The mission of the Data Science Shared Resource (DSSR) is to provide professional expertise in biostatistics, bioinformatics and clinical research informatics for all Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) investigators. Functions provided by the DSSR include: development of experimental designs, power and sample size analysis; data acquisition and database development; patient identification within the electronic health record (eHR); statistical and bioinformatics analysis and interpretation of findings; collaboration on presentation of results; education in biostatistics and bioinformatics methods; and development of tools/methods with application to laboratory and clinical research. To achieve these functions, the DSSR Director, co-Director, and program leaders are constantly available to VICC investigators. The primary objectives of the DSSR are: 1) to ensure scientific rigor and reproducibility in all VICC studies through key services: experimental design; accurate and reliable data capture; and appropriate, reproducible analysis techniques; 2) to provide study design and power and sample size analysis, as well as to review all laboratory, animal, clinical, omics and prevention studies, including a feasibility assessment that considers both technical feasibility as well as patient population analytics (as appropriate); 3) to collaborate in providing statistical and bioinformatics data analysis, interpretation of results, and the writing of final study reports and manuscripts; 4) to develop and evaluate statistical and bioinformatics methods and software for experimental design, visualization and data analysis; 5) to provide custom database design, data entry, data tracking, forms, queries, and reports, and to maintain electronic data capture (EDC) systems for information storage and retrieval, as well as for study, participant, and/or specimen management, for investigator-initiated clinical trials, other clinical research, or laboratory studies; 6) to work with the Clinical Trials Shared Resource (CTSR) and VICC investigators to develop research project databases, to maintain data quality control and ensure timely data capture; 7) to work with the Genomic Sciences Shared Resource (GSSR) in the development of bioinformatics tools and pipelines, to ensure data quality control and provide novel computational biology support; 8) to train VICC members in research design and data analysis through seminars, workshops and individual sessions; 9) to catalyze research productivity by providing common informatics support including software development, shared research applications and shared research infrastructure; 10) to aid in translating ?genomically-enabled? best practices into clinical decision support; 11) to develop infrastructure, processes and frameworks to aid in identifying patient populations within the electronic health record; 12) to ensure HIPAA compliance in use of patient data by maintaining privacy standards and creating limited or de-identified datasets as appropriate to IRB-approved study aims.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 2462 publications
