Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) Research Program Core F: Data and Analysis Core

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CORE F. DATA AND ANALYSIS CORE ABSTRACT The Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) U19 Research Program aims to better understand brain aging and factors across the life course that influence cognitive outcomes and dementia. The ACT U19 Program will achieve this aim by leveraging the study’s existing rich longitudinal data and by improving the study’s cohort diversity, data sources, scientific and methodological scope, and capacity for data sharing. The ACT U19 will answer new important scientific questions through its three research Projects that involve: understanding relationships between 24-hour activity patterns and cognitive and functional aging (Project 1); assessment of factors that differ across cognitively defined Alzheimer’s disease subgroups to better understand heterogeneity in disease and its impacts (Project 2); and evaluation of the mechanisms by which common medication classes may impact the brain and cognition (Project 3). To make this research endeavor possible, the ACT U19 Program includes six resource Cores. Core F: Data and Analysis Core is one of these and plays a key role by interfacing with all other Cores and Projects. The Data and Analysis Core’s primary functions in helping the ACT U19 Program achieve its aims are three-fold: (1) manage a secure, multi-domain ACT Repository of clinical, biological, and electronic health record data that are of the highest quality; (2) provide comprehensive biostatistical and programmatic support to conduct analyses that answer the scientific questions of interest, developing methods and innovating as necessary to address project complexities; and (3) facilitate efficient data sharing with external researchers to promote broad use of ACT U19 data, thus upholding the promise that this unique, publicly-funded resource holds for increasing understanding of dementia. The Data and Analysis Core is organized around these three functions by structuring itself into an Informatics Unit, a Biostatistics Unit, and a Data Sharing Unit. These Units are well positioned for serving these roles because the Core’s members will be able to leverage their extensive biostatistical leadership experience, their scientific knowledge of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, their programmatic know-how and deep knowledge of data relevant for ACT, and their demonstrated commitment to supporting public research through data sharing. The ambitious research agenda of the ACT U19 Program requires a Data and Analysis Core team capable of facilitating high- integrity data collection and sophisticated analytical frameworks that embrace complexity, and we are confident that we have assembled a team that can meet these challenges and guide the ACT U19 Program to success.