Since its establishment in 1973, the Biostatistics and Data Management ability (BDMF) and its predecessors have been continuously funded by the AHF CCSG. The BDMF has recently been reorganized and expanded and several highly experienced biostatisticians and other facility members have been recruited. In 199, Edith Zang, Ph.D. was recruited and appointed Facility Director to lead this reorganization and expansion. Dr. Zang has significantly expanded the capabilities of the BDMF to include comprehensive resources that are required to support the Cancer Center research projects involving the collection and analyzing of extensive data. Some of these capabilities include additional personnel, state-of-the-art statistical software (SAS, WinNonlin, EaSt, StatXact, Logact, S-Plus, etc.) and the move to Oracle for database management. Instrumental to these changes was the senior leadership of the AHFCC who recognized the need to expand and upgrade the capabilities of the BDMF. Considerable institutional and Cancer Center non-core grant resources have contributed to the recruitment of new staff and the expansion of statistical computing abilities through new computer hardware and software. The BDMF provides centralized high quality biostatistical oversight and consultation to a wide range of research project. The statisticians are involved in every phase of AHF research projects by assisting with the study design , and providing the necessary input in each grant application, followed by statistical overview throughout the duration of the study, data analysis, and interpretation of the results. They also conduct independent research to develop, adapt and evaluate the applicability of novel statistical methods that are relevant to the types of research being conducted Finally, the statisticians participate in the planning and oversight of every data management procedure including methods of data collection, entry, storage, retrieval, and quality control, as well as the selection and implementation of data management tools and data collection instruments. The data managers work closely with the statisticians, study investigators, data monitors, and programmers throughout every project by planning the data management procedures, designing and testing the data collection instruments, designing and performing procedures for data quality control, storage and retrieval, and by the production of data output and summary reports. Thus, the BDMF plays an integral role within the Cancer Center and a number of grant applications that received biostatistical into during the current period have perceived peer- reviewed funding. Based on internal and external reviews, the newly reorganized BDMF has become and outstanding and critical shared resource that contributes significantly to the successful completion of grant applications and projects requiring high quality biostatistical and data management support. Cancer Center members have priority access to input from the BDMF, and Cancer Center members with peer- reviewed funding account for 72% of total usage.
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