Biospecimen Core

BIOSPECIMEN CORE: SUMMARY The Biospecimen Core is a vital resource that supports all brain tumor research at Northwestern, and is especially important in seeing that all projects experience clinical translation within the period of SPORE funding. Regular interactions with the Biostatistics & Bioinformatics Core and Administrative Core will ensure that each project achieves its objectives, and has positive impact on the care of brain tumor patients. The Biospecimen Core will have extensive interactions with all projects and cores by acting as the central repository of patient tissues and renewable tumor resources, by providing the highest quality of tissue analytical services, and by providing neuropathological consultation. The Director of the Core, Dr. Horbinski, as well as the Co-Director, Dr. Daniel Brat, will supervise quality control testing of banked specimens, and will perform all microscopy-based analyses of patient tissues and tumor models for each SPORE project. Biospecimen Core activities will be performed to accomplish the following aims: Aim 1: Provide Northwestern brain tumor researchers with annotated biospecimens from patients. Aim 2: Subject all biospecimens to rigorous quality control. Aim 3: Conduct biospecimen-based independent research to study brain tumor biology and optimize the use of clinically relevant biomarkers. Aim 4: Support SPORE projects with biospecimens and neuropathologic analyses.