Clinical Ascertainment, Biospecimen Acquisition, Data Management and Analysis Research Core

CORE B ABSTRACT - Clinical Ascertainment, Retention and Biospecimen Acquisition Research Core The purpose of this core is to develop and support the two human birth cohorts which serve as the study populations to address fundamental questions about the role of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) on childhood respiratory morbidity and asthma through scientific projects that focus on interactive pathways of the host and virus on asthma development (Project 1), and interventions that may modify immune and airway epithelial cell development through which RSV may cause asthma (Project 2). This clinical ascertainment, retention and biosample acquisition and management research core will serve to manage the two human study populations: Infant Susceptibility to Pulmonary Infections and Asthma Following RSV Exposure (INSPIRE) and Childhood Allergy and the Neonatal Environment (CANOE), and manage the resultant key biospecimens and data. Data acquisition will include careful phenotyping, RSV exposure assessment, physiologic testing, nasal airway epithelial cell (NAEC) collection, nasal brushings, blood and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and DNA for Projects 1 and 2. This core is centered around the rich infrastructure at Vanderbilt and surrounding engaged pediatric and obstetrical clinics to conduct the clinical studies. This includes support for the recruitment, enrollment and retention of the birth cohorts, longitudinal follow-up, and the laboratory components of the biosample collection and processing. This core assembles a complementary research team of epidemiologists, virologists, immunologists, geneticists, biostatisticians, and research personnel experienced in cohort retention, and biospecimen acquisition and will provide the data and biospecimens to analytic Core C where data will be processed and biostatistical analyses will be conducted. This core is structured as two aims with each supporting one of the two cohorts. The first is to facilitate and oversee the longitudinal follow-up of the established INSPIRE birth cohort, biospecimen collection, including NAECs for Projects 1 and 2. The second is to facilitate and oversee recruitment, enrollment and longitudinal follow-up of the new CANOE birth cohort, and biospecimen collection, including NAECs for Projects 1 and 2.