# Biospecimen Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2024 · $455,184

## Abstract

BIOSPECIMEN CORE (BIO): PROJECT SUMMARY
Aging is characterized by the accumulation of molecular and cellular damage resulting in decreasing cellular
functionality. The extent and temporal progression of this damage is a heterogeneous process due to the
complex interactions of environmental and genetic factors that can ameliorate and/or exacerbate normal
aging. The overarching goal of the Columbia University Senescence Tissue Mapping (CUSTMAP)
Center is to focus on key organ systems with vulnerability to age-related degenerative processes; the central
nervous system and skin. These systems were selected as they represent organs with prominent
adaptive/regenerative ability and heterogeneous cell types that will allow us to investigate the local effects of
aging on gene expression signatures and how this impacts upon cellular composition and increase
susceptibility to age-related damage and diseases. At the core of the CUSTMAP Center is consistent
accessibility to well-phenotyped, high-quality, non-diseased human tissue that has been consented for
broad data sharing. We are ideally positioned for this effort through our premier clinical phenotyping and
biobanking resources. Through our Biospecimen Core (BIO), we will compile one of the largest
multinational cohorts with tissues spanning the lifespan, with comparable and quantifiable clinical
correlates, by continuing our prospective collection of comparably phenotyped high quality cases at both the
University of Edinburgh and Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Our BIO will bring together a
leadership team from diverse clinical and research backgrounds with complementary established expertise
in clinical phenotyping and tissue biobanking. The aim of this core is not only to synergize with our Biological
Analysis Core to deliver the outcomes of the proposed aims, but also to establish an international framework
for a standardized approach to phenotypic tissue banking. Our hope is that by establishing this framework it
will enable a higher quality of ante- and post-mortem, human-relevant research to be carried out in this field.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10898656
- **Project number:** 5U54AG076040-04
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** David Michael Owens
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $455,184
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-30 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10898656

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10898656, Biospecimen Core (5U54AG076040-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10898656. Licensed CC0.

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