Biostatistics

University Of California At Davis, Davis CA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The Biostatistics Shared Resource (BSR) is a core group of the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCDCCC). We support the research mission of the Cancer Center by providing expert consultation to investigators on the design, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of cancer-related studies. The BSR interacts broadly across the spectrum of research interests and partners from basic through translational, clinical and population cancer studies. Our group's biostatistics expertise spans the range necessary for this spectrum, including statistics for molecular biosciences, animal study design, clinical trials, community interventions, and large-scale administrative databases like the Cancer Registry. The BSR not only provides direct services but also serves as a clearinghouse, together with the Division of Biostatistics and the Clinical and Translational Science Center's biostatistics team, to leverage additional resources to meet the growing statistics needs of the UCDCCC, all six Cores, and all Shared Resources. We support the UCDCCC through all stages of research: we provide expert assistance with study design, statistical analysis, summary of findings, and presentation to the scientific community and the public. We interact with all Programs and all Shared Resources. We participate in the administration and management of Cancer Center research activities: the BSR director attends Senior Management meetings and is a reviewer and voting member of the Scientific Review committee for clinical research, and Dr. Qi participates in protocol review for all institutional clinical trials. We offer both formal teaching (podium courses, lectures, and workshops) and informal mentoring (serving as major professor, committee members, and training grant mentors) in biostatistics applications for medical research to cancer researchers. BSR members are innovators in biostatistical methods for cancer research. BSR members have contributed to new statistical methods for biomarker discovery, especially for high throughput assays (metabolomics, glycomics, miRNA). We also are leaders in the area of longitudinal studies of biological and functional change markers and in survival analysis and clinical trials. We adhere to best practices for reproducible research, including sharing of code and methods. Our support of the UCDCCC is highly efficient, leveraging institutional and CTSC support to extend the funding directly provided by the CCSG to provide free support for study design, pilot awards, and mentoring and training of new cancer researchers. Our recharge fees offer researchers a moderately priced alternative to other potential statistical services both within and outside the university.