be operated principally by the Departments of Nursing and Nutrition at SCSU with assistance from colleagues at MUSC with combined experience of more than 20 years in GCRC administration. Significance: The proposed CRU and BDMC will build research capacity, enhance minority participation in vital research studies, and augment opportunities for careers in biomedical research., and enhance the quality, quantity, and timeliness of effective information available for dissemination to the community for reducing health disparities related to obesity and the metabolic syndrome.
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