10 Biostatistics Resource Group

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PROJECT SUMMARY: BIOSTATISTICS RESOURCE GROUP (BRG) The mission of the Biostatistics Resource Group (BRG) is to enhance the scientific excellence of research at MD Anderson through outstanding statistical designs and methods, including the proper and efficient use of standard and cutting-edge methods and the development of novel methods; and to train and mentor future biostatisticians through an innovative, relevant curriculum and through exposure to unique data sets, the latest research methodology and findings, and state-of-the-art computing technology. BRG faculty mentor postdoctoral fellows and participate in 3 formal doctoral degree programs, teaching courses and advising graduate researchers: (i) Quantitative Sciences at MD Anderson-UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; (ii) Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biostatistics for Cancer Research, a joint effort with the Department of Statistics at Rice University; and (iii) a joint effort with Texas A&M University. Director Dr. J. Jack Lee and co-directors Dr. Yu Shen and Ms. Marcella Johnson lead the BRG, which contributes to rigor and reproducibility at the institution by holding weekly consensus reviews of all clinical and research protocols submitted for scientific review (except those with prior NIH approval and those submitted directly to the institutional review board [IRB]), collaborating in the design of all clinical trials initiated at MD Anderson, conducting the data analyses, and following operating procedures that facilitate reproducibility. The status of the BRG within an independent, quantitative science group ensures the objective assessment of research. A faculty member and statistical analyst team are assigned as the primary contacts for each research and clinical department within the institution, which fosters close collaboration and subject matter expertise within the assigned teams. Protocols and trials are evaluated before they are reviewed by the IRB to protect the scientific integrity of MD Anderson and the quality of patient care and laboratory animal use. All BRG faculty members and statistical analysts are available to collaborate or consult with clinical and laboratory-based researchers. The BRG provides added value through (i) Bayesian approaches to inference, adaptive randomization in clinical trials, and statistical and graphical modeling; (ii) Clinical Trial Conduct, a centralized collection of BRG-designed databases, web applications, and web services that support the conduct of clinical trials; and (iii) software programs to support clinical trial management, which are documented and distributed online to researchers around the world at no cost. During the past 6 years, the BRG supported 1,097 center members representing all CCSG programs and contributed to more than 1500 papers, 577 (38%) with IF >5 and 175 (11%) with IF >10. In grant Yr42, BRG utilization increased 20% compared with the previous 5-year average, and peer review-funded usage accounted for 77%. In Yr43, the institution contributed 44% ($3,337,751) of the total BRG operating expenses; other grant allocations covered 48% ($3,697,124), and CCSG funds provided 8% ($611,160). For Yr44, the BRG requests $629,456 (a 3% increase, but 7% of the total BRG operating expenses) from the CCSG.