Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design

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PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT The Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) core is a required component of Mountain West Clinical and Translational Research Infrastructure Network (MW CTR-IN). BERD provides data analytic support essential to clinical and translational research within the CTR-IN network of 13 public universities in seven mountain west states. Consisting of a network of 13 sites, BERD supports research projects throughout their life course by ensuring valid study designs, appropriate data acquisition, effective data analyses, and objective data interpretation while continues to expand its technical capacity through training and development. In particular BERD will expand its capacity to focus on supporting multisite studies of health disparities in the region and supporting studies that leverage national databases and bioinformatics. BERD will achieve its goal through a list of specific aims and associated activities: 1. Continue to provide accessible, high-quality services and collaboration in biostatistics, epidemiology, and research design to investigators throughout the 13 member institutions of the MW CTR-IN. BERD will campaign the model of Design-to-Dissemination (D2D) to enhance engagement with investigators throughout the life course of a research project, thereby enhancing team science. 2. Expand the capacity of, and provide technical assistance in, data coordination to support cross-site data needs in the expansion of multisite studies. This initiative will operationalize seamless implementation of data collection, management, analyses, and dissemination to support priority research such as health disparities. 2a. Offer access both to data coordinating capacity currently in operation at the University of New Mexico (UNM) and to technical assistance to help expand and leverage data coordinating infrastructure already existing at other MW CTR-IN sites. 2b. Develop and apply specialized study designs, tools, and biostatistical methods to address challenges arising from current and emerging studies. 3. Provide training to disseminate current and classical biostatistics in response to emerging needs at the MW CTR-IN, particularly those related to: 3a. Emerging priority research such as health disparities. 3b. Technical capacity for leveraging large databases and in bioinformatics within BERD.