The Scientific Core provides an organizational structure for scientific efforts common to all projects within the program to achieve the overall goals and vision of the Program Project as an integrated investigation in diseases caused by VZV in the elderly. The Core Leader, Dr. Maria Nagel, meets with the Clinical Coordinator daily to prioritize scientific efforts on all human and monkey specimens and to plan strategies and evaluate data. The Scientific Core provides support for the Clinical Coordinator, who will acquire, bank, process and computerize all tissue from humans in Projects 1 and 2 and from monkeys in Project 3, as well as ensure compliance with regulatory bodies including the Colorado Multiple Institutional Review Board. The Scientific Core also provides support in all 3 projects for: a bioinformatics expert to assist with RNA sequencing, data analysis and interpretation, and training of laboratory personnel in these analyses; a statistical consultant; an editorial consultant and publication costs; common-use supplies and equipment for tissue culture, PCR and gene expression profiling/RNA sequencing; and continuing service contracts, maintenance and repair of heavy equipment and computer costs.