Shared Resource 03: Biostatistics (BSR)

PROJECT SUMMARY – BIOSTATISTICS SHARED RESOURCE (BSR) The BSR provides a centralized resource of expertise in the biostatistical and design aspects of clinical/translational, basic, and population-based cancer research. The specific aims of the BSR are to: 1) collaborate with OSUCCC investigators in all aspects of quantitative translational research including study design, training and education, reproducibility and scientific rigor, statistical analysis, data visualization, and manuscript and report preparation; 2) enable strong and consistent collaborations by providing a biostatistical “navigator” to all OSUCCC research programs and Disease Specific Research Groups (DSRGs), and by providing education and biostatistical training to OSUCCC members; and 3) provide biostatistical and methodological review of all cancer protocols submitted to the OSUCCC Clinical Scientific Review Committee (CSRC) and Data Safety Monitoring Committee (DSMC), and as needed for the Total Cancer Care (TCC) research committee for the BSSR. To bolster team science in cancer research, BSR established a navigator- system in 2013, now expanded over the current cycle to 20 different groups at OSU and Nationwide Children's Hospital (NCH), whereby biostatisticians are embedded within each DSRG and are involved with all research studies from their inception. Navigators are intimately familiar with the clinical, biological, and statistical issues they support and serve as point persons for establishing collaborations between these groups and the broader OSU community. Office hours were established within all five OSUCCC programs, where the navigator biostatistician spends half a day every other week at a provided space. BSR also actively developed workshops, seminars, and courses devoted to training biomedical investigators in the fundamentals of design, analysis, and scientific rigor. Over the current cycle, BSR supported individual investigators using genomic data from the TCC protocol, the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN) Avatar program at OSU, and the National Patient-Centered Research Clinical Network (PaTH) by providing computational and programming support, data visualization, graphical and query tools, and data interpretation. BSR works together with other shared resources and the DSMC and CSRC in the development and implementation of protocols to ensure HIPAA compliant processes, and high data quality by enforcing the application of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) guidelines. During the current cycle, the BSR supported 405 publications (59 > 10 impact factor) and 98 NIH (53 NCI) grants including 26 R01s, 35 R21s, 1 R03, 14 U01s, 5 U24s, 3 U19s, 3 U54s, 8 P01s, 2 P30s, 1 P50. Over the next grant cycle, the BSR's role in the new strategic priorities for the OSUCCC, including immuno-oncology, translational genomics, cancer engineering and cancer prevention and survivorship will substantially increase the BSR's contributions, and will specifically include new recruits and technologies. The annual budget of the BSR is $4,063,515, yet the CCSG request is $231,260. As such, the BSR leverages extensive institutional support and seeks only 5.7% support from CCSG funds.