The major functions of the Study Design & Clinical Research Core are to:
- Serve clinical and basic science investigators in digestive diseases with comprehensive study design consultation and support
- Assist DDC investigators in all aspects of the acquisition of clinical specimens required for their research in digestive diseases
- Develop disease-specific databases and repositories, and support comprehensive data analyses and interpretation of basic, translation, clinical and epidemiological studies.
The specific aims of the Clinical core are to successfully execute these functions.
Major core services include: providing study-design and statistical-analysis support; establishing procedures for data management and database organization to facilitate efficient analyses; assisting DDC investigators in acquiring clinical specimens needed for their research; assisting and training in compliance, patient confidentiality and oversight issues, including preparation of IRB requests and preparation of investigational new drug applications; and educating members via meetings and seminars.
Fasiha Kanwal, M.D., MSHS, serves as clinical core director. She is a professor of medicine, chief of the gastroenterology and hepatology section at Baylor College of Medicine, and a well-established clinical investigator with active funding from NIH, VA, and DOD. David Graham, M.D., a renowned clinical investigator and co-founder emeritus of the DDC itself, continues to serve as the core co-director. Mimi Tan, M.D., MPH, (T32-trained, P/F awardee and K23 holder) serves as assistant director of the clinical core.
The clinical core provides subsidized consultative support to DDC members in four main areas:
- Advice and guidance on study design,
- Access to clinical specimens for translational, clinical, and epidemiological studies,
- Development of disease-specific databases and repositories, and
- Statistical analyses and interpretation.
To request services from any DDC core facility, visit our iLab Solutions portal.
Clinical Core Leadership
Request Services:
To request services from any DDC core facility, visit our iLabs portal. Note: You will be required to created an iLabs account.