Biostatistics & Bioinformatics

A key objective for the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics (DEB) is to provide biostatistical support to maximize the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute’s (Greehey CCRI) research productivity. As the Greehey CCRI gains new research faculty, the biostatistics needs will grow. These needs include: assisting investigators with study planning to assure optimal experimental design, conducting power analyses and sample size determination for proposed studies, defining data elements to be accessioned and endpoints to be used; assisting in the development of quality control procedures to ensure high data quality, and developing statistical analysis plans. Their biostatistical research needs are broad as they cover basic/laboratory science, translational research, clinical-based, and population-based research. The Biostatistical Support Core also provides clinical informatics resources, including database design and application development expertise. It is anticipated that the need for computational biology and bioinformatics expertise within the Greehey CCRI will dramatically increase, with increasing recruitment of faculty engaged in high throughput array-based genomics technologies, image analysis, etc.

Recruitment of additional faculty in biostatistics, bioinformatics, and epidemiology will be needed. The distribution of effort and support in these critical areas needed to align with Greehey CCRI’s mission will require developing a shared vision with the Cancer Center, biostatistics/epidemiology/bioinformatics core, since DEB is a central resource for both, and there is extensive interaction. For the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, faculty effort will need to be augmented in basic science statistical support in the evolving area of bioinformatics and applied epidemiology.