When you need specialized data analysis, who you gonna call?
The s support group at USF鈥檚 (COPH), that鈥檚 who. Known as the SDDA, the team supports researchers across the medical and public health spectrum by providing expert guidance in research planning as well as analysis and management of data.
From grant development to final reporting, the SDDA strives to enhance the quality, rigor and impact of scientific studies while making sure data integrity and confidentiality align with National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines.
鈥淓very research project should include biostatisticians as team members,鈥欌�� said , director, Study Design and Data Analysis Core. 鈥淎ny NIH research grant application requires participation from biostatistics. And for clinical trials, you need us for independent data management and for carrying out randomizations.鈥欌��
Henian Chen, PhD (Photo courtesy of COPH)
Comprised of faculty and graduate students from the COPH , the group enhances research within the 黑料网吃瓜爆料and external community by supporting study design and data analysis from start to finish. Its three main areas include:
- Study design support 鈭� Aid in the study design, sample size and power calculations, and data analysis plan of grant applications to increase competitiveness for extramural funding.
- Data analysis for funded projects 鈭� Work on funded projects, including descriptive and inferential data analysis, and result reporting.
- Secure data management 鈭� Provide independent data management for all projects as per NIH guidelines for clinical trials and clinical research projects and ensure the confidentiality of the data at all times.
The SDDA Core has contributed to numerous successful grant proposals, resulting in a substantial number of funded projects at USF.
The SDDA Core has contributed to numerous successful grant proposals, resulting in a substantial number of funded projects at USF.
One client is the 黑料网吃瓜爆料School of Music, which engaged SDDA in a research study called 鈥淢usicians' Whole Body Balance and Mindfulness Mental Training: A Small Sample Controlled Study.鈥欌�� The school is developing prevention and treatment strategies for musicians who suffer from chronic pain, shoulder pain and back pain 鈥� common results of repetitive playing.
鈥淭hey lacked the expertise in study design, because the college doesn鈥檛 have methodologists or biostatisticians,鈥欌�� Chen said. 鈥淭hey also have no prior experience applying for NIH grants or writing grant proposals. So, they need substantial support from SDDA.鈥欌��
The school of music鈥檚 ambitious music research agenda involves the design of clinical trials and biostatistical analysis to create scientific data from artistic music performances by two musicians, a violinist and a pianist.
SDDA鈥檚 support with research design and biostatistical analysis is essential in this interdisciplinary endeavor. As a result of this collaboration, we can produce groundbreaking outcomes from a small-sample randomized clinical study.
Sang-Hie Lee, professor of music
The group includes six professor-level biostatisticians with expertise in clinical trials, Bayesian statistics, causal inference, biomarker discovery and GIS analysis. They engage with 10 PhD students and 20 masters students who contribute to research and formal projects.
The Study Design and Data Analysis (SDDA) core is comprised of faculty and graduate students from the Department of Biostatistics and Data Science. (Photo courtesy of COPH)
鈥淲orking with SDDA has given me the opportunity to engage across diverse areas of research,鈥欌�� said Weiliang Cen, a biostatistics PhD student who recently accepted a position at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
鈥淚鈥檝e already contributed to NIH-funded clinical trials, collaborated with physicians at Tampa General Hospital and gained valuable experience analyzing large databases, including hands-on work with ClinicalTrials.gov data,鈥� Cen said. 鈥淭hese experiences have been instrumental in my development as a biostatistician and researcher.鈥�