Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource

BIOSTATISTICS AND BIOINFORMATICS SHARED RESOURCE: PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource (BBSR) supports the mission of the Wilmot Cancer Institute (Wilmot) by providing biostatistics and bioinformatics services and collaboration through consulting, data analysis, targeted novel methodological development, education, training, and mentoring. The BBSR is co-led by Derick Peterson, PhD (ZY), co-director for biostatistics, and Matthew McCall, PhD (GEM), co-director for bioinformatics. Peterson and McCall are assisted by seven additional biostatisticians and bioinformaticians (three PhD, three MS, and one BS). BBSR faculty and staff collaborate with all three Wilmot research programs, with over 49% of Wilmot members making use of BBSR services since 2019. Additionally, since 2019, the BBSR has supported 148 manuscript submissions and 195 grant proposals, while assisting in the design of 87 investigator-initiated studies with Wilmot investigators. Wilmot’s research environment is strengthened via BBSR support for study design and planning, protocol development and review, grant preparation, statistical modeling and inference, and interpretation and dissemination of study results via manuscripts, abstracts, and scientific presentations. The BBSR develops novel statistical and bioinformatic methods and tools to address unique analysis problems that can emerge from cutting-edge cancer research. This capability positions the BBSR as a leader within the Wilmot research community. Education, training, and mentoring in study design and statistical and bioinformatic approaches elevates collaboration and fosters integration and communication with and between all research programs and shared resources. By providing these services in a cost-effective, highly responsive, and easily accessible fashion, the BBSR serves an integral role in supporting cancer research at Wilmot. Early, in-depth, and sustained involvement in the design and conduct of externally funded studies is key to successful collaboration. BBSR personnel regularly attend monthly Wilmot program meetings and weekly scientific lab meetings with Wilmot investigators to foster and maintain close collaborative relationships with an open flow of communication. This includes defining outcome variables and important covariates, developing appropriate measures and methods to obtain the relevant data necessary to properly answer study questions, focusing and refining specific aims, identifying appropriate biostatistics and bioinformatics methods for data analysis and summarization, leveraging advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence, performing power and sample size calculations, and conveying the results of these analyses via reports, tables, and figures. The BBSR also plays a critical role in clinical research via participation in the Wilmot Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee, the Data and Safety Monitoring Committee, and the Clinical Research Leadership Committee. Moving forward, the BBSR will enhance services and methodological support in imaging analysis and data integration, strengthen bioinformatic capabilities, and expand investigator education.