Biostatistics

Overview

The Biostatistics Shared Resource (BSR) plays an essential role in the research activities of the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center (UH Cancer Center). The BSR provides support and consultation for all quantitative aspects of research, including study design issues, grant and protocol review, data management, systems development, data processing, data analysis, and manuscript preparation. Collaboration ranges from short-term advice to substantive input on projects, including serving as co-investigators and key personnel on research grants. The UH Cancer Center BSR is unique in that it can provide insight and support for studies of multiethnic populations, as well as of populations of the Pacific. The BSR services are generally open only to Cancer Center members. The highest priority for service is given to Cancer Center members with extramurally peer-reviewed, funded projects. Support for early-stage investigators and for the Center’s clinical trials activities is also of key importance. The overarching goal of the BSR is to ensure sound analytic principles are followed, thereby improving the quality of the research enterprise of the Cancer Center.

Requests for BSR support are made to the director or technical directors. A discussion is held regarding the type of support needed and timelines. The BSR attempts to fulfill each request, dependent on the appropriate staff being available within the required timeline. Personnel of the BSR work closely with researchers to create and implement a data management and/or analysis plan that will best answer their research questions. A goal of the BSR is to advise on analysis techniques and strategies, thereby transferring knowledge of the analysis methods to the research team, whenever possible. This approach requires adapting the way services are provided based on the resources and background of the research team, but has the benefit of elevating the general statistical literacy at UH Cancer Center. The rate for BSR service is $125 per person-hour, and the subsidized UH Cancer Center member rate is $80 per hour.