BIOINFORMATICS AND BIOSTATISTICS CORE FACILITY

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The analysis of datasets requires statistics in order to validate the findings. The department of statistics supports HSC and MBRCC research efforts through collaborations with HSC scientists providing faculty for statistical analysis of data and input to experimental design and interpretation. The emerging technologies of DNA microarray and Proteomics require advanced biostatistical applications, such as Hidden Markov Modeling and Random Forest techniques, respectively. Faculty members in the Department of Statistics have these expertise, as well. Thus, we set up a dedicated facility in the WVU HSC whereby faculty members from Statistics work in the HSC and provide support for our research program. Additionally, the fields of cancer biology, proteomics and genetics, require bioinformatics support. To this end, the MBRCC and Cobre program hired Lan Guo, a computer scienctist and bioinformatics specialist with advanced training in computer software development. Dr. Guo's developed a novel approach to bioinformatics based on the Dempsey-Shaffer model, which is superior to the currently employed Bayesian Networks model. In turn, the Statistics department has hired a bioinformatics specialist who specializes in analysis of mass spectrometry data. It is our long term goal to establish a Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Program at WVU and this core facility and our new faculty hires will seed this endeavor. In this proposal, we discuss the structure of this core facility, priority use and billing mechanisms, support for faculty research projects, research initiatives, as well as our long term vision of establishing an active bioinformatics program at WVU HSC.