# Methodology Core

> **NIH NIH P30** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · 2024 · $477,881

## Abstract

METHODOLOGY CORE
ABSTRACT
The Methodology Core is central to our CCCR's goal of acting as a hub and resource for conducting and
disseminating high quality clinical research in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD). This Core brings
together investigators from diverse scientific backgrounds whose clinical research expertise will serve the
broader RMD research community in the following ways: 1) Provide support in advanced epidemiologic methods,
statistical approaches, and machine learning approaches; 2) Utilize and make available our CCCR's cohort
studies and large administrative claims and electronic health records databases; 3) Advise on outcome
measures and provide training in specialized study protocols (e.g., quantitative sensory testing, imaging,
wearable sensors); 4) Provide input regarding conditions for which we have unique expertise, including
osteoarthritis, crystal-related arthritis, spondyloarthritis, and musculoskeletal pain mechanisms, though the
methods expertise and resources allow for broad application to the study of other RMDs. In this renewal, we will
expand our use of, and guidance related to, advanced causal inference, machine learning and deep learning,
and digital health applications (including wearable sensors). A new area we will add in the renewal is
implementation science to enhance our capabilities to narrow the knowledge-practice gap and health inequities
in key RMDs. A key feature of this Core is a weekly clinical research meeting, known as the Research
Accelerator, in which a diverse group of researchers provide interdisciplinary input into all facets of clinical
research projects. By having rheumatology, rehabilitation, epidemiology, biostatistics, and other specialized
investigators meet once a week together, the Methodology Core creates interdisciplinary conversations and
makes available methodologic expertise to clinician researchers that would otherwise not be part of their grants
or scientific projects. Our Boston University CCCR group is well known for training early-stage investigators,
many of whom are prominent clinical researchers in RMD research domestically and globally. The Methodology
Core will continue to emphasize training. In this renewal, we will expand our educational programming, including
a new Visiting Professor program, an expanded monthly journal club with virtual attendance options for the
broader research community, an Advanced Methodology Seminar to act as a continuing education opportunity
for our analysts and methodologists, and will leverage social media to provide summary “threads” from our
various educational sessions and to showcase our CCCR work. Through these endeavors, the Core will expand
and enrich the scope of research questions addressed and methods used to address them, ultimately benefiting
the health and quality of life of individuals living with RMDs.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10928386
- **Project number:** 2P30AR072571-06
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael Paul Lavalley
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $477,881
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2019-09-11 → 2029-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10928386

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10928386, Methodology Core (2P30AR072571-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10928386. Licensed CC0.

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