# Clinical Research Design, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · LSU PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CTR · 2021 · $361,035

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY: DESIGN, EPIDEMIOLOGY, AND BIOSTATISTICS CORE
The overall goal of the Clinical Research Design, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics Key Component
Activity (DEB KCA) of the Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science Center (LA CaTS) is to ensure that all
clinical and translational research conducted within the LA CaTS purview meets the highest scientific
standards for study design and analysis. During the initial funding period, we successfully leveraged existing
DEB expertise from the faculties of the Primary Collaborating Institutions and implemented an integrated DEB
support network that is now available to investigators at all participating LA CaTS institutions. We now provide
DEB services and consultation to COBRE/INBRE mentees across the state, to our Roadmap and Meritorious
scholars, and to other investigators seeking to expand their research toward translational efforts. To meet the
needs for additional bioinformatics expertise, the DEB KCA director led the creation of the Southeast
Informatics Consortium (SIC) to identify specific requirements, formulate ways to share resources and work
together to advance the use of bioinformatics in clinical and translational research. The LA CATS leadership,
and their respective institutions, provided considerable resources enabling the DEB KCA to expand our
biostatistics capacity, add additional epidemiology expertise, and provide unique proficiency in bioinformatics
approaches. We are a comprehensive DEB resource for LA CaTS investigators and we offer one of the most
requested services within the LA CaTS Center. Aim 1. Enhance and expand the DEB KCA by developing and
implementing strategic study designs, emphasizing rigor, reproducibility, validity, and sustainability of our
findings. This will be accomplished using appropriate controls and comparison conditions, reducing bias, and
increasing study power efficiency followed by deploying state-of-the-art data analyses, objective and
transparent interpretation of research findings, publishing new discoveries, and seeking funding to support the
next steps in our research pursuits. Aim 2. Create and implement novel statistical analytics, inferential and
modeling solutions in data mining, precision medicine and molecular epidemiology in addition to more
traditional experimental and observational research with strong emphasis on special Louisiana cohorts. Aim 3.
Promote and deliver professional development by providing educational opportunities for faculty, trainees, and
research staff. Thus, the DEB KCA strives to justify clinical and translational research conclusions through
rigorous pursuit and objective interpretation of investigative findings within a well-established infrastructure for
arriving at sustainable inferential conclusions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10201620
- **Project number:** 5U54GM104940-06
- **Recipient organization:** LSU PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** William Johnson
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $361,035
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2012-08-15 → 2022-08-04

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10201620

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10201620, Clinical Research Design, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Core (5U54GM104940-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10201620. Licensed CC0.

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