Data Management and Biostatistical Analysis Core

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Data management and biostatistical analysis are critical to the success of clinical, epidemiologic and translational research. Despite this, these two disciplines are frequently overlooked and under-resourced during research planning and execution. Sub-optimal data collection and management approaches can generate missing and inaccurate data; researchers may be unaware of such issues in their data, which may be irreparable or require considerable resources to retrospectively repair. Deficiencies in biostatistical analysis are common and are also frequently unrecognized by non-experts. In resource-limited settings such as East Africa, research is even more susceptible to data management and biostatical analysis problems due to the absence of well-trained personnel and appropriate funding for high-level data management and biostatistical analysis. The result is a biomedical research system that often relies upon sub-optimal data management and analytic approaches performed by individuals with less than optimal training. Our goal is to transfer relevant technology and approaches to East Africa by making these available to our Research Projects and investigators within one efficient shared resource core. The Data Management and Biostatistical Analysis Core (DMBAC) of United States-East Africa HIV-Associated Malignancy Research Center (USEAHAMRC) will therefore have the following specific aims: Aim 1. Provide expertise and a common platform for primary data collection and data management as well as specialized instruction to our junior scientists. Aim 2. Offer project-specific biostatistical support both during the planning of new research and during the analysis of ongoing studies as well as specialized instruction to our junior scientists. We will leverage the expertise in data management and biostatistical analysis built at the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at UCSF over the past two decades — and particularly during U54 CA190153 — and use it to support our two Research Projects and Pilot Projects. The core will also provide focused high-level didactic instruction in data management and biostatistical analysis through the Career Development Seminar organized by the Developmental Core. This will allow our emerging African principal investigators to incorporate best practices into their current and future studies, communicate effectively with data managers and biostatisticians, and keep abreast of developments in technology and methodology. By offering assistance from faculty-level biostatisticians who are familiar with the substantive aspects of HIV infection and HIV-related malignancies, we will ensure that the USEAHAMRC meets these objectives.