BIOSTATISTICS AND COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY

VISION

Aspire to the highest standards of excellence in research, education and service

MISSION

Support and enhance the College of Dentistry’s core values, goals, and strategies through collaborative research and innovations in quantitative dental sciences

OVERVIEW

The purpose of The University of Iowa College of Dentistry Division of Biostatistics and Computational Biology (BCB) is to provide state-of-the-art and cost-effective biostatistics and bioinformatics support for all the research projects conducted at the college. This support includes long term grant and protocol support, project-oriented assistance, as well as ongoing consultations and data analyses. More particularly, we:

  • conduct preliminary data analysis and assist in research hypothesis formulating.
  • review background rationale and to provide statistical design and analysis plans required to address the specific aims of clinical protocols, translational and basic science research projects.
  • provide proper analysis and interpretations of data collected from bioassays, drug screening, animal models, clinical investigations, and population-based studies.
  • assist in manuscript preparation and review scientific submissions.
  • critically review and advise on clinical protocols conducted at College of Dentistry.
  • provide database development and computer programming services and to assure data quality control.
  • provide general statistics and bioinformatics consultations for all College of Dentistry investigators.
  • provide special education and training opportunities (lectures and lab meeting discussions) in biostatistics and bioinformatics to students, residents, fellows and junior faculty investigators.
  • conduct quantitative methodological research that is directly applicable in dental science.

The Division of Biostatistics and Computational Biology provides the necessary infrastructure to facilitate collaboration between investigators and biostatisticians/bioinformaticians beginning at the planning stage of a project up through its execution, analysis, interpretation of results, and scientific submissions.

PRIORITIZATION

The main goal of BCB is to ensure appropriate quantitative support for biomedical research at the College of Dentistry through a recognized and accessible central resource.  BCB will support all clinical and population-based research as well as in vitro and animal research. However the highest priority will be given to the peer-reviewed funded research, clinical protocol development, and statistical review service for IRB and DSMC. The order of priority among research projects is as follows:

(1) Peer-reviewed funded research projects and clinical trials (funding should include BCB support);

(2) Non-peer-reviewed funded research projects and clinical trials (funding should include BCB support);

(3) Research proposals to be submitted for external funding (there should be a budget for BCB support);

(4) Investigator initiated clinical trials without external funding;

(5) Other research projects without external funding.

 

Division of Biostatistics and Computational Biology is directed by Dr. Xian Jin Xie.

Faculty & Staff:

Huojun Cao, PhD. Assistant Professor

Joseph Cavanaugh, PhD. Professor

Carissa Comnick, BA. Biostatistician (GRA)

Miyuraj Harishchandra, BS. Bioinformatician (GRA)

Brian Howe, DMD, MS, Assistant Professor

Chandler Pendleton, BS. Biostatistician (GRA)

Fang Qian, PhD. Associate Research Scientist

Anne Welhaven, MS. Biostatistician (GRA)

Xian Jin Xie, PhD. Professor and Director

Erliang Zeng, PhD. Associate Professor

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