Informatics Core

PROJECT SUMMARY - INFORMATICS CORE The goal of the Informatics Core (IC) is to facilitate and enhance precision cancer research within the Cancer Prevention-Interception Targeted Agent Discovery Program (CAP-IT) at Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC) by providing expert biostatistics, bioinformatics, and data management support to CAP-IT investigators. Members of the Core have substantial knowledge and experience in biostatistics and bioinformatics as applied to cancer prevention research, including cancer risk assessment, biomarker analyses, and preclinical chemoprevention. This highly interactive group of biostatisticians, bioinformaticians and informaticians will provide expertise in experimental design that meets the requirements of rigorous science, statistical and bioinformatics analyses, and informatics capabilities to ensure that all data are of high quality, stored in professionally managed databases, and available for sharing with the CAP-IT Data and Resource Coordination Center (DRCC). It will serve all CAP-IT projects, the Administration Core, and support future CAP-IT projects. The specific goals of the IC are to: (1) Provide expertise in the design of experiments and studies, including research proposal development, sample size determination, randomization procedures, and plans for final analysis; (2) Perform statistical and bioinformatics analyses for CAP-IT investigators to assess validated oncotargets for actionability, druggability, and/or feasibility for cancer prevention and/or interception; (3) Assist with the writing of statistical and bioinformatics components of manuscripts and the interpretation and presentation of results; (4) Provide computer-based tools to facilitate the storage and retrieval of data generated in the proposed research; (5) Collaborate with the CAP-IT DRCC to populate a centralized CAP-IT database for in-network data archiving and sharing; and (6) Perform bioinformatics analyses of molecular data from local data resources, public databases, cell lines and biosamples from high-risk subjects to validate candidate pathways/targets. To accomplish these goals, the IC will leverage software from NCI-sponsored informatics initiatives (e.g., NCI Informatics Technology for Cancer Research) and mine publicly available data resources including the Precancer Atlas and the NCI Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium. By providing quantitative skills and data management and sharing capabilities, the IC will support the FCCC CAP-IT, facilitate achievement of project aims, contribute to the design and conduct of new projects, and enable collaborations with the CAP-IT Network though the DRCC.