Collaborative Research Opportunities
There are many research organizations within the College and its affiliates with whom the Division's faculty conduct joint research. Via Research Assistantships and Consulting Services students get an opportunity to work in collaborative projects with groups such as those below.
CIBMT, Clinical Trials Network
The Center for International Blood and Marrrow Transplant Research was formed in the summer of 2004 by a merger of the research efforts of the National Marrow Donor Program in Minneapolis and the International Blood and Marrow Transplant Registry (IBMTR) at the Medical College. The new organization will continue the IBMTR’s program of retrospective investigation into hematopietic stem cell transplantation. Professor Klein is the Statistical Director of the organization and Professors Logan, Tarima and Zhang are statisticians for the group.
The Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMTCTN) is a multi-center network funded by the NIH and NCI to implement clinical trials in the field of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The Data Coordinating Center (DCC) of the network is a joint effort between the statistical center of the International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry / Autologous Blood and Marrow Transplant Registry (IBMTR/ABMTR), the coordinating center of the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), and the Emmes Corporation. Dr. Logan and Dr. Klein of the Division of Biostatistics provide support to the clinical trials network through the DCC in terms of designing the clinical trials and analyzing the trial results.
General Clinical Research
The General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) supports the infrastructure for carrying out clinical research, developing clinical research grants and protocols, pilot and feasibility studies and development and training of clinical researchers. In addition, the GCRC has an fMRI core that supports neuroscience research into both clinical aspects of injury and chronic disease and some of the fundamental research questions in addiction, vision, cognitive and motor control, and language processes. Professor Hoffmann is the Biostatistician for the GCRC.
Center Patient Care and Outcomes Research
The Center for Patient Care and Outcomes Research at the Medical College of Wisconsin is made up of faculty and support staff who focus on research related to health care services and patient outcomes. Many research projects are population based, utilizing various large databases such as the SEER-Medicare linked records and Medicare billing records. Not all projects in the Center rely on such secondary data. Primary data collection is currently under way for studies of chronic rhinosinusitis, osteoporosis, breast cancer care, colon cancer screening and the role of numeracy in cancer screening behavior. From the Biostatistics Faculty, Dr. Laud is the primary member working with physicians and other medical researchers in the Center. Two graduate students in the Biostatistics PhD program also work in the Center. Most of the projects here are funded by government agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense or by private foundations.
Gait Lab
The Biostatistic Division’s faculty have been involved with a number of projects with the Gait and Motion Analysis Laboratory of the Medical College. This Lab and faculty from the Department of Orthopedics, Marquette University’s Biomedical Engineering Program and Shiner’s Hospital in Chicago support a wide range of clinical and research oriented investigations. Clinically, the Lab has been structured to serve total joint, foot and ankle, sports medicine, and pediatric patients for evaluation during gait and other activities. Research applications include studies of surgical intervention, orthotic and prosthetic treatment, and therapy upon upper and lower extremity motion and control. From the Division of Biostatistics Professors Klein and Logan provide support to the lab and a senior PhD student also works on laboratory projects.
Injury Research Center
The Injury Research Center at the Medical College conducts research in wide ranging aspects of injury and its treatment. Ongoing projects include quality of life after trauma, biomechanics of penetrating brain injury, violence related fatalities and injuries, and psychological factors in adjustment after traumatic injury. Professors Laud and Lim from the Biostatistics Division collaborate with various researchers in the Center while Professor Tarima has expertise in the area of intimate partner violence via his research at the University of Kentucky.
Center for AIDS Intervention Research
The Center for AIDS Intervention Research (CAIR) conducts research in the prevention of HIV infection and AIDS in high risk groups. It is one of only a handful of such centers in the country and has been funded by the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) continuously since 1994. CAIR also receives grant support from other sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Wisconsin AIDS/HIV Program, and the Medical College of Wisconsin. The HIV prevention prevention efforts of CAIR
The Quantitative Core of CAIR is led by Professor Timothy McAuliffe who holds a joint appointment in the Division of Biostatistics. This Core provides leadership, consultation, support services, and training to CAIR investigators and scientific personnel in the areas of data management, biostatistics, research design, and analysis. This Core and Dr. McAuliffe have particular expertise in issues of reliability and validity of self-reported sexual behavior, the design and evaluation of group-randomized (community) intervention programs, and the analysis of frequency data (e.g., sexual activity) that often cannot adequately be modeled using standard methodology.
National Marrow Donor Program
Professors Logan and Klein serve as biostatisticians for the corporate activities of the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) in Minneapolis. The NMDP is the primary source of potential donors for patients seeking and unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Projects of statistical interest include projections of the optimal registry size and composition and development of some means of grading performance of NMDP centers in terms of patient survival.
Division of Epidemiology
The Division of Epidemiology provides a graduate program in Epidemiology for residents and fellows of the College. The division also administers the Clinical Research Scholars Program. This program is made up of a diverse group of researchers, educators, physicians and faculty who work with junior clinical faculty to promote research and research education while fostering collaborations. Professor Hoffmann is the Biostatistician for the group and one of our PhD. students provides statistical support to the Division of Epidemiology and the Clinical Scholars program.
Cardiovascular Research Center
David R. Harder, PhD, professor of physiology, is director of the Cardiovascular Research Center. David L. Rutlen, MD, professor and chief of cardiovascular medicine, is co-director. The Center is comprised of more than 150 faculty scientists and physicians from virtually every department at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Total laboratory space exceeds 42,000 square feet, making it one of the largest cardiovascular research centers in the United States and providing a think tank for investigators studying cardiovascular disease.
Blood Center
Through collaborations with BloodCenter of Wisconsin’s Medical Services and Diagnostic Laboratories areas, and with scientific colleagues throughout the world, discoveries arising from research make a real contribution to the care of patients locally, nationally, and internationally.
Cancer Center
Cancer Center faculty are dedicated to excellence in patient care, community outreach, education and research. Research efforts are particularly important because they are the keys to finding new treatment and curative therapies. Here are examples of current research projects.
Marquette Biomedical Engineering
Marquette University's Bioengineering Department conducts joint research with the Medical College in many different areas. The Division of Biostatistics is particularly involved in orthopedic research by the Human Motion Analysis Lab as well as the Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Engineering Center (OREC). Professors Klein and Lim and an advanced graduate student are currently working with researchers in these organizations.
Genetics Center
The Human and Molecular Genetics Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin provides academic support for researchers at MCW who use the genomic sequence to understand disease and translate this information from the laboratory to the patient. Most of the research projects in the Center are funded by government agencies such as the National Institutes of Health. The research areas include various directions in genomics, high throughput sequencing and the development and use of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP's), microarray analysis and bioinformatics. Prof. Tao Wang is the main biostatistics faculty member associated with this Center.
Department of Surgery
Professor Lim has been working as a biostatistician in The Clinical Research Initiative (CRI) for the Department of Surgery. This Initiative aims to facilitate clinical and outcomes research, and quality improvement efforts in the Department. Dr. Lim’s main role is to assist in developing study protocols, submitting grants, building and maintaining databases for research, providing statistical support and statistical education for members of the Department of Surgery.