This application requests R21 exploratory funds to develop methodology and tools leading to a comprehensive registry of biomarker and health variables found in publicly available secondary data collections. The proposed pilot will begin with data drawn from collections maintained by the National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA) and the Inter-University Consortium of Social and Political Science (ICPSR). We will use this base to establish protocols to review and identify variables in other collections that measure biological and medical indicators commonly referred to as biomarkers allowing us to create a comprehensive registry of such indicators for public use. Increasingly variables defined as biomarkers are routinely collected as part of many surveys;this application is the first to propose an effective approach for organizing this growing universe of information into a registry system and to promote the use of these data for secondary research. The evaluation and identification process proposed for year one will establish a framework that, in the second year, will establish a broad system to incorporate biomarker information from data collections maintained both within NACDA and outside our established archives. Project Narrative: This work addresses the organization of research data to provide access to and information on biological and medical indicators of health. The project will help researchers develop original research that studies the impacts of medical tests, obesity and other health factors on the lives of individuals.
