Biostatistics

The primary objective of the Biostatistics shared resource of the Masonic Cancer Center is to provide centralized biostatistics support for all member research projects at the Masonic Cancer Center. The shared resource will serve as the focal point from which investigators and their team members at the Masonic Cancer Center can draw biostatistics expertise for the design and analysis of their research projects.

The aims of the Biostatistics shared resource are to:

  1. Provide biostatistics expertise in study design, including endpoint definition, sample size estimation and power calculation, randomization procedures, data collection from design, plans for report generation, interim reviews, and final analysis.
  2. Provide biostatistics analyses and support for all cancer research projects using contemporary statistical and computing methodologies.

The Biostatistics shared resource is an independent, stand-alone shared resource of the Masonic Cancer Center; it may draw faculty support from the Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, if and when it is needed, but it is operating within the Masonic Cancer Center, independent of the Division of Biostatistics. All members, research programs, and other shared resources of the Masonic Cancer Center will be supported by the Biostatistics shared resource.

Funding

Funding

Limited services are provided free of charge to researchers planning cancer-related grant applications and research protocols, which may include the analysis of cancer-related research data from pilot and feasibility studies.

Extended collaboration with the Biostatistics Core should be directly supported by the appropriate funding sources. Costs for services are recovered through percent effort of personnel. Investigators should include either a team of statisticians as a Biostatistics Core in applications of program projects or specific core member as co-investigator in applications of other grants.

Publications resulting from biostatistic work should merit co-authorship: the order of authorship is up to the principal investigator/primary author.

Biostatistics support

Biostatistics support

The primary aim of the Biostatistics staff is to support funded cancer-related projects of Cancer Center members; support of other projects can be arranged. The staff supports several program projects (P- and U- grants, and SOPRES). We provide Cancer Center members with a high level and broad range of expertise in data management and biostatistics.

Investigators are encouraged to initiate collaboration with the Biostatistics staff as early as possible in the protocol planning process and to utilize services throughout the duration of their projects.

Biostatistics Services

Services include support in the planning, monitoring, and analysis phases of a study.

Planning

  • Review background and rationale
  • Identify hypotheses, endpoints, and covariates
  • Design experiments and surveys
  • Estimate sample size and calculate power
  • Assist database development
  • Write statistical considerations components of grants and research protocols
  • Develop early stopping rules for clinical trials
  • Monitoring

Process, store, and retrieve data

  • Monitor accrual
  • Conduct interim analysis
  • Assist with continuation/stopping decisions

Analysis

  • Conduct statistical analysis
  • Assist with interpretation of results
  • Recommend presentation methods
  • Author statistical analysis component of manuscripts

Request for Service

1. Go to the CTR Portal, http://z.umn.edu/ctsirequest - You will be asked to log in with your x500 username and password. 
2. Select "New Request" in the upper right.
3. Search for your project, or if it is a new project, you can select "No the project doesn't yet exist" and you will be prompted to enter the project title and the PI information. Then select "Proceed to the next step".
4. Choose "Yes I would" from the pop-up and then select the first button on the next page. It reads, 'Biostatistical and Data Management Support'. Proceed to the next step.
5. Answer the remaining questions as completely as you can and submit the form upon completion.

Biostatistics faculty and staff

Biostatistics faculty and staff

Coordinator

Todd E. DeFor, M.S.
Office: 717 Delaware, Room 144C
Campus Mail Code 1932
612-626-6848
defor001@umn.edu

Faculty

Director

Chap T. Le, Ph.D.
Distinguished Teaching Professor of Biostatistics
Office: A441 Mayo
Campus Mail Code 8-303
612-624-9963
chap@umn.edu

Xianghua Luo, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biostatistics
Office: A427 Mayo
Campus Mail Code 8-303
612-624-2158
luox0054@umn.edu

Rachel Isaksson Vogel, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Office: Moos 12-190
Campus Mail Code 1932
612-624-6928
isak0023@umn.edu

Professional Academic Staff

Qing Cao, M.S.
Senior Research Fellow
Office: 717 Delaware, Room 130
Campus Mail Code 1932
612-624-2604
caox0075@umn.edu

Todd DeFor, M.S.
Senior Research Fellow
Office: 717 Delaware Room 144C
Campus Mail Code 1932
612-626-6846
defor001@umn.edu

Bruce R. Lindgren, M.S.
Senior Research Fellow
Office: 717 Delaware, Room 133
Campus Mail Code 1932
612-624-2939
lindg001@umn.edu

Ryan Shanley, M.S.
Senior Research Fellow
Office: 717 Delaware, #4
Campus Mail Code 1932
612-625-5111
shan0219@umn.edu

Nathan Rubin, M.S.
Research Fellow
Office: 717 Delaware, #9
Campus Mail Code 1932
612-625-9884

Katelyn Tessier, M.S.
Research Fellow
Office: 717 Delaware, #4
Campus Mail Code 1932
612-624-6916

Staff

Biostatistics Director
Chap T. Le, PhD
Professor of Biostatistics
Office: A441 Mayo
612-624-9963

Office: 717 Delaware #5
612-625-5506
chap@umn.edu

Biostatistics Coordinator
Todd E. DeFor, MS
Office: 717 Delaware, Room 144C
Campus Mail Code 1932
612-624-6848
defor001@umn.edu