The principal objective of the Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core (CORE 2) is to provide P01 project investigators a centralized resource for biostatistics and bioinformatics expertise and support. The Core 2 assembles a team of quantitative scientists with a wide range of expertise and a documented record of collaboration with project leaders to address statistical issues and bioinformatics analysis at all levels of investigation. This Core will support investigators from the design of laboratory experiments and translational studies to the maintenance of data quality; and from conclusions based formal hypothesis testing to important discovery with systematic data exploration. Primary functions of the Core include: developing study designs and formal hypothesis testing strategies; supporting data collection; developing mechanisms for the acquisition, processing, and storage of high-quality data; and developing and implementing rigorous statistical and bioinformatics analysis plans; facilitating data sharing. Core 2 will offer many benefits to the Overall Program by providing efficient and consistent support to the projects and cores, and a diversity of expertise to contribute to design and analysis issues. Core 2 members will interact frequently with project leaders and evaluate the projects to ensure that all components contribute to the overall goals of the Program, and provide each project with state-of-the-art experimental design and data analysis. The Specific Aims of Core 2 are: (1) To collaborate with project investigators on the formulation of unambiguous hypotheses and hypothesis testing strategies, and on designing experiments. (2) To provide support for all projects with data analysis including both formal hypothesis tests and exploratory analyses as well as statistical modeling and sensitivity analyses of complex data. (3) To provide data management, quality control, processing and integration that ensure consistency and transparency of data analysis