SPORE
Research Programs
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SPORE
Gastrointestinal Cancers SPORE
Cores
Core 1: Administrative
Core Director:
EVERS, B. Mark
The specific aims of the Administrative Core are: The
Administrative Core is responsible for the administrative support of all Markey Cancer
Center GI
Cancer SPORE projects, cores and programs, including planning and monitoring of
scientific activities, providing scientific direction, ensuring a translational
research emphasis, and integrating the projects, cores and programs, including
collaborations with other GI Cancer SPOREs. The Administrative Core provides
fiscal oversight, including: 1) employment of key personnel to ensure
cost effective and efficient use of resources; and 2) utilization of SPORE
flexibility to reallocate funds depending on the degree to which the
individual projects and cores of the Markey Cancer Center GI Cancer SPORE are successful in
meeting their performance benchmarks, which allows the Administrative Core to
take advantage of new scientific opportunities, as well as to remedy
deficiencies. The Administrative Core provides a vital link between SPORE
investigators and the Markey Cancer Center GI Cancer SPORE Internal, External and GI Cancer
Advocates Advisory Boards, as well as NCI program staff, and assumes
responsibility for the preparation of all required reports and assurances.
Core 2: Biostatistics
Core Director:
WEISS, Heidi L.
The Biostatistics Core will provide
comprehensive and centralized support that integrates the
biostatistical activities of all research, pilot, and developmental
projects of the GI SPORE. The specific aims of the Core
are to:
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coordinate and manage the statistical
activities to ensure that investigators have ready access to
biostatistical consultation that will facilitate a collaborative
environment within the SPORE
program;
-
provide investigators
with biostatistical expertise in study planning, design, and conduct
of
translational studies throughout the laboratory,
preclinical/animal, clinical and population-based studies continuum;
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design and
implement an integrated database information management system in collaboration with
the Markey Cancer Center information Technology (IT) group and
perform data management and quality control activities; and
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provide comprehensive support for interim reviews and reporting of
data, interpretation of study results, and final data analysis using
state-of-the-art analytical approaches.
The Biostatistics core will play a key role in
provision of scientific and statistical input for the ensuing animal
experiments, translational studies in clinical samples, and
community-based survey and intervention studies. The Biostatistics Core
will incorporate sound experimental principles in study planning and
development, implement an information management system thatwill promote widespread and secure
data sharing across the SPORE components, and facilitate provision of
timely and high-quality statistical analysis and data interpretation.
The Biostatistics Core of this SPORE application will draw support from
existing members of Markey Cancer Center’s Biostatistics Shared Resource
Facility who are highly experienced in
collaboration and conduct of all aspects of cancer-related research.
Ultimately, the SPORE investigators in this application will benefit
from the infrastructure of the Biostatistics Core to ensure the
implementation of innovative and high-quality translational studies.
Core 3: Tissue Procurement and Analysis
Core CO-Directors:
PULLIAM, Jospeh, CIBULL, Michael and LEE, Eun
The Tissue Procurement and Analysis Core will provide expertise and support for the investigators of the UK GI Cancer SPORE grant to perform specialized histopathologic, immunohistochemical and molecular analyses. The goals of the core are to provide frozen tissue, paraffin-embedded tissue, blood and histopathological expertise related to the specific aims of the research projects comprising this SPORE proposal. The following aims are proposed:
- to maintain frozen and
paraffin-embedded tissue for a repository of GI cancers (colorectal, liver,
pancreatic, gastric and esophageal), corresponding normal tissues as well as
colon polyps, cirrhotic liver, pancreatic cysts and esophageal dysplasia;
- to provide pathological review for
all clinical specimens utilized in the SPORE projects and to provide
histopathological technical services as necessary. In addition, laser capture
microdissection (LCM) will be utilized for certain projects and this expertise
will be available;
- to establish a blood collection
bank from patients with hepatitis and liver cancer. This will provide resources
for the testing of putative diagnostic/prognostic markers for liver cancer; and
- to create and maintain a database
for all frozen and paraffin-embedded GI tissues as well as blood collected by
the core.
The use of both neoplastic and non-neoplastic human specimens is a key component of translational, population-based and basic science research. The core will build upon well-established and existing resources within the Markey Cancer Center (MCC), the UK Department of Pathology, the Clinical Research Coordinating Center and an existing general tissue bank started several years ago, thus assuring that this core will benefit from previous efforts and techniques and that funds will be used efficiently without reproducing existing facilities. This comprehensive tissue core offers SPORE investigators access to methods of morphological and pathological analysis as well as histopathological technical services as necessary. Primarily, the core provides microscopic interpretation of animal and human tissues and cytologic materials. Investigators will have access to sophisticated techniques, including laser capture microdissection, tissue arrays, specialized immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. A central repository and analysis core, specifically for GI cancers, will allow for more productive and efficient use of resources to achieve the specific aims of each project in a timely fashion.
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Academics | Service | Research | UK HealthCare | UK A-Z 
