Team expands grant support while strengthening collaboration and education across campus
IHSI’s Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) Core offers expert biostatistical consulting and analysis services in support of health-related research. The team, consisting of three highly skilled biostatisticians and epidemiologists, work with researchers on basic science, social and behavioral research, and translational research studies and clinical trials.
Since its launch in 2016, the core has grown and significantly expanded its scope, with the goal of providing services that enhance the research outputs and build the Illinois health ecosystem. Following the hire of Jesus Sarol as Senior Biostatistician in Fall 2019, the core changed from the Illinois Biostatistics Core to the Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design Core.
Over the past two years, BERD has supported the development of 43 grant proposals and 9 manuscripts, among other projects, serving 19 departments across the Illinois campus. The wide range of project topics included understanding the impact of COVID-19, farmer’s mental health, transgender youth victimization, racial inequity, obesity prevention in children, substance abuse in incarcerated individuals, teacher-student dynamics in local high schools, cancer in dogs, gene editing, disease- or cancer-causing genetic mechanisms, and more.
“We at BERD always try to give our best efforts when delivering outputs requested by our clients. We are very delighted when they succeed in getting grant proposals approved, papers published, or posters presented,” said Sarol. “Furthermore, the diversity of the domain of these projects makes our work even more interesting and fulfilling.”
The team also started offering more educational opportunities for Illinois researchers, including webinars and written tips to help with data design and analysis. The team has seen strong interest across campus, with webinar registrants representing more than 40 departments and 7 institutes.
More educational opportunities will be available in 2022. BERD will also be offering virtual office hours for on-campus researchers seeking answers to basic analysis or study design questions. Office hours are available from 1-2 p.m. on Feb. 8, Feb. 22, Mar. 8, Mar. 29, Apr. 12, Apr. 26, and May 10 on Zoom.
Congratulations to the Illinois research teams collaborating with BERD on their 2021 publications!
Suicidal Ideation Among Transgender and Gender Expansive Youth: Mechanisms of Risk</p
Rachel C. Garthe, Allyson M. Blackburn, Amandeep Kaur, Jesus N. Sarol, Jacob Goffnett, Agnes Rieger, Crystal Reinhart, and Doug C. Smith
Dating Violence and Peer Victimization Among Male, Female, Transgender, and Gender-Expansive Youth
Rachel C. Garthe, Amandeep Kaur, Agnes Rieger, Allyson M. Blackburn, Shongha Kim and Jacob Goffnett
Quantification of Reservoir Bags as Airway Pressure-Limiting Devices in a Nonrebreathing System
Tamas Ambrisko, Arnon Gal, Jesus Sarol Jr, Ashley Mitek, Christina Braun
The Emerging Adult Reasons for Substance Use (EARS): Preliminary Support for Multidimensionality, Validity and Reliability
Douglas C. Smith, Jordan P. Davis, Sa Shen & Heloísa Garcia Claro
A 10% Tomato Diet Selectively Reduces Radiation-Induced Damage in TRAMP Mice
Joe L. Rowles, III, Matthew A. Wallig, Kimberly A. Selting, Timothy M. Fan, Rita J. Miller, William D. O'Brien, Jr., John W. Erdman, Jr.
Teacher-Student Ratings of Social, Emotional, Behavioral Needs Among High School Freshmen Students
Kevin Tan, Jenna White, Oejin Shin, Shongha Kim & Minh Dung Hoang Le
Bedtimes, bedtime routines, and children’s sleep across the first 2 years of life
Barbara H Fiese, Tianying Cai, Carolyn Sutter, Kelly K Bost
Child Attachment Behavior as a Moderator of the Relation Between Feeding Responsiveness and Picky Eating Behavior
Iwinski S, Cole NC, Saltzman JA, Donovan SM, Lee SY, Fiese BH, Bost KK