Vol. 30 | January 2025 – 4 minute read | |
Biostatistics and Data Science Core | |
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The UTSW Biostatistics and Data Science Core (BDSC), led by Donghan (Mo) Yang, Ph.D., provides a variety of data management and analytical support services to clinical research investigators. The core members’ expertise includes developing insights from large real-world datasets, such as electronic health records, insurance claims, clinical trial data sets, and surveys. Investigators can benefit from a free two-hour consultation to identify the right tools and solutions for their project’s needs. Researchers can also contract directly with the BDSC for ongoing data analyses by supporting a portion of an analyst’s efforts via a fixed agreement, or billed on an hourly basis for analytic services.
The team offers assistance with data management and analytics in areas such as:
•Artificial intelligence and machine learning
•Biostatistics
•Study design, grant applications, and statistical considerations for various research studies
•Database development and management
Collaborate with the BDSC to strengthen your research. Contact BDSC@utsouthwestern.edu.
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In December 2024, our new IRB system, the UTSW Electronic Tracking and Human Research Oversight System (ETHOS), opened to accept studies. The ETHOS team is now working to migrate all existing active studies to the platform. During this process, studies will be marked as “Migrated” in the old eIRB system. Studies can be managed in the old system until the study is marked “Migrated” in eIRB. Once a study is marked “active” in ETHOS, you may manage the study in ETHOS.
If you need to submit an item such as continuing review, modifications, and reportable events while your study is being migrated, please use the REDCap for Urgent Requests form. The IRB team will respond quickly to assist you.
Please reach out to the IRB Office with any questions or concerns regarding the management or migration of your studies in eIRB and ETHOS.
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Generative AI Tool Available Through the Library | |
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The UTSW Health Sciences Digital Library and Learning Center has acquired Scopus AI, a new generative artificial intelligence tool that specifically searches Scopus’ peer-reviewed and vetted content.
The Scopus database covers more than 27,800 peer-reviewed journals and 330,000 books from over 7,000 scholarly publishers, as well as 50,000 open access publishers and repositories, and records from MEDLINE and EMBASE. Scopus AI explains how it searched the database, includes references, indicates its confidence level in the relevancy of the response, and suggests “go deeper” questions.
On Jan. 30, the library will host a class to discuss how the product works and how to utilize it to begin the research process and find seminal articles from the Scopus corpus. Register to attend.
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Important Dates and Upcoming Events | |
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Dean’s Scholar in Clinical Research
The Dean’s Scholars in Clinical Research program supports training for early career clinician-scientists to build successful clinical and translational research projects. Scholars will receive up to 50% salary support and up to $50,000 in annual startup funds for two years.
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Applications close Jan. 31 for the winter session. Apply here.
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Spring Application Cycle: The spring Dean’s Scholar application cycle will open March 31 and close May 2.
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Training for Aspiring Clinical Investigators*
UT Southwestern provides the opportunity to learn more about clinical and translational research study design. Clinical research trainees and staff are invited to earn a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (M.S.C.I.) or a certification in Clinical Investigation from the Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health (OSPH). The curriculum is designed to prepare investigators for academic or industry careers. Please share these opportunities with your trainees and staff.
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Annual Conflict of Interest Disclosure Period
All covered individuals (faculty, researchers, advanced practice providers, executive leadership, and certain others) are required to submit a conflict of interest (COI) statement prior to March 1. Covered individuals will receive weekly automated reminder emails, along with additional instructions, until the training and COI statement are completed.
Additional information on submitting a COI statement may be found here (VPN required). Please contact the COI Office at conflictofinterest@UTSouthwestern.edu with any questions.
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Multisite Research Trial Knowledge Hub Seminar Series*
Join Song Zhang, Ph.D., for an overview of the Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) team’s services and resources. This seminar will address the unique challenges faced by multisite study designs, power calculations, and sample size estimations, statistical methods useful to multisite trials, and how to access BERD resources.
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Clinical Research Accelerator Community Event*
Join other clinical researchers to create connections and community.
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Call for Abstracts: UTSW Women’s Health Research Initiative
The Women’s Health Research Initiative is a new interdisciplinary effort designed to connect basic, translational, and clinical researchers around common themes in women’s health across the lifespan. Investigators may submit an abstract on any topic in women’s health to present at the Spring Forum on April 17.
If you are interested in attending the forum (whether you plan to present an abstract or not), please register here.
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Community Health Grant Opportunities*
The UTSW CTSA is happy to announce two grant opportunities to support research benefiting community health priorities and foster community-academic partnerships.
Applications close Feb. 28.
The aim of the Planning Grant is to support the development of new, innovative, and impactful research projects that are conducted in community-based and/or clinical settings and have the potential to lead to future community-engaged research opportunities.
Awardees will receive up to $15,000. Apply here.
The aim of the Pilot Grant is to support research studies testing novel approaches to address health problems through community-engaged implementation.
Awardees will receive up to $30,000. Apply here.
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Call for Applications: Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials: Career Development Award
The Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials: Career Development Award for Early-Stage Investigator Physicians is now accepting applications for its fifth cohort of scholars. This national two-year program is designed to support the career development of early-stage investigators who are underrepresented in medicine or who have a commitment to increasing diversity in clinical research. The award provides $120,000/yr. over two years. Funding is meant to support the career development and protect 40% of the scholars’ time and effort for program participation.
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Writing Accountability Group*
The Writing Accountability Workshop is designed to make scholarly writing a habit. The series includes sessions in which researchers will work on their own scholarly writing accompanied by individual and group accountability partners. Individuals are asked to bring their own scholarly writing project to work on during the sessions.
*Sponsored by the UT Southwestern CTSA Program
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