Biostatistics/Computational Core

PROJECT SUMMARY – BIOSTATISTICS AND COMPUTATIONAL CORE (CORE B) The Biostatistics and Computational Core (Core B) of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC) Prostate SPORE interacts with all research activities within the SPORE, including the SPORE Projects, Developmental Research Program, and Career Enhancement Program to ensure the highest standards of scientific rigor in areas of study design, data management and integrity, and data analysis and interpretation. The overarching goal is to promote translational research derived from fundamental discoveries in the laboratory that can lead to tangible clinical benefit. The specific aims of Core B are to: (1) provide biostatistical and computational biology expertise for the planning and design, conduct, analysis, and reporting of laboratory, genomic, animal, translational, clinical (including associated correlative studies), and epidemiological studies for SPORE Projects, Developmental Research, and Career Enhancement Award projects, and other SPORE Cores; (2) provide consultation on all issues of data management, integrity and integration, including data collection, storage, transfer, sharing and quality assurance, on statistical and computational software and programs, and on coordination of laboratory results with parameters and outcomes from clinical studies or clinical/translational research databases; and (3) provide short-term biostatistics and computational biology consulting to the entire group of SPORE researchers. Organizing biostatistical and computational biology expertise as a shared resource core is a cost-effective approach to ensure that collaboration is readily available to SPORE investigators and is an effective strategy to guarantee a high degree of integration among projects, which have interrelated analytic goals and needs. Core B has a wealth of experienced biostatisticians and computational biologists equipped with excellent computational resources, including major commercial and public-use statistical software and a large library of locally written software for design and analysis.