Working with the faculty, biostatistician, and cytogenetic data management staff, the REU student will gain an understanding of cytogenetic analysis and karyotype nomenclature, gain awareness of data management necessary for a large scale research database, and participate in a statistical model building exercise. The HPFS is a prospective epidemiologic study initiated at the Harvard School of Public Health in 1984 that includes approximately 50,000 men. We are actively evaluating a series of histopathologic biomarkers in the prostate tissue sections from this cohort. The expression or staining for each of these variables can be quantified using computerized digital image analysis. We will provide these data for projects that can be accomplished by the participants in the REU training program.
Students can participate in the staining as well as imaging aspect of the studies.
Once quantitative data is available, the student will provide descriptive statistics and determine the relationship between the variable of interest and other prognostic or risk factors such as Gleason Grade and stage. Additional studies can be undertaken to correlate any new variable evaluated with all other outcomes previously quantitated on the same tissue sample. This research project involves kidney diseases and transplantation. It relies heavily in the availability of powerful, flexible electronic databases that contain up to date and unique clinical information on large numbers of patients. In the past, we have used this information extensively and successfully, resulting in the publication of a series of manuscripts describing novel findings in this important area of clinical medicine.