PROJECT SUMMARY: BIOSTATISTICS AND BIOINFORMATICS SHARED RESOURCE The Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center (Sylvester) Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource (BBSR) provides investigators ready access to critical services and expertise not usually available in individual laboratories, including state-of-the-art biostatistics and bioinformatics services to support clinical trials and laboratory and population-based cancer research studies. The BBSR supports hypothesis generation, study design, data analysis, and interpretation, and provides training in quantitative science applications. The aims of the BBSR are to 1) conduct rigorous, reproducible, and transparent statistical and bioinformatics data analysis and interpretation; 2) provide expert scientific review, data monitoring, and statistical oversight of clinical and population science research protocols; 3) deploy and develop new analytical techniques; and 4) provide training on analysis and application of data from existing and emerging technologies. The BBSR provides 1) statistical and bioinformatics services for study design, power analysis, sample size estimation, and feasibility assessment for basic, translational, and clinical research; 2) statistical and genomic data analysis services; 3) statistical review of clinical and population science research protocols; and 4) consultation and training. The scope, complexity, and usage of services provided by the BBSR have steadily advanced. For the current reporting period (6/1/2018-5/31/2023), a total of 172 principal investigators (PIs) utilized BBSR services, including 97 Sylvester members from all Research Programs (RPs), who comprised 88% of usage as measured by revenue, reflecting the critical importance of BBSR services to Sylvester members. The BBSR supported 161 publications by members, of which 25% (40 publications) were in high-impact journals (JIF ≥10), and it facilitated 54 cancer-related extramural grants awarded to members, including 22 NCI awards. In addition, the BBSR supported 63 cancer-related investigator-initiated studies (40 by members) and provided 770 statistical reviews for Sylvester regulatory committees. The BBSR also offered seminars, lectures, workshops, and training sessions. In 2023, Sylvester recruited Yan Guo, PhD, as Director BBSR. His extensive experience and expertise facilitate the BBSR growth needed to support the evolving needs of Sylvester members, in alignment with Sylvester’s 2024-2028 Strategic Plan. To meet the growing needs of Sylvester members, the BBSR expanded from six personnel at the end of FY22 (May 2022) to 12 personnel at the end of FY23 (May 2023). Future plans are to 1) enhance BBSR support for design of precision medicine approaches and for characterization of cancer heterogeneity (e.g., by using artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning); 2) expand analysis services for existing and emerging high throughput technologies (e.g., long-read sequencing and spatial multiomics)...