Biostatistics Core

Abstract The Biostatistics Core (RC3) is one of the four resource cores in the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC) at the University of Florida (UF). The mission of the UF OAIC is twofold: 1) to enhance late-life mobility and independence through interdisciplinary approaches to optimize physical performance and mobility, and 2) to train new investigators in research on aging, mobility, and independence, while developing their leadership abilities. The RC3 is a key cog in the interaction among scientists from diverse disciplines to accomplish this mission. It provides research-design and statistical-analysis resources, and helps construct data-collection forms and manage the data (including providing quality control) for both preclinical and clinical studies conducted within the OAIC. The RC3 is involved in all phases of the OAIC studies, and it helps with initial pre-proposal study design and sample-size calculations, development of randomization plans for data collection, and state-of-the-art statistical analyses once the data are collected. It also helps with manuscript preparation for research dissemination. In addition, the RC3 serves as a key resource to OAIC new faculty and Research Education Core (REC) Scholars, by providing them consulting services and periodic special-interest trainings in topics, such as study design, power analysis, data management, study implementation and management, and basic statistical methods and tools. Finally, for OAIC studies where the existing biostatistical methodologies are inadequate, the RC3 has assembled strong expertise for developing new biostatistical methods and tools that are beyond the current practice.