MISSISSIPPI INBRE DATA SCIENCE CORE Project Summary/Abstract With advancements in biomedical research, leveraging diverse aspects of Data Science has become a critical component to understanding the complexity of biological and epidemiological data. The mission of the MS INBRE Data Science Core (DSC) is to provide a full-service resource that addresses advanced data analysis needs to further biomedical research and training infrastructure in MS. The DSC will leverage and expand infrastructure built by the “Bioinformatics Core” a key component of MS INBRE operations in the current and prior project periods. The experts assembled from MS Research-Intensive Institutions (RIIs) that make up the Core are dedicated to enhancing the biomedical research capacity in the state and training students and faculty in computational tools. The DSC is committed to providing continuing support of bioinformatic needs for all MS investigators for analysis of “omics” data. It will also begin new initiatives to promote the understanding and use of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques such as machine learning (ML), Deep learning (DL), and Convolution Neural Networks (CNNs), and recruit experts in molecular modeling for docking and virtual reality visualization to improve research and teaching. Additionally, new expertise in biostatistical approaches for epidemiology and data management will join the MS INBRE. The DSC will continue to work closely with the Molecular and Genomics Core, Proteomics Core, and metabolomic Core Facilities, which are integrated within the Instrumentation and Services Core (ISC), to provide expertise to investigators in analyzing complex biomolecular datasets. With introduction of the DSC, greater support for community-based participatory research (CBPR) projects with the Community Engagement and Training Core (CETC) will be offered by the MS INBRE. Critical services provided by the Core include access to commercial software, computational environments, and training for both research and curriculum development, making the DSC vital to the MS INBRE's mission to enhance the competitiveness of biomedical research and advance science education in MS. The following aims were developed to accomplish the goals of the core and complement the MS INBRE program: 1) To support analysis of “omics” data; 2) promote use of AI; 3) Offer resources for molecular modeling; and 4) Provide support dataset curation and analysis. At the completion of this project, we expect to have enhanced the quality of computational resources and training in the state and to have positively impacted biomedical projects for MS investigators particularly at primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs).