Survey and Biospecimen shared Resource

Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville TN

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

QUANTITATIVE SCIENCES AND POPULATION RESEARCH GROUP CORE 014 ? SURVEY AND BIOSPECIMEN SHARED RESOURCE PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The mission of the Survey and Biospecimen Shared Resource (SBSR) is to provide high-quality survey and laboratory services to support Vanderbilt investigators conducting population-based research. This mission is fulfilled through two distinct but complementary functions: laboratory services and research survey services. Some of the laboratory services include biospecimen processing, storage and retrieval, DNA/RNA extraction, and biospecimen requisitions from three large prospective cohort studies and several large case-control studies. Some of the survey services include consultation for study design or implementation, programming, participant enrollment, computer-assisted telephone interviewing, medical record review and study mailings. The scientific co-directors of the SBSR have directed studies involving data and biologic sample collection from more than 200,000 study participants in the United States and abroad. Thus, the SBSR provides Vanderbilt- Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) members with access to significant expertise and experience in population- based research, avoids the start-up costs associated with hiring and training staff for data collection and sample processing, shares experienced research staff to reduce study costs, implements rigorous quality control protocols and results in high-quality specimen and data collection and processing. The major scientific achievement of the SBSR is reflected in the service utilization and publications. The SBSR supports multiple studies that are recruiting participants, collecting survey data and/or biospecimens, or performing biological assays on collected samples. Twenty-seven VICC members have benefited from the services of the resource to improve study design and research quality. VICC members with peer-reviewed support account for 91% and 98% of total service usage for the laboratory services and survey services, respectively. This shared resource has supported the publication of over 140 manuscripts published since 2009 including in journals such as Nature, Nature Genetics, JNCI, Gastroenterology, Cancer Research, AJCN, AJE and CEBP. Thus, the SBSR services are critical for the research conducted by VICC members across multiple VICC research programs.