Genome Wide Association Coordinating Center

描述（由申请人提供）：美国国立卫生研究院基因与环境倡议（GEI）旨在支持鉴定高影响疾病和潜在致病环境暴露的主要遗传易感性因素的工作，最近启动了全基因组关联（GWA）组件，以支持初始发现或复制阶段的全基因组关联研究。为了支持这一雄心勃勃的努力的复杂性，华盛顿大学生物统计学系召集了一个专家小组作为协调中心（GWA CC），为数据的整合、数据协调和分析的方法和工具的开发以及对这种性质的大型多地点科学研究所需的任务的管理提供必要的组织和统计专业知识。具体来说，GWA CC将作为一个集中的资源，通过以下方式促进和支持GEI-GWA计划的活动，以及gei支持的复制和精细制图活动、测序和功能研究：(1)开发、协调和提供本计划中包括的研究的表型数据文档，并根据需要在国家生物技术中心和研究地点之间提供所有数据集的存储和转移；(2)通过为复制和后续研究的建模和选择方案提供统计支持，为测序和功能研究选择靶点，为这些策略的发展做出贡献；制定统计方法，统一应用于综合表型集的数据，根据选定的平台确定用于基因分型的样本；为进一步发展分析方法提供统计支持；并支持对研究人员的组合数据集进行数据分析；(3)通过开发和使用旨在允许和鼓励信息交流的工具，促进所有站点之间的研究交流，从而提供所有活动的管理和协调；协调指导委员会和工作组的所有会议和电话会议，包括为指导委员会、项目办公室和工作组分发相关材料和制作所有中期和最终报告，(4)管理政策制定、文件编制和数据共享所需的所有任务，以及(5)支持指导委员会或项目办公室为成功协调GEI-GWA研究而要求的所有其他工作。将本着协作精神，采用创造性和灵活的办法协调全球环境与全球环境评估研究，同时在统计方法和项目管理办法方面发挥领导作用。该提案汇集了一个强大的团队，包括统计遗传学家、生物统计学家、流行病学家、程序员、分析师和具有多年相关经验的项目管理人员，以成功实现GEI-GWA的目标。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The NIH-wide Genes and Environment Initiative (GEI), developed to support efforts for identification of major genetic susceptibility factors for high impact diseases and potential causative environmental exposures, recently launched the Genome-Wide Associations (GWA) component to support genome-wide association studies in both the initial discovery or replication phases. To support the complexities of such an ambitious effort, the Department of Biostatistics at the University of Washington has convened a team of experts to serve as the Coordinating Center (GWA CC) to provide the necessary organizational and statistical expertise for integration of data, development of methodologies and tools for both data harmonization and analyses, and for the administration of those tasks needed for a large multi-site scientific study of this nature. Specifically, the GWA CC will serve as a centralized resource to facilitate and support the activities of the GEI-GWA program and for GEI-supported replication and fine mapping activities, sequencing, and functional studies by (1) developing, harmonizing and providing documentation of phenotypic data from studies included in this initiative and to provide the storage and transfer of all datasets between the National Center for Biotechnology and study sites as needed; (2) contributing to the development of these strategies by providing statistical support for modeling and selecting options for replication and follow-up studies, selecting targets for sequencing and functional studies; developing statistical methodology for harmonization of data to be applied to the combined set of phenotypes, identifying samples for genotyping according to selected platforms; providing statistical support for further development of analytic methods; and supporting data analyses of the combined dataset to study investigators; (3) providing administration and coordination of all activities by facilitating study communications across all sites by developing and using tools designed to allow and encourage information exchange; coordinating all Steering Committee and working group meetings and conference calls to include distribution of pertinent materials and production of all interim and final reports for the Steering Committee, Project Office, and working groups, (4) administering all tasks necessary for development of policies, documentation of and sharing of data, and (5) supporting all other efforts requested by the Steering Committee or Project Office as needed for successful coordination of the GEI-GWA Study. Coordination of the GEI-GWA Study will be done in a spirit of collaboration using creative and flexible approaches while providing leadership in statistical methodology and approaches to project management. This proposal brings together a strong team of statistical geneticists, biostatisticians, epidemiologists, programmers, analysts and project management staff with many years of related experience to successfully accomplish the goals of the GEI-GWA.