Core 3: Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core (BBC)

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT – Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core (BBC) The overall goal of Core 3, the Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core (BBC), is to provide comprehensive support in the areas of biostatistics and bioinformatics for all research Projects, Developmental Research and Career Enhancement programs, and Cores in the UCLA SPORE in Brain Cancer. The BBC is comprised of multiple faculty members from the departments of Biostatistics, and Molecular, Cell, & Developmental Biology (MCDB), as well as staff statisticians and bioinformaticians. Faculty members include nationally respected biostatisticians and bioinformaticians with broad expertise in general biostatistics, design and analysis of clinical trials, analysis and interpretation of high-dimensional tissue arrays and gene expression data, and next generation sequencing (NGS) data analysis, which are needed by the SPORE research projects. Collectively and individually, the members have participated in hundreds of studies involving diverse aspects of cancer research, especially translational research. They have experience working in large centers and have served on multiple NIH study sections and review committees. The BBC faculty and staff are actively involved in UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC)'s current projects and have an established a history of productive collaborations with the researchers in this proposed SPORE. The BBC has worked closely with the UCLA SPORE in Brain Cancer investigators to provide input on study design, statistical analysis plans, and bioinformatics issues for this competitive renewal application.