Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource (BBSR)

BIOSTATISTICS & BIOINFORMATICS: ABSTRACT The goal of the Biostatistics & Bioinformatics Shared Resource (BBSR) is to ensure excellent and timely collaborative support in a cost-effective manner for all Research Programs of the University of Arizona Cancer Center (UACC). In 2020, bioinformatics services were combined with the existing Biostatistics Shared Resource to provide UACC investigators with one cohesive team to achieve a high level of statistical rigor and innovation in their research. This integration was a result of an external ad hoc review of Shared Resources conducted in 2020. This change is critical in an era when many animal studies and clinical trials involve the collection of ‘omics data. Under this new structure, BBSR provides efficient design, accurate data management, and customized data analyses and interpretation, as well as statistical and bioinformatics innovations, to ensure UACC investigators achieve their scientific goals. This support is facilitated by the long- term coordination of BBSR personnel across all three UACC Research Programs and campus-wide data science initiatives. BBSR faculty and staff are collaboratively involved in the conception, design, implementation, analysis, and reporting of laboratory, genomic, clinical, and population-based research conducted within the UACC. BBSR provides the following services: (1) integrated biostatistical and bioinformatics analysis planning for grant applications; (2) biostatistical and bioinformatics analysis of user- generated and publicly available data; (3) monitoring of clinical study progress; (4) data and software management; (5) clinical protocol development including sample size justification; (6) statistical review of UACC protocols through service on the Scientific Review Committee (SRC); (7) monitoring study safety and data integrity through service on the Data and Safety Monitoring Board; and (8) education and training for clinical fellows, students, and UACC Members. In CY20, BBSR served 35 UACC Members, provided statistical protocol development support for 10 UACC investigator-initiated trials, and provided statistical reviews for 63 SRC protocols. Over the course of the project period, BBSR has supported 97 publications by UACC Members and 203 peer-reviewed funding applications.